Wednesday, January 28, 2009 I visit Dr. Johnson (my GP) for antibiotics for a lung infection that refuses to go away otherwise. She feels my neck for lymph nodes, and notices a bump halfway down my throat on the left side that doesn't fit with the standard lymph node swelling associated with throat/lung infection. She tells me to make a follow-up appointment for several weeks later to see if the bump remains.
Friday, February 20, 2009 Revisit Dr. Johnson. The bump is still there and is perhaps a bit larger than it was during the first visit. She suggests a CAT scan and a visit to an Ear/Nose/Throat (E/N/T) specialist, and recommends two names -- one of which is Dr. Chuma.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 Have CAT scan done at Fern Hill facility of Chester County Hospital.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 First visit with Dr. Chuma, who looks at CAT scan and doesn't see anything definitive. He takes a needle biopsy.
Thursday, April 2, 2009 Revisit Dr. Chuma. Biopsy result shows no malignancy and suggests Warthin's Tumor. Dr. Chuma doesn't agree with analysis, as Warthin's tumor grows much closer to the salivary glands -- up closer to the chin line. He suggests a surgical removal of the lump to confirm exactly what it is. Bump feels a little bigger.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 Surgery to remove lump agt Chester County Hospital.
Friday, April 10, 2009 Good Friday. Dr. Chuma telephones to tell me the lump was a lymph node that contained squamous cells that were cancerous. He further explains that the cells could not have originated in the node (as squamous cells line the surface of mucus membranes, such as the back of the tongue, tonsils, some sinus areas, etc.), and therefore originated somewhere else in my head/neck area. The good news here is that the condition is not cancer of the lymph system. He tells me that a PET scan is the next logical step. (A PET scan will highlight any area of tissue that has a high metabolic rate, i.e., cancerous cells.)
Monday, April 13, 2009 -- AM Visit Dr.Chuma to have stitches removed. Dr. Chuma describes the "modified radical neck dissection" operation that seems to be in my immediate future. We set a date for the surgery of May 5. (He had selected an earlier date, but assured me that moving the date out a couple of weeks would have absolutely no effect on the end result. So we moved the date out to allow me to take partake in a series of important events prior to the surgery and recovery period.)
Monday, April 13, 2009 -- PM PET scan at Chester County Hospital.
Friday, April 17, 2009 Visit with Dr. Chang, Dr. Chuma's recommended radiologist. This is kind of a "get acquainted" meeting, allowing Deb and me to ask any questions we may have and understand what Dr. Chang's role will be in my healing. He explains that the cancerous cells found in the lymph node broke off of the tumor (wherever it is), and clogged the lymph node to keep it from draining normally. He says that chemotherapy might not be necessary, but that radiology is almost inevitable. For reasons yet to be determined, the "official" results of the PET scan are not available, but Dr. Chang examines the PET scan disk we brought with us and tells us there are no readily visible tumor locations showing in the scan. This is very good news, as I might have "lit up like a Christmas tree" under the scan, with multiple tumor locations throughout my body.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 Dr. Chuma calls with "official" results of PET scan. The only two "hot spots" showing on the scan are my previous surgery site (which is normal for healing tissue) and another lymph node located close to the back left corner of my lower jaw. He says he will remove that lymph node as well during the upcoming surgery. He explains again that he will be doing a "blind biopsy," which means that he will remove small portions of tissue from locations that usually have this kind of tumor associated with them. He will also remove some or all of the tissue left over from my tonsillectomy (which took place probably 50 years ago or so...). He said he had examined this location previously and felt it was suspicious. He also explained once again that a PET scan will only light up tumors that are bigger than 1 centimeter -- roughly the width of a fingernail. So this means the tumor is small and therfore probably rather new. All of which is good news.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 Phone call from Dr. Johnson (my GP) just to check in and see how I'm doing. Clearly, she has been in touch on several occasions with Dr. Chuma -- which makes me feel great. I run everything I know past her and ask her if there's anything I'm overlooking. She tells me that I seem to be hitting all the right notes. She says that the final decision on a surgeon is mine and mine alone, but that she has every confidence in Dr. Chuma.
Friday, April 24, 2009 Concerned about strained, mildly painful feeling in both sides of my neck, I call Dr. Chuma: this might just be emotional stress, but I thought he should know. He invited me to stop into his office immediately. (Yay!!) He probes both sides of my neck, tells me he can't feel anything unusual, but that psychosomatic stress symptoms are not unusual at this part of the process. I take the opportunity to go over some parts of the procedure that I find worrying, and he elaborates. I ask him if the surgery will affect my golf swing. He thinks about it for a moment, then asks me, "You're right-handed, aren't you?" I say yes. He thinks about it a bit, then says, "Nah, you'll be fine."
COMING UP:
- second opinion visit to Johns Hopkins Hospital on Tuesday, April 28.
- surgery on Tuesday, May 5
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