Monday 7 August 2017 was the date when I had the "mass" removed from my neck. What a delightful term "mass" is...I remember being in recovery and seeing it in a specimen jar about to be sent of to the path lab. Lovely. I'll spare you the details though.
The following day, when I saw the surgeon, I asked him what he thought. "Lets be honest," I said, "It's not benign is it?" Good old rhetorical…
Well, just had the follow-up at 6 months (...and a bit) post-treatment.
Surgeon had a look and said that he's happy that there is no indication of any "nasties". Happy with my current weight and general health etc. Doesn't see the need for a PET CT...said would rather delay that. I'm happy with that if he's happy with it!
Instead, I am booked in for an ultrasound on 4 November and a follow-up…
Had the most recent appointment with the Oncologist out here in Doha. You know that feeling you get that someone really can't be bothered..? Yep, well he's that someone. I honestly think that he should have retired before he started working! He once again came out with the gem of ,"Ah yes, Mr John...you can get on and live your life."
Umm, yep...that's kinda what I am doing...but maybe now would be a…
Spent pretty much the whole morning of 23 March at Hamad Hospital (National Centre for Cancer Care and Research) having MRI scans of head, face and neck. Unfortunately, 10 days later was still none the wiser about results. Spoke to coordinator who said that all seemed fine...but that there was reference to sub-centimeter lymph nodes. She tells me that she is fixing up an appointment with the surgeon as a "follow-up".…
Last Wednesday, 7 March, I had an appointment with the surgeon who carried out my neck dissection and bilateral tonsillectomy etc last August.
After a thorough examination and fibre-optic endoscopy up my nose (!), he sat back, paused and delivered the following words which are now etched in my memory...
"You are no longer a patient. You have fought and beaten cancer." Needless to say, I felt pretty emotional…
