I will attempt to attach photos of my MRI showing my nodule and then of my hand as I have gone through radiation.
If this works right you can see on the MRI a chopped off version of my hand. The white images are the knuckles (bone), and in the middle of my hand a dark spot below the middle knuckle. That is the nodule and you can see how far away it is from the bone or how close it is to the surface of my hand. This was how they determinded how deep to radiate.
Next is my hand showing my nodule and cord before radiation.
Had 2nd and last radiation August 17-21st and this is my hand now. The cord is still visible but the nodule is greatly reduced. Have had a little skin irritation.
The nodules in your palm may even have looked worse than mine did. I can see the difference after radiation. Wish I had taken pictures. I'm glad you did so people can see the difference.
Thanks Flora for that information. Somehow I had always believed your hand looked worse than mine since you had had it longer. But it is interesting to see how fast or slow it is in different people. Amazing how that cord and nodules developed in 6 months or less.
I wanted people to see what radiation did in a 2 month or less period. I know that when doing my research it helped me to make up my mind if I could see results. I hope it helps others to see what an MRI will show and if an MRI is helpful. Funny, when I first saw that MRI shot I thought it was my index finger which they took pictures of to determine my arthritis. Dr. Crimaldi told me it was a "creative" shot of my hand chopped off at the knuckles.
I' M NEW TO THIS FORUM AND HAVE SPENT THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS READING ON HERE. I'VE HAD DC FOR A 2 TO 3 MONTHS. NONE OF MY FINGERS HAVE CONTRACTED BUT I HAVE 6 NODULES - ONE UNDER MIDDLE FINGER - RING FINGER- AND LITTLE FINGER ON BOTH HANDS AND I AM VERY INTERESTED IN RADIATION. I HOPE I'M NOT BEING TO FORWARD BUT WHERE DID YOU HAVE THIS DONE AND HOW MUCH WAS IT TO DO? I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO DO THIS BECAUSE I HAVE CHOSE NOT TO DO SURGERY EVER AND THE NA SOUNDS GOOD BUT FOR HOW LONG.
You are not being too forward to ask. I have written here before about where I am receiving treatment, I received RT at Southeast Oncology Radiation in Charlotte, NC. My doctor is Dr. Crimaldi and they can be contacted under the RT catagory under clinics. My guess is the total bill will be a whopping $13,000.00 of which my insurance paid most of it. I am guessing I will have out of pocket at best around $1200.00 at worse case $2000.00, since I am not completely done and I have several follow up visits to go. By going to the radiation offices away from the hospital, my insurance treated it as an office visit and not as a hospital visit which it covered at a greater rate.
The pictures do not do my hand justice for showing how much it has been reduced. My nodule has gone from about the size of nickle to a small pea, and it has softened. If you looked at my hand now you almost could not see the cord or nodule I can still see the cord and it still draws and puckers towards the middle finger if you looked at my hand flat at eye level. But when relaxed you can barely see the cord and the nodule looks like a callus. I am REALLY pleased and hope this treatment works for a few years. For the last 2-3 days I have been pain free for the first time since last October.
I owe this site more than I can say for providing me the support and literature to make this treatment decision. It changed my life.
You asked about cost of RT. This information is posted under another topic, but it is just as easy to paste it under this topic. You will see the cost for my RT. Medicare is my primary insurance.
Flora
Cost of RT at Scripps
Just received Medicare Summary Notice for my RT. Note: No co-pay if charges within Medicare approved charges.
"Set radiation therapy field" - $836.80** "Radiation physics consult" - 2 x $562.10** "Radiation treatment delivery" - 10 x $482.78** ** Amount charged by Scripps/Dr. Trapuraneni was within Medicare approved rates.
Other charges noted as "Information provided does not support this service or item" for the initial SIMS planning appointment done 3 weeks prior to beginning actual radiation treatment (itemized as therapy planning, set radiation therapy field, radiation treatment aid professional charge and Special teletx port plan professional charge) totaled $1,032 Note: The "Ct scan for therapy guide" listed above as paid by Medicare was done at the SIMS planning. It is reasonable to me that at least some of the unapproved charges can be documented, but I don't know if Scripps will provide documentation for these charges or not.
Scripps charges, I assume, were aligned with Medicare coverage, but I don't know. I hope knowing Medicare Approved amounts will help others in planning their treatment. Remember that my dosage was 1.8Gy for each of the 10 sessions of electron radiation therapy. I would think that a higher dosage would cost more.
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