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I received a private message on The Bump from a woman asking me how I was diagnosed. I figured I would save a copy here in case anyone else asks and I don't have to type all this crap again:

On May 25th I felt a lymph node above my collarbone during a public meeting. Can you imagine, I was sitting up there looking at the audience and felt a lump.

I had just taken antibiotics and I didn't finish them, so I thought that might be why. I went to the doctor and she gave me 2 more rounds of antibiotics. It never went away.

I was scheduled for a thyroid ultrasound, because I have thyroid nodules. I wrote on the presription "and neck mass" because I wanted it looked at and I didn't want to deal with getting another script.

The US report came back that the node should be biposied. So, I make an appointment with my Endocrinologist, but couldn't get in until July 12th. On Monday, June 21st I called my daughter's ENT group and they saw me that day and scheduled me for a biopsy under ultrasound. The biopsy was scheduled for June 28th. The ENT put down I was to have a FNA (fine needle biposy) and they couldn't do that on the node because it was too hard. They ended up doing a core biopsy on the node.

I was scheduled to get the results on July 5th. However, I didn't want to wait that long and had the results sent to my regular doctor. The hospital only send the FNA results and not the core results. I didn't realize. These results were negative.

I saw the ENT on July 5th and she said everything was benign. I found out later it was not benign. The core biopsy results showed classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma. I was scheduled for surgery to remove the node for July 13th. I asked for a chest xray at the advice of my husband and friend who is a doctor. I had the chest xray on July 7th. On July 7th my ENT got the chest xray results. On July 8th I saw the ENT for my pre-operative visit. She did not mention the chest xray. On July 9th my regular doctor called me about the chest xray and said I had to come immediately.

I went in and she told me she was sending me for an emergency chest CT, because I had an 8cm chest mass. I had that test. The tech was very nice, said it was probably a shadow. However, his demenor after the test let me know it wasn't a shadow. Before I got the CT I left a message for the ENT, stating that I was going for an emergency CT and wanted to know if I should go for additional testing. While I was in for the CT the ENT's office left me a message, stating that I should't bother with the CT and just go forward with the surgery.

After the CT I called my husband. I then went to his office to talk about everything. Initially we planned to go to the Univeristy of Pennsylvania emergency room. Then he spoke with a doctor's office there and they said to send everything over and they would call me Monday. Later in the day he spoke with another oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York. They also said to fax the documents and they would call me Monday. At 5 pm on that day they called me back and asked me to come Tuesday that week for testing and Wednesday for more testing and then to see the doctor.

I asked about the surgery. They said absolutely not, they had enough for a diagnosis. That's when it hit me.

So on July 13th I had a PET scan and on July 14th I had an echocardiogram and a pulmonary test. Later that day I had my appointment with the doctor. I was with the doctors for several hours. The first doctor came in, Dr. Stein and I initially thought that I was ok and that's why the big wig didn't come in. He asked me lots of questions about my symptoms. I explained to him everything. He asked me if anyone told me what I had. I said no, but I think I have Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Dr. Stein said ok, and left the room. He then came back in with Dr. Noy and she told me that I have Hodgkin's lymphoma. Dr. Noy looked at me and then said she was running behind and had to go across the hall for a bone marrow biopsy. I said OK, not realizing the bone marrow biopsy was for me.

Then we went back and spoke for over an hour about the prognosis, the treatment and the complications with infertility. I decided to do a Stanford V regimin of chemotherapy and radiation.

The next day I had to go for an abdominal and pelvic CT for staging.

On July 19th I had a power port inserted for the chemo. I start chemo on Monday the 26th. I will have 12 weeks of chemo and the 30 days of radiation.

I am going to work as long as I can. My office is being flexible at this point. Right now I am just taking off on Mondays for the chemo.