On November 15th I noticed a lump just above my left collar bone. I went to the Doctor the following week. I was referred to an Ear Nose & Throat doc on December 1 and that day he did a needle biopsy on my lump. Over the next couple of days, while awaiting the results, Rene and I decided that this lump was going to be nothing more than a lymph node and that we should give it a name. We named my lump Bob. The result came back undiagnostic so a surgical biopsy was scheduled for the following week.
December 9th I had surgery to remove Bob and at that time the Doctor told my husband that it looked like Lymphoma. Mamma Mackin flew in that day to help take care of me (yummy chicken soup!!) and was with us on Monday morning for the results of the biopsy. As it turns out, Bob was not friendly and he had company...
I'm feeling a bit like I've been abducted by aliens as I have had so many tests and needle pokings the last few weeks. Started with the biopsies, then had a PET scan, blood test, chest Xray, CT Scan, more blood tests, HIV test (negative), and worse than them all combined...a bone marrow aspiration. That one still gives me the willies thinking about it. All that and my current oncologist (Dr. Sabina Wallach, Chief-of-Staff Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla) has yet to officially stage my disease but has given Bob an initial Stage IIB diagnosis. I have an appointment with another oncologist on Monday for a second opinion; however, seeing as how my current doctor is on vacation, the new doc will really be giving me the first opinion.
On the bright side, I started a new job today and it is awesome!!
Thursday, December 30, 2004
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