adrenal myelolipoma (tumor)

I was in a few weeks ago for a low dose CT of my lungs. They saw a large mass in my upper right abdomen and referred me for a regular CT. I have 13cm tumor, probably benign, on my right adrenal gland. From what I’ve read, if it’s larger than 5cm, causing the adrenal gland trouble, or interfering with other organs, then surgery is in order. It’s pushing against my liver and kidney, so I guess I’ll be going under the knife at some point. Anyone had one of these removed?

No experience in dealing with something of this nature but hoping everything comes out in your favor. You’re on the prayer list. Malignant or not, this stuff is no fun to deal with.

nope me either……. good luck bud!!!!!

i personally think its caused by consuming Hellmans!!!

i get to see a cardiologists in Aug….apparently i have a valve no functioning properly! bummer gettin old!!!!

Thanks, guys. It sounds like it’s way too big to be taken out laparoscopically, but what do I know. I’m supposed to be getting referred to an endocrine surgeon next. I’ve never even broken a bone or had anything but stiches and colonoscopies. I spent one night in the hospital for observation after a car accident about 30yrs ago. I just turned 51 in May, so I should probably get used to surprises from my doctors.

Hoping all goes well for you picklerick.

My sister went through it. They entered her abdomen from the front and accessed kidneys from there. She was sore of course but healed rather quickly and it was not cancerous or whatever the word is. She is now good to go so here is hoping same for you! Good luck

Perhaps in the future you can do a better job of flushing your body with beer?

suzuki wrote:

Perhaps in the future you can do a better job of flushing your body with beer?

I’m not sure it’s possible for me to drink more beer. I’m averaging about a 12-er per night already. I am fairly confident that is how my liver and kidneys have been able to fight off the incursion into their personal space by this tumor. I’ve been worried it was going to be my liver because all I was told was there was a mass in my upper right abdomen.

Plus, Stainless Steel doesn’t have side effects.

When they pulled my gall bladder it was removed laproscopicly and I just went back to look it up, it was 11.9 x5.3 x3.2cm, however they said afterwards had they realized it was that big they would not have gone in that way (had 2 near golf ball size stones in it). So I’d guess at 13 cm you are correct. Pretty sure they reused the holes from when they went in to clean up the mess my appendix made after it went boom a decade prior.

In our prayers Rick, Sparkles just dodged a bullet with a growth on her left adrenal gland, tests came back negative for any type of cancer so far.

I had it’s evil sister, a pheochromocytoma, which is where the tumor encapsulates the adrenal gland. Mine was 9cm x 9cm x 13cm and weighed 2.2 kilograms. Largest pheochromocytoma documented at U of M and Mayo. I ended up doing my own medical research because my case was not in any medical books and outside any “box” almost all doctors are comfortable working in. 11 years and 3 months since it was removed and I’ve cherished every one of those days.

I’ll try and send you a PM but if you don’t receive it you please send me one or reply here. I’m don’t reply to forums typically so there is a good chance I will screw it up. I will check back at 8:00 tonight otherwise it won’t be until later Friday or Saturday afternoon until I will be able to log back onto the computer.

Best wishes to you if I don’t hear from you. I will include you in my prayers for the foreseeable future.

Joe

hope all will be good for ya…

Thanks for the well wishes. I posted on here a while back that I’d been having dizzy spells for over a year. They’ve subsided for the most part, or maybe I’m just better at recognizing it and keeping it in check. I’m wondering if it may have been caused by this tumor. Dizziness and fainting are symptoms. After seeing multiple doctors about it, and having an MRI of my head, they couldn’t tell me why it was happening. I just chalked it up to a long Covid symptom since it’s hardly happening anymore. Going to be a max out of pocket year again.

Well lets all hope that you have a complete recovery after this!

Have they checked you adrenaline numbers, normetanephrine or epinephrine? It is normally a urine test.

Prayers sent pr.
Praying you have a full recovery.

I am following this post. My Dr. suspects I have this. Wondering what the treatment is?

Thanks again, folks. Surgery is scheduled for 10/7 unless a spot opens up in the schedule sooner. They’re going in through the right side, below my ribs. Surgeon said it will be at least an 8″ incision and up to 12″ depending on how well everything can be seen. The tumor is right between the body’s largest artery that feeds the liver and the liver itself, so the more room they have to work with the better. She said to expect it to hurt just to breath for a week, and sometime during week two I may start feeling better. I work on a keyboard from home, so I don’t expect I’ll be off work for too long.

