Buddy Doesn't Give Me the Blues- Visit to the Surgeon

My lab tests and x-rays all came back completely normal. That led my doctor, and Viola and I with fingers crossed, to believe I had cat scratch fever and a short course of antibiotics would cure me. I relaxed some, but still wondered if I really did have cat scratch fever. I didn't have a fever and there were no signs of an infection where the kitten caught me. The lump was also non-tender, unlike a typical infected lymph node.

I finally got the news that I did not have cat scratch fever. That was a very depressing phone call. While there was still a chance of an infected or clogged lymph node, cancer became a distinct possibility. My doctor said he would find a surgeon who could perform a biopsy within a week.

Two days later I saw a surgeon who examined me. He was truthful, but not reassuring. He didn't find any other swollen nodes, but thought that I actually had a group of nodes swollen into a large mass. When asked if my overhealth and feeling of well-being meant that I probably didn't have advanced cancer, he calmly said "No". Only a biopsy would tell us what this was and if it was a secondary site of cancer.

More stressful days as I waited for the biopsy. Looking back at planting my garden last spring brings a smile to my face.