the search for a carcinoid is back on

Today was a long day - got to U of C at 12:30, CT scan at 1, lunch at Medici, then appointment with new endocrinologist at 3.  Didn't leave the endocrinologist's office till after 6.  He said he left us till last because he wanted to be able to spend more time with Shawn.  

First we saw an intern and a fellow; and I was wondering if we were going to see Dr. B. at all.  They spent about 45 minutes with Shawn, during which time he was having a fairly minor spell - bp 165, face red and warm.  They said you're obviously having a reaction to something but we don't know what; then said they would be back after talking to Dr. B.  A while later all three came in. Dr. B said "We've all been talking about you".   He said "I see that you've been to my friends at the Mayo Clinic," at which time I was thinking "another dead end."  

But his next words were less than kind about his opinion of their workup.  He said that all the symptoms, plus Shawn's reaction to all the different medicines he's been on, strongly points to a carcinoid.  Actually I think his exact words were "it's a carcinoid."   He said that if Shawn were being accused of a crime, all the evidence he has right now would be enough to put him in jail. 

The trick now is in finding it.  He agreed that the thymus needed more examination, and will be talking to the pulmonologist next week as soon as they have the results of today's CT scan.  Also mentioned some possiblity of the lung, which he said would be where he hoped it was.  

Meanwhile, medication is being changed again - he's on a different blood pressure medicine, Dibenzyline, twice a day.  Also increasing his dosage of cyproheptadine a little.  And he wants to hear from Shawn on Friday to see how that works.  He also wrote a prescription for Toprol, but said not to fill it yet; if the heart rate stays high he will want Shawn to add that.    

So next week we'll know more about next steps.  It doesn't sound like those next steps will be much fun but at the end if they can find and get rid of this then maybe we can get back to life the way it should be, rather than the rollercoaster of worry (and in Shawn's case, PAIN) that we're on right now.