March 28th updates

My surgery had to be postponed until April 8th, I'm on schedule for a spinal/neck MRI at Duke Monday at 11:30am which I cannot miss.

Finally see Neurologist Thursday

Well, I finally see Dr Peterson Thursday at 2:30pm, if he thinks I'm up for surgery then I'll have it Tuesday March 18th. I'm not sure what he will say...stay tuned

Seeing Neurologist today

My Surgeon thinks I should see the Neurologist today before any surgery is done and I totally agree. I won't let anyone but my Physicians make health decisions for me, NOBODY!

Damnit all

If I had just STOPPED working in the landscape business like I wanted to back in 1998 I most likely wouldn't have this throat cancer. Physicians say it was most likely caused by continued exposure to chemicals, gasoline fumes, and pesticides and solvents. Nonetheless, I have it now, it's progressively getting worse, and I'm just already tired of all of it. If I have to have radiation to my throat I will have to have a feeding tube for 3 months or more, loose most of my voice, hair and energy. Sometimes I think it's just not worth it, but I keep plugging along. Why couldn't someone ELSE have gotten this, like a prisoner, Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan. I met with a barrage of different pre op folks yesterday, anasthesia folks, doctors, nurses, oncologists, and on and on....it's all on for Tuesday March 11th 12 noon, HELL YES! Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Bring on the IV, the surgery & the radiation and hey, throw me in some Chemo too!

Rescheduled!

Everything has been rescheduled until Tuesday march 11th 1pm due to me not feeling well (cold/flu) and Duke messing up my paperwork!

What I'm afraid of.....

I'm not at all afraid of the actual cancer, but of the anesthesia and the actual surgery. I'm not even afraid of Radiation or Chemo really. I am afraid of the doctors/nurses because they are like me real people and can make mistakes. I've had my share of medical mistakes already....when my tonsils were removed at age 13 they left a pad sewn into my throat which grew into place there and later had to be removed by a VERY painful and lengthy surgery. Then, in 2001 I went in to a local hospital for an irregular heart beat (Atrial Fib) and they gave me the wrong meds and I ended up almost dying there. In 1995 I had what was supposed to be a simple spinal tap which landed me in Neuro intensive care for 6 days...so yea, I'm scared to death of doctors, nurses, and hospitals!

Is it cancer?

Not sure but both MD's I've seen say greater than 80% that it is of some kind. There are several forms of cancer that it could be, some fairly non invasive others more aggressive. No way to know until the biopsy is done and analyzed. I'm on schedule for Tuesday at 4:30pm, but this schedule requires that I not eat after midnight Monday night which just won't do. They will either have to arrange a day that's before 12 noon or something.....more after I call them tomorrow morning...