Question: My mum is a fit, active and usually healthy 75 year old. She had her Gallbladder removed a couple of years ago which did have some complications, including a bile leak which required a drain for several weeks. CRP was in the 400's unfortunately she was discharged home, still feeling very ill, as none of the medical staff noticed this????? Last year she had a hernia op. Last year she became very hoarse with a post nasal drip and persistant cough. She saw the ENT specialist and had a cyst removed from her larynx and made a good recovery. She has paroxysmal AF and was on Amiodarone for a few years (discontinued about a year ago), she can't take Beta Blockers due to slight bronchitis for which she is on no treatment as it is very mild. Over the past few years she has had more frequent chest infections but has had regular chest x-rays to ensure she hadn't developed any pulmonary fibrosis which were all unremarkable. Then she started developing frequent urine infections and she often passed blood in her urine. This hasn't happened for a while. She went for her yearly check and the medical staff said that she had haematuria but no infection and to hand in weekly urine samples. They kept saying there was 'something' which I know is all that can be said at this point until they know for definite exactly what is going on. The symptoms of the laryngeal cyst seemed to be coming back so she had another chest x-rays, the ENT specialist didn't have the report in front of her, it hadn't been reported yet. This was on the Wednesday and on the Friday her gp phoned her and told her that something suspicious (opacity) had shown up on her chest x-rays and that they were going to organise a battery of tests for next week. She warned her to be prepared for them to "turn her inside out". Usually in the uk test results take forever to come back unless there is something potentially serious. This sense of urgency really worries me as well as everything else. Obviously I am thinking of cancer but would appreciate any input you can give whether it is good or bad. Sorry for the rant, I just wanted to give you all the details so you have a clear picture hopefully.

The laryngeal cyst doesn't concern me as the pathology results came back as non malignant, merely a cyst. It's the opacity on the chest x-rays that concerns me and the haematuria without any infection present and, as the medical staff have said, it shows something else. What ever this is, I do not know but I can guess. I am fully aware that if, but or maybe diagnoses cannot be made but through my job I do have some experience of what these results mean, although it is very different when it comes to close family. Never the less, I am one of these people who needs to know whether I should look on the positive side or not and what ever I find out I am not going to repeat any of it, she was a nurse for her full career so she has much insight herself also. I just want someone with the required knowledge to give me as much information and be honest, with me and tell me what they think the most likely scenario is. I am better knowing what we may be dealing with and preparing myself. Please just give me an honest opinion, i'm desperate and would like to know what the most likely meanings of these tests results are. 1 cannot speak to any of the medical staff in work because I am on maternity leave and I would never put them in that position regardless. I would really appreciate some straight talking here and no sugar coating, I just need to know. Especially about what can cause haematuria with no infection but 'something suspicious' showing up! I know you domnot have a crystal ball but please do your best to help me prepare for what may be coming. Thank you so much.x