en Garde!

I am still learning that I never know which way the road will twist. 

On Monday I got a call asking me to come down to HUP Wednesday (today) and have an ultrasound & a needle biopsy of a lymph node on the right side of my neck. (All the partying was recently done on the left side.) Dr. Ahn saw something on my most recent CT scan which he wanted a closer look at, since it could change the radiation treatment.

I had a whole day to stew about it & clean out another drawer or two.

I decided I could handle another neck dissection, but if I needed another TORS operation that required a breathing tube, I may just walk out in the woods somewhere, pick a nice place to sit and start singing my Death Song, just like those old Native American women.

I thought about a few friends of mine who have had needle biopsies of their breast tissues & how painful they said they were. Sitting between these two girlfriends who have had breast biopsies was like sitting between two women comparing painful birthing stories :)

So, you see, I was fully primed & jumpy when I was lead into the small examining room and asked to lay on the table. The ectoplasm-like stuff that I remember from pregnancy ultrasound days was applied and the right side of my neck was carefully ultrasounded. Pictures were taken & examined. Drs. Jones & Patel figured out where they wanted to go in for the samples. First they sprayed my neck with numbing spray and then I was given a needle of novocain, which felt like ~ all together now ~ "a leeeettle pinch". Then, with Dr. Jones, the experienced doctor looking on, Dr. Patel (the learning doc) proceeded to take biopsies with another needle. When I heard her (Dr. Jones) asking Dr. Patel to "try to move the tip blah-blah-blah...."  (medical talk), I had to pipe in with Yoda's saying:

Do or Do not. There is no try.

Do or Do not.

It didn't take long and my one foot only lifted off the table slightly at one point ~ more in anticipation of pain than actual pain! So for all of you who are stewing about a needle biopsy ~ STOP right now, because it doesn't hurt. At least the type & area that mine was done did not hurt. Sure don't want to try one in the boob though.

Also, the samples were looked at directly & I was told without delay that there was no cancer in that lymph node ~ just normal lymph node-y stuff.

I was given a Instant Ice Bag thingie & instructional discharge papers which as far as I know are still sitting by the table. I was so relieved to hear that one side of my neck was still behaving that I gushed my thanks and was back on the Schulkill Expressway in two shakes of a lambs tail.

My neck is just peachy & here's a picture to prove it. Just a wee tiny red spot. Bet you can't even see it.

Now I can look forward to celebrating Phil's 17th Birthday dinner at the Black Lab Bistro in Phoenixville with Doris & Phil (Gran'ma & Gran'pa)!

Knock on wood.

Test run for radiation starts this Friday. I'll report back here with pictures :)