This is the Great Adventure

Friday, March 9th

I hear that writing things down as you go through them can be quite theraputic. I’ll take that to heart and give it a try. This is mainly for me as it will be a very detailed description of what I go through in my battle with cancer. If it can help someone else, great. However, it is really for me to look back on AFTER I have beaten cancer to a pulp. Here is what has happened so far. Jan 07 – had 1/2 thyroid removed plus a few lymph nodes. Everything checked out cancer free Two days later, back in hospital for possible blood clot. While having that test, the tech said that she had never seen lymph nodes as “angry” as mine. I know they aren’t suppose to say anything but she did. Obviously that got me to wondering. Radiology report comes back next day with no mention of blood clot OR the swollen lymph nodes in my groin. I ask my ENT surgeon about them to which he gets mad at tech for saying anything. He calls her supervisor to complain and talks to radiologist. They agree that the swollen lymph nodes are just big because I’m a big guy ( 6 ft tall and just over 300 pounds) . March 07. Now having abdominal pain, night sweats around the neck and head and more swollen lymph nodes in my neck. Go see primary care dr. who sets up abdominal CT scan. By that night, I’m in the hospital with what my primary care dr. thinks is lymphoma. Next day see oncologist and surgeon who both wonder what my primary care dr. is seeing…they don’t think it is lymphoma. They don’t feel the can justify me being in hospital for insurance purposes. I go in two days later for outpatient surgery (biopsy) and guess what…those lymph nodes in my groin that the tech thought looked big but radiologist didnt’….lymphoma!. It’s now four days later and I’m still waiting on complete pathology report to say what kind I have. Another thing happened yesterday that bothered me…..not a big deal but I just don’t get it. I called an oncologist office that had been recommended. Texas Oncology. I was told that they lady that took appts (Heidi) just took another call and they would send me to her voice mail and that she would call right back to set up an appt. That was at noon on Thursday. Friday morning I called and talked to Heidi. She said “yeh, I haven’t pulled my messages yet from yesterday.” If you are a dr’s office for cancer patients…don’t have that kind of customer service. People just told they have a deadly disease need a little quicker response than that.

March 9th, 2007 at 11:34am Posted by Brad | General | one comment