Follow up

1. The nurse was awesome and easily started the IV.
2. The surgeon said she found the lumps. Oh joy!
3. Too soon to tell if there was collateral damage but... nothing obvious for now. My neck is mostly numb but I was warned this might happen and should resolve within a couple of months.
4. Now I wait... for the pathology.

I'm feeling pretty ok. My throat hurts from them jamming a tube down it. The incision site is painful and I just took something for pain- 1st time since the surgery.

Fast forward

So. After two more conversations, the surgeon and I have reached a slightly uneasy truce. The biopsy will take place tomorrow. She said it will take from 1 - 3 hours, depending upon how difficult it is to find the lumps. This is intended to be an outpatient procedure and I'm hoping that is the case.

I've gotta tell you; I'm pretty darned anxious. Specific worries? I'm glad you asked!

1. Will the nurses be able to start an IV?
2. Will the surgeon be able to locate the lumps?
3. Will there be "collateral " damage from the surgery?
4. Will the pathology be unfavorable?

Shall I go on? Honestly, I'm not trying to be dramatic. I recognize this is just a biopsy but whenever general anesthesia and CUTTING ME OPEN is part of the deal... I worry. 

The surgery is scheduled for early in the afternoon. Tomorrow is gonna be a long day. 

Fingers crossed. 

Good news and bad news...

I guess it's time for an update. The nature of this sort of blog, for me anyway, is that it draws me back to report bad news. So, let's go with the bad news first.

A couple of months ago I noticed a painless lump on the left side of my neck. While it wasn't very large, I called Dr. Mehta's office for an appointment. They got me in right away. Dr. Mehta ordered an ultrasound and the tech discovered, not one, but two lumps. Next stop, an ENT surgeon. I wasn't crazy about her so I won't mention her name here. She told me the lumps were small and it was unlikely there was a problem. We discussed a biopsy but she expressed doubt about being able to locate them. This concerned me because they are very superficial and Dr. Rau found masses of a similar size in my abdomen, no problem. She suggested a PET/CT and I was agreeable.

The results of the scan didn't make me any happier. Both masses had SUVs, higher than the ones that led to my follicular lymphoma diagnosis. Great. Now I have to go back to the ENT to make an appointment for her to biopsy the very same lumps she said she might not be able to locate. I'll let you know how that goes.

Now for the good news. I have retired, effective June 30, 2017. Whew, 30 years! It's been great and I will miss it, of that I am sure. I am excited though and hope my health doesn't rob me of this opportunity to enjoy this new chapter in my life.