It's not Lymphoma

Our research over easter had us pretty confident that I had lymphoma.  This was something we could sink our teeth into.  We came to terms with the news we were likely to hear at Tuesday's GP appointment.  We had also assumed that pathologists would have been working for at least one of the days of easter, just to get the really really important people's biopsies tested.

We were wrong.

The GP did not have the final results, but she had rung and received enough information to hit us for six again.  The tumours in my neck were did not contain lymph tissue, they contained squamous cells (surface cells found in skin or lining tissue such as the throat).  This indicated that these tumours are secondary tumours.  So where was the primary tumour?

Where the frig'n frig was the primary tumour?

The fact that they were squamous cells and had metastasised (moved) into my neck, led the pathologist and GP to believe that it would be found in my head or neck region.  My GP, made a few calls and got me a spot that afternoon - legend*.  I was sent for a CT scan of head, and X-Ray of neck.  So it was back to Repat Radiology - this time I had Alison with me - so I got through the maze a bit quicker.

Things were a bit dark now.  We'd got through easter, got our heads around our google diagnosis and now this.  Searching for another cancer.  Maybe it would not be found.  A lot of other maybes were going through both our heads as I dribbled on to Alison about the fascinating architecture and range of building materials used over the 80 odd years of what seemed to be ad-hoc development of this 'hospital'.

The waiting room was all pretty high level - I was probably at the lower end of things.  We had actually got there early and been for a fascinating walk, as described above.  I really recommend it.  So we didn't spend too long in the waiting room.  I was called in, but Alison was not allowed to follow.

I went into a foyer area with four recliners.  I was met by a very caring nurse, who was dissolving my gumption with every kind gesture.  She put a line in my left arm ready for the iodised contrast solution that would be needed for the CT scan.  I was advised that it would make me feel warm all over and that I would feel like I was going to pee myself - hmm.

The CT scan was followed up immediately by the neck X-Ray.  Both painless and simple processes.  The most painful part of my treatment was about to hit me - removing the hypafix (band-aid)securing the IV line.  I toughed it out, had a little cup of tea and was on my way. 

I didn't pee myself by the way.