Here I Go Again ………..
The month started off simply enough but went downhill fast.
Wednesday, the 3rd, I had a follow up appointment with my Dermatologist at 9:30 and he wound up taking off a small Carcinoma below my left eye which turned out to be benign.
Thursday, the 4th, I went to see an Allergist at 8:30. He ran a whole bunch of scratch tests but nothing turned up positive. He suggested that I switch from Allegra to Zyrtec. I did that and it seems to be working but now I'm stuck with a month's supply of Allegra.
Friday, the 5th, I got a call from my ENT's office that he wanted to see me. We agreed on Monday the 8th at 10:15. I hate when I get this kind of call and I'm left hanging over a weekend.
Saturday, the 6th, I went to see my Primary Physician at 9:00 for a check-up. No problems.
Monday, the 8th, I went to see my ENT. He actually showed up at 10:15 but still managed to keep me waiting for half an hour. The scan from last month showed some areas of concern in my right jaw and the lymph nodes on that side. He wanted to biopsy both areas and my immediate reaction was to put it off but I agreed to it anyway. He said he'd get the results in about 5 to 7 days. I got a call from his office on Wednesday the 10th that he wanted to see me.
I went back on Friday, the 12th at 10:30. The lymph nodes look good but there appeared to be a Squamous Cell Carcinoma along my right jaw line. He recommended going back to the Radiology Oncologist that I saw before and that I see another Oncologist for some potential Chemo. He gave me the disc of the scan and I made the appointments.
Monday, the 15th, I went to see the Radiology Oncologist at 1:00. I prefer to get things done in the morning but I had no choice. He checked out the scan and did a physical exam. Then he had his nurse set me up for a PET scan at RWJ in Rahway which is pretty close by. She managed to schedule it for Wednesday at 8:00.
Tuesday, the 16th, I spent some time with my Granddaughter then went back to the Radiologist's office at 11:00 for a planning session. I was fitted for the face mask that would keep my head immobilized during the treatment.
Wednesday, the 17th, I went up for the PET scan. I have to say that I like that hospital. The parking is cheap (in fact, this time the barrier bars were broken so it was free), and the staff are friendly. I had the radioactive dye injected, waited the 45 minutes then had the scan. It was a bit uncomfortable but it was over quickly.
Thursday, the 18th, I had a dental appointment at 9:00. I didn't really want one but the Radiology guy insisted on my getting a cleaning and a Fluoride treatment. I have a fear of dentists going back to my childhood but I did this and it wasn't so bad. Then I had to kill a lot of time before I had an appointment with an Oncologist at 2:30.
I was there about 45 minutes early because I knew there'd be paperwork to fill out. I got lucky and he saw me about 2:15. He asked a bunch of questions (which the nurse had done earlier) and did a quick physical. Then he explained what would happen. It won't be chemo but there will be a growth inhibitor injected a few days before the radiation treatment and will continue once a week until it's over. I'm not sure what to expect but I'll have to deal with it.
I have two follow-up doctors appointments next week and - I'm guessing - another one with the Oncologist.
Here I go again.
