Has anyone ever had a simiar experiance...and what was the outcome?

Question

My husband age 26 went to Urgent care for an odd stomach pain under the rib area on one side. This pain was really odd, and he also had loose bowls. They did a catscan, which showed a swollen spleen, and lymph node near the groin. Also some abnormal blood work came up. Today we went to see the surgeon for a biopsy. The surgeon said that he felt no lymph node. Then said that we are seeing the wrong doctor, and sent us to a hematologist/oncologist doctor. I'm irratated, cause waiting sucks. And I'm sure many of you know the feeling of not knowing. Then we called the Urgent care doctor to make sure that we need to see this cancer doctor. He said yes, that he was unsure of whether to send us to the surgeon for a biopsy or to the cancer doctor. I guess the blood work was nothing too alarming. I know for sure the bun was high, and something about the liver enzimes. ?? But no infection showed up such as tuberculosis. If the lymph node was a mistake, and it's not there, then why? HElP

Answer 1

hey,
Just to put your mind at rest, a hematologist? oncologist is a specialist in reading and studying blood work. Just because you see one, does not mean you have cancer. They are very good at detecting things in the blood that general doctors are not used to looking for. I see an oncologist because I have bleeding problems and I also have pain on my upper left and right side under my ribs. I have ITP which is a platelet problem. People with things that are hard to diagnose are generally referred out to be on the safe side. Just wait and remember that you are going to get an opinion, not something set in stone. they are wonderful detectives of the human body. You will find that they will be able to tell you things in depth that you will appreciate. Good luck and blessings your way.

Answer 2

I know the waiting for test, test results, appts, and correct doctor visits is hard. I went through an entire year trying to obtain my diagnosis. Even though it turned out to be cancer, I am fine. I had surgery, no other treatments. Just try to stay hopeful and strong.

Answer 3

A temporary reaction to minor food poisoning can cause all of what you have described here

Answer 4

I have not had a similar experience, but here's a few things to consider: Lymph nodes expand and contract on a regular basis, so its not unusual to have a swollen lymph node one day, and have it clear up a day or two later. So there's nothing remarkable about finding a swollen node one day and not the next - this is actually a good sign since this is characteristic of getting over an infection.

With certain infections, both the spleen and lymph nodes become enlarged - this is part of a normal immune response. The most common cause of these two symptoms together is mononucleosis, but that would have showed up on the blood test. Some infections would not necessarily be detectable if the infection was gone by the time your husband went to the urgent care center - the docs probably screened for the obvious causes that can be detected, but this doesn't necessarily rule out infection as the cause. A variety of viral infections can also cause chronic inflammation of the spleen, which doesn't show up until a long time after the infection is gone. If infections and chronic inflammation are ruled out, then, the next logical cause is some type of lymphoma. BUN and liver enzymes are only indicative of something affecting the liver - commonly acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or alcohol, so these findings don't help with the diagnosis, but hepatitis can cause all of these symptoms.

Going to the cancer doc or hematologist next makes sense since lymphomas can be diagnosed or ruled out quickly without surgery, and biopsy is also a good choice, but might not be necessary.

Answer 5

They don't call it the art of medicine, they call it the PRACTICE of medicine.
Any Dr. will tell you they practice all the time.