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| The only part of this that isn't fair is that I've been spared so many more health problems than most 80-year-olds. |
After my open heart surgery in early July I told several people I was thankful that with my having something like a bypass procedure I could just concentrate on my recovery and not have to worry about some reoccurrence of the same problem, as I might if I had something like cancer to deal with. In other words, it was over and done. Not easy, but simple and straight forward.
I never dreamed, of course, that I would be diagnosed with a malignancy less than three months later.
Today I had a good visit with Dr. Alexiou as a follow-up to his November 21 surgery, and learned that a more in-depth lab analysis revealed that my cancer is a scary sounding "metastatic mucoepidermoid carcinoma, high-grade" rather than it being adenocarcinoma, as first reported from the initial lab test. But Alexiou did assure us this cancer was considered preferable to having adenocarcinoma (!).
I also learned that of the seven lymph nodes he removed next to my tumor (in the parotid gland on the left side of my face), that four of these were found by the lab to be cancerous, and that I could be glad they are no longer inside of me.
Radiation therapy should be an effective treatment for any remaining lymph nodes that might still be affected, and this treatment will begin in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, I can start back to work as soon as I feel up to it, which will probably be by the middle of next week.
He also feels my tongue impairment should only be temporary, but he will be able to tell better at my next appointment, which is set for December 16.
Meanwhile, I'm feeling fine and reasonably encouraged. And chemotherapy is not likely to be required, but we'll see.
Here's the link to my earlier blog on the topic:
https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2019/11/my-first-24-hours-of-being-diagnosed_22.html
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