Did you see the cardiologist yet, Glenn? Make sure they know about your Miracle Whip habit. The first step is admitting you have a problem.

funny guy. Yea I did 3 weeks ago. Nothing needs to be done urgently. I see him in 6 months. Went in today for bloodwork. A week from today I go in for a CT scan on my neck arteries. Apparently he seen something in my past records they need to be checked before anything else.

Good luck with your surgery bud!

glenn57 wrote:

apparently i have a valve no functioning properly! bummer gettin old!!!!

Probably one of those dink sunfish you eat and maybe swallowed it whole and its just flopping around your heart. It could be pickled pike syndrome too. I hear eating that stuff affects more than just the brain.

^^^^^ funny guy……..

Hello,

I just underwent adrenal myelolipoma removal and right adrenalectomy through a laparotomy on August 27. After about 2 months of feeling variable pain either on the right side of my back, the right side of my abdomen, or the upper right abdominal quadrant in general, I went to my PCP and they ordered an ultrasound. The mass was not well visualized, so they ordered a CT and saw what is likely an adrenal myelolipoma (cannot be confirmed without biopsy results, which are still being processed; however confirmed by surgical pathologist). Due to the great pain that this caused me, where I was increasingly unable to eat due to the pain, or sit down for more than 45 minutes at a time, it was about 10 days from the date I met with the surgical oncologist and the date of surgery. The mass was 481.6 g, 13.2 x 10.1 x 7.2 cm. They had to do a laparotomy due to the large size of the mass. They also did an adrenalectomy since it is so difficult to cut around the tumor as it originated from inside the adrenal gland. The tumor had great effect on my kidney, so the incision was 7cm down and 22 cm across. Overall, I was in the hospital for 4 days. They want to make sure that you have bowel movements or flatus prior to discharge. The digestive system kind of sleeps due to the operation. For the first 2 days, I was given clear liquids only then if labs were okay, I transitioned to regular foods. I did have a Foley catheter in place for the first night. Overall, I have been eating smaller meals due to all the staples— I feel like my abdomen cannot expand to accommodate regular meals. While in the hospital, they really encourage you to walk around to prevent blood clots and promote quicker healing. I think my healing process was easier since I’m 25 with no real health conditions. Good luck on your surgery! Let me know if you have any questions & I will answer to the best of my ability.

Just a follow up. I’m alive and back behind the keyboard to collect a paycheck. Surgery was Mon morning 10/7 and I was home before dark on Tue. In case there were bets out there, the tumor was benign and weighed #2.5. My right adrenal gland was removed with it. By comparison, the adrenal gland was about 100x smaller than the tumor. It was like a cantaloupe growing off of a grape. At my 10 day appointment, the surgeon said I was doing better than some patients that have a robot assisted adrenalectomy. Mine was open abdomen. I have a 6″ vertical incision above my navel that turns horizontal for almost 9″. Going to be a hell of a scar. I haven’t smoked or drank alcohol since 10/6, but I’m about to break that streak and have a couple/few beers tonight. No reason to start smoking cigs again. I seem to no longer have high blood pressure, but will keep an eye on it daily. Meds kept is consistently around 120/80 for many years but it was 102/56 at my follow up. I stopped taking the meds and it’s been ranging between 107/73 and 120/79. Going to see my primary on Fri.

That’s great news and even better news if you don’t smoke again, but yeah, beers are good

thats great to hear Picklerick!!!!!!!!

and no smart a$$ miricle whip pun……..for now!!!!!!

Good to hear! Glad it was benign.

Oh, and keep pushing glenns buttons!

Awesome news Rick!!
My adrenal glands were basically destroyed thanks to insecticides years ago when I took a job as an apllicator for ag chemicals,long story there.
Anyway,with no adrenal gland function I was very run down and my immune system tanked.
Fast forward 3 years and a holistic medical Dr put me on bovine adrenal capsules which I have to take daily to function somewhat normally.

If you find yourself getting sick easier than before or find yourself lacking any energy,find some adrenal booster suppliments that have bovine adrenal or bovine colostrom in it.
I buy mine at a local chiropractors office.

So glad you are on the mend!!

Good to hear Rick! Enjoy that beer, you earned it!

yes congrats!! and no smoking is great!!!