A Wedge Cut of Node- Visit to the Oncologist

Only two days after seeing the surgeon, I underwent a biopsy procedure in an outpatient surgery center. The surgeon told me it would be a small cut followed by the removal of a wedge shaped piece of a lymph node. The surgery was short and I was back home in a few hours. Viola was able to speak with the surgeon following the surgery. He said my lump was much bigger than we thought. It was the size of a Meyer lemon tucked under my pectoralis muscle. It was definitely a mass of nodes, but he wouldn't offer a diagnostic impression based on the surgery.

My results came two days later. My family MD called me at work saying he had bad news. I had a malignant lymphoma. The good news was that my cancer was Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a very treatable form of cancer, especially if caught earlier. He told me he would find an oncologist who could see me quickly. He was very sympathetic to the stress of not knowing and the fears of cancer.

I called Viola and we took a big breath together. This was the big C, but we would stay positive and face it head on.

Two days later, I had an appointment with an oncologist. Luckily, there is an excellent cancer center in Santa Rosa. The surgeon provided mostly good news. He didn't palpate any additional swollen nodes and I didn't have obvious signs of advanced cancer. It would take a PET Scan, however, to rule out cancer in other parts of my body and to measure the size of the node. If the scan shows a mass less than 5 centimeters in only one area, I can have a light course of chemotherapy and probably avoid radiation treatments. There would be a 98 percent chance of a successful outcome after a six week course of chemotherapy.

The sleeping Buddha in my garden shows how to relax peacefully.