Oh @Duncan
Thanks for letting us know ….its good to get clarity isn’t it .. especially when it’s best case scenario!
Please take good care of yourself
Keep us updated !
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Hi Duncan, I’m so pleased for you, it’s such good news. It’s odd that one of the ‘benefits’ of having Polycythaemia vera (PV) is that we get regular monitoring which picks up on other issues. I think we should get a discount on health insurance not have to pay more! Anyway, enjoy your day, and thousands more.
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Hello @Duncan. Thank you for your kind words and for thinking of me during your MRI scan! I have added another -ologist to my medical team. Thank you for using that phrase of the ‘many -ologists gang’. It has helped me today and made me smile. I am now under the Respiratory team and I am feeling very discouraged as I found out yesterday from the latest CT scan than there is still an area of infection deep in my lung. So it seems all that treatment in isolation at the beginning of this year was to no avail. The scan will be repeated in June and I have emergency antibiotics to take if I become unwell with a fever in the meantime. Sometimes it feels like what’s the point of it all especially as my digestive system is still ‘unhappy’ after all the IV antibiotics I have had. Thinking of you. Warm wishes, Willow
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Oh @Willowand @Duncan yes, the -ologists and I am not surprised that you are feeling very discouraged after all that time you spent in hospital, in isolation, at the beginning of the year.
I am so sorry to hear that your digestive system is still ‘unhappy’ after all the iv antibiotics you have had.
I feel I ought to be able to write you a poem for this time when it feels like what’s the point of it all or to jump through my laptop screen to give you a big hug.
However the Blood Cancer UK support line is there for you on 0808 2080 888.
If only I felt I could support you as you have supported so many others on our forum.
A big supply of virtual hugs winging their way to you, please do keep posting. xx
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Oh @Willow that really must feel discouraging after all those intensive treatments. I really feel for you. We can hold onto so much hope for these test results showing improvements, so of course it won’t feel so great when that is dashed somewhat. I do hope you’re not feeling like you could have done anything else to improve those results!
I wonder, do those emergency antibiotics feel like something of a comfort? I remember after my heart attack I used to carry around a little TNT spray bottle I was given during the cardiac event that really helped (apparently the glyceryl trinitrate instantly opens veins and takes strain off hearts). It always felt like at least I had that if another heart attack occurred. Then so much time passed that the liquid evaporated and I hadn’t even noticed, which came to be its own sort of relief. I hope time will evaporate some of your very understandable concern.
I really love @Erica suggesting poetry. I know it won’t erase the worry, but could writing get some of it out of your system so you don’t have it swilling around? I’ve written quite a few angry things recently that I’d probably never share but helped express some of this bloody health anxiety. Or should I say health fury?! Better out than in, as my mum would say!
I’m sure you know too that worry can mess with our digestive systems on top of all these medicines we take, so do please treat yourself with simple delicious foods that your body can tolerate. I hate knowing you’re not feeling entirely better dear @Willow. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that those follow-up tests will give you better news 
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Just wanted to say thank you to @NinaSt, @Jonpd, @DottieB and @Pedro for your lovely support, and yes isn’t it great news?! I’m trying to take it in.
Had therapy today and it was such a relief to be able to joke about my good fortune at ‘only’ having a tiny benign little brain tumour! What is this optimism?! The thought of thousands more days of living with a brain tumour might in my youth have terrified me about the long road ahead, but now I’m like yes please to all that!!!
I think we all know versions of the shock we’ve felt about our blood cancer diagnoses and I’m realising that mine maybe primed me to tolerate this latest one with less terror. I’m like oh this is benign, no need to waste time worrying too much about it in that case!
My family doctor has already got the ball rolling, booking me in to see my new endocrinologist next week, so I’m feeling cared for all round, both here and there. Thank you all 
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Hi @Duncan just wondering how you are and whether you have seen the endocrinologist (another ologist) yet?
Look after and be very kind to yourself.
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Hello there @Erica, thank you for so kindly checking on me. Hard to believe but I’m alright! Been taking it easy over the last few days to get my head around it all.
I saw my lovely new endocrinologist last week and she reassured me that I have such a tiny benign brain tumour that it will likely never cause me any trouble. She showed me (via MRI images) how it’s not bothering anything in my brain and it likely won’t grow further due to her recommended treatment.
After a couple more upcoming blood tests to confirm how the tumour is affecting my hormones I should start taking another medicine which will shrink it and help undo changes to my pituitary gland and the hormones it produces.
So all in all, it’s excellent news. Have to say, I was met with such care and understanding from my new doctor that it brought me to tears. She couldn’t find any tissues and was so apologetic at the thought of making me cry, and yet there I was feeling enormous relief! I’m fortunate to have been referred to such a caring doctor.
I just read that you too have a benign tumour @Erica!!! I’m really so, so glad yours is benign, although I imagine the testing wasn’t fun. I hope it doesn’t cause you trouble, nor any further testing or medicine you might need.
Oh and this might make you smile—I realised I already had another -ologist before gaining an endocrinologist as my therapist is a psychologist! Definitely got quite the gang of doctors keeping me going!!!
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Oh, that is excellent news @Duncan and thank goodness for our ‘ologists’ I say.
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Thank goodness indeed! Dr Google would absolutely not have helped me 
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Dr Google definitely did not help me.
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