Hey everyone. So I have been taking MTX and leflomide for about a year and a half now taking the regular blood tests and about 8 months ago some thing was out of wack for two tests in a row but then returned to normal. I went for an ultra sound just to be on the safe side and they found lesions, so it was an mri next. They were found to be none cancerous and we would check again in 6 months for and changes but nothing to be concerned about or so I was told. So I went back for a follow up ultra sound this month and was just told the the tumor is growing and will need another mri. Now I am left wondering if the meds are effecting my liver or just plain bad luck. UGH!!!!
Hi Spirits. Whether it's the meds or just plain old bad luck I'm sorry you're going through this. Keep us posted on what comes next for you.
While strange growths aren't necessarily unusual in the Liver I gotta tell you Spirits, your attitude is amazing. Its seems hardly a day goes by that someone isn't complaining about side effects that are generally anything but (we take powerful meds, of course they have effects) and along comes you. I don't know whether it's the meds or just plain old bad luck either. Either way it has the has the potential to effect your treatment, even though tumors are almost never associated with the kind of damage that comes from medications. With your attitude, its gonna be fine. keep it up.
Speaking of attuitude, I had an interesting discussion with a gentleman this morning (actually he a was an IRS field agent - long story) who had just returned to work after a long temporary disability. He was working four tens and thrilled. His MTX finally had taken hold. It mad him sick as hell for one day kind of sick a second day and bit hung over the third. To him he said if he could be mostly normal only three days a week It was so much better than better than sitting on the couch on either pain meds of in the "right position" so he didn't hurt for seven days. The other advantage was that at least one day a week he could eat anything he wanted, and no one would say a word.
Anyway, if want to freak a bit, its just fine..................
Thanks for the above comments. I think the important thing to remember is that this and PSA is some thing that we cant do anything about it was gonna happen no matter what. I think that I just have to deal with every thing as it comes and just try not to blame myself or others. Focusing on the good rather then the bad is not always easy but makes dealing with illness much much easier.
Good chance this is what I've heard referred to as an "incidentaloma": something that you never would have needed to know about and never would have caused any harm. Now that they/you know about it, though, there's no ignoring it.
I hope this is, like last time, a whole bunch of nothing to worry over. When the words "liver" and "tumor" are in the same sentence, and it's your own personal liver, worry is inevitable. I hope the MRI once again shows that it's just one of those things, nothing bad. I also hope you can have the MRI done quickly- waiting for news is the worst.
I know you must be concerned Spirits. During an MRI of my lumbar spine a mass was found on my liver. After lots of blood tests and an ultra sound it was determined to be a Riedel's Lobe. I had heard about them in nurse's training but had never seen one. I thought it was an extra lobe but it is actually a protrusion of one of the lobes into the pelvis and can be symptomatic. I am not sure mine ever was. The really odd part is I have a sister with one too.
So the gist of my story is be concerned but not too worried. It might be one of these odd but normal things. And who knows maybe some extra liver might come in handy!