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Summer 2004 YourScan Helps Unravel Mysterious AilmentWhen it comes to medical conditions with widespread name recognition, sarcoidosis is not one that springs readily to mind. In fact, most things about the disease are like what Winston Churchill once described as a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. For instance, in addition to being a somewhat obscure medical condition, the causes of sarcoidosis are themselves difficult to pin down with any certainty. Experts point to hereditary or environmental factors among a range of possible causes. And finally, as mysteriously as the symptoms of sarcoidosis appear, so too do they, in most cases, just disappear—eventually. And sarcoidosis is just as likely to be present without any symptoms at all. These were the riddles confronting Debbie Edwards, of Galena Maryland, as she searched for reasons underlying her difficulty in swallowing and on occasion, shortness of breath. Although shortness of breath is one of the symptoms of sarcoidosis, it also is a symptom of other conditions. The symptoms were of enough concern that Ms. Edwards consulted her family doctor. None of the usual exploratory or diagnostic avenues, including X-rays, led to any conclusions. Acid reflux disease seemed the most likely culprit, and Ms. Edwards began taking medication with no further attempts to pin down what might have been wrong. 
Debbie Edwards and one of her YourScan images showing a suspected sarcoid. Time passed until, in a sequence of events unrelated to Ms. Edwards’ prior symptoms, coincidence intervened. Her daughter-in-law had for some time been urging Ms. Edwards’ husband, due to his family history and other factors, to have a full body scan done at YourScan. As part of the effort to encourage her husband, Ms. Edwards agreed to have one done as well. The results of Ms. Edwards’ full body scan revealed anomalies in her lungs. YourScan radiologists reviewed the images with Ms. Edwards and strongly urged her to bring them to her family doctor as soon as possible. The radiologist’s report prompted her doctor to refer Ms. Edwards to a pulmonologist who ordered further tests, which again were inconclusive. Naturally, Ms. Edwards’ anxiety mounted, especially when a surgeon ordered a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan procedure, and then recommended surgical biopsies of the growths following an analysis of the scan’s results. The biopsies, however, indicated that the growths were related to sarcoid, hence the ultimate diagnosis of sarcoidosis, much to the relief of Ms. Edwards and her family. Sarcoidosis, though not a condition to be taken lightly, has less ominous implications than does cancer. And yet, like cancer, it manifests itself in various degrees of aggressiveness. Doctors are taking no chances, and as of this writing, Ms. Edwards is undergoing treatments similar in nature to those prescribed for cancer. The experience produced converts to the value of YourScan. Says Ms. Edwards, “What impressed me most was not just the accuracy of the scan and the fact that it showed that something was there, but the people at YourScan called me a few weeks after my scan. They wanted to make sure I’d followed through and been in touch with my family doctor.” And, according to Ms. Edwards, in the aftermath of her experience her family doctor let her know that he, too, had become “a believer” in the value of YourScan. For more information about YourScan, or to schedule an appointment, call 800-223-0403 or log on to www.yourscan.com. |
