Month: October 2007

mandibular swing, oropharyngealLeave a comment

Now it gets scary… BOO!

rbspecht

So now we know.So now we know more than enough.So now we know too much.So now we know that we don’t know enough.My surgeon actually does seem to be on top of things… and does seem to give a damn about what’s going on.Sunday afternoon, October 28, 2007, while I was hanging about at the local mall, waiting for Gail to finish her purchase of some mysterious Lancome product (mostly so she could get the free gift), Dr. Williams called on my cell phone. Respecting the fact that I was in a public place, he offered to call me back … Continue reading Now it gets scary… BOO!

UncategorizedLeave a comment

A Week of Silence is Disconcerting…

rbspecht

It was one week ago today that they did the Quadroscopy. And we still don’t have any results. I’ve called the Doctor’s office a couple of times now, but nothing has come back from the Pathologist. The not knowing is becoming even more stressful for my lady, and its not doing me any good either. All kinds of scary thoughts keep running through my mind, fueled by the research which I keep doing… things like maybe its esophageal, maybe its stomach, maybe it is lung and they missed it on the CTs.As I was typing this, the nice lady at … Continue reading A Week of Silence is Disconcerting…

UncategorizedLeave a comment

Monday, again…

rbspecht

The thing that I most noticed this morning when I woke was the huge bruise on the back of my hand where the anaethesiologist put the intravenous for last Friday’s procedure. Its easily a two inch by two inch square, and oddly enough, seems to correspond with the clear plastic piece that they overlay the intravenous sites with occasionally. Now, I’m not entirely sure whether what I am looking at is a bruise, or an allergic reaction to the patch, or a sunburn (we’ve been using a sunbed lately to ramp up the vitamin D) on sensitized skin. In any … Continue reading Monday, again…

My Cancer Journey, quadroscopyLeave a comment

Quadroscopy; the day after the day after

rbspecht

Friday was the day of the Quadroscopy, that particularily invasive procedure when they knock you out, send scopes and tubes up your nose, down your throat, into your lungs and into your stomach, sampling and biopsying along the way. As far as I can tell, they also pin back your lips to make access easier; mine felt like I had been french kissing an aggressively amourous woman wearing braces. The insides of my lips were bruised, cut and generally abused. My throat was, and still is sore, especially in the upper right quadrant. Did Dr. Williams take a particularily large … Continue reading Quadroscopy; the day after the day after

UncategorizedLeave a comment

They still can’t find it? Bloody Hell!

rbspecht

Well, I really am starting to feel irresponsible; I’ve mislaid a very significant primary tumour. Just kiddin‘, sorta.Gail had a call tonight from our GP, Randy Naiker who has taken the time to review the MRI that was done last week. He can’t (and by inference, neither can the radiologist) find the primary tumour. The sub-mandibular lymph node that is/was collecting the cancerous cells shows up quite well, but the scan doesn’t show anything else.By the way, Naiker is a fabulous GP. If you can get him to take you on, do it!Anyway, this is getting a wee bit silly. … Continue reading They still can’t find it? Bloody Hell!

UncategorizedLeave a comment

PET scan and MRI; what to expect.

rbspecht

I’ve just had an MRI and a PET scan on successive days in the ongoing diagnostics for the cancer. The two scans are strangely familiar, yet there are a couple of differences that you should be aware of. Let me just step you through my experience.MRI: Grey Nuns Hospital, Edmonton. I was asked to strip to my knickers and socks, and was provided with the obligatory hospital pajama bottoms and wrap-around-but-tie-at-the-back smock. All my jewellery was removed. I was queried about dental work, tattoos, stents, shunts, piercings and anything metal that may have been introduced into my body. I was … Continue reading PET scan and MRI; what to expect.

delays, PET, reaction timeLeave a comment

Health Care Reaction Time: Brilliant!

rbspecht

Got the phone call yesterday afternoon from Maureen with the PET scan program at U of A Hospitals… unfortunately I didn’t pick up the message until after 11 PM. She did connect with both Gail and I this morning (persistence; I like that in a health care professional!). We have a PET scan scheduled for October 10, 2007. I am ecstatic! Gail is noticeably relieved.I had another chat with one of my key supervisors today. He has spoken with the partner for Consulting in Edmonton, and reiterated that whatever I need, whenever I need it, they are there for me. … Continue reading Health Care Reaction Time: Brilliant!

nasopharyngeal carcinoma, PET, PSALeave a comment

And on we go…

rbspecht

Late this afternoon we got the call from the Doctor’s office with the date for the IUA or EUA or whatever that Quadroscopy is called. October 19, 2007. Friday. That will give me a weekend to get my throat back into shape before I have to deal with anyone other than family. Good.This also gives me the opportunity to go ahead with the ITIL V3 stuff in Calgary on the 15th, 16th and 17th. Well, that is unless they get the PET scan setup for one of those dates… And the real bonus for the ITIL V3 session is that … Continue reading And on we go…

cancer, delays, primary tumourLeave a comment

Oops! We can’t find it!

rbspecht

Yesterday (October 2, 2007), we met with our surgeon/oncologist for the first time. During the meeting a number of things came up, or went up, as the case may be. What went up was an endoscope up my nose so that he could have a quick look around for the tumour, which isn’t showing up on the CT scan. And he couldn’t see it. Basically what it means is that they can’t seem to find the primary tumour easily.The next step will to do an ‘IUA‘, or investigation under anaesthesia (how DO you spell it?) so that they can probe … Continue reading Oops! We can’t find it!