The doc called to report my brain MRI findings, it showed positive for migranes.  Thankfully, no cancer.  Funny thing, I had to specifically ask if there was any cancer on the film.  When they tell you what is on the scan, sometimes they forget to tell you what isn't in the scan, which leads into the really scary one!

So the next week they call back with my PET scan results; and tell me that there is low level uptake on 3 ribs (which is probably from the healed fractures) and the sternum.  So I informed the NP that those "fractures" were actually resolved tumors.  I asked why the scans weren't compared to my old ones, she didn't know.  So we both agreed that I needed to call the breast center and make sure they send my old scans from a different hospital over to nuc med. 

The breast cancer just gave me the run-around, so the next day I called my doc and the nurses said the NP is out and will call me back the next day.  So when she does (I've been crying for two days now thinking the cancer is back meaning my body has built up an immunity to herceptin) she explains that the "uptake" levels are so low its probably not cancer, they would be 4 times higher if they were cancer.  Then she did say I had to make sure those films got to nuc med (errr, grumble).  So I called the breast center again, then I called nuc med.  Nuc Med also was riding the breast center about my films!  We finally gave up and I requested my films again from the old hospital!  So now I'm just waiting to get the old films so I can have them compared to the new.  But once again, the NP should have started off with "we don't see any cancer, but we do see some low-level uptake"!

I went back and looked at my old scan reports, they did show some low-level uptake like the current ones, and at that time doc declared me stage IV/NED.  So it sounds like I'm still in the clear but that won't be confirmed until we compare the scans.

So for all of you getting test results, specifically ask the question "so what does that mean" and "did they see any cancer".  Don't assume like me, you'll be freaking out unnecessarily.

 I also need to take all my scans to my GP 'cause it uncovered all sorts of other health issues (like the migrane) that the oncologist isn't going to deal with!

Be your own health advocate!