AM I FACING MY 4th BOUT OF BRAIN CANCER IN LESS THAN 8 YEARS?
Tomorrow I face yet another procedure! I can’t even keep my “ABOUT PAGE” updated properly because I’ve simply gone through so much. https://braincancerbabe.com/about/
However, I thought this moment deserved its own Post.
Tomorrow, September 29, 2021 I’m scheduled for a needle aspirate (needle “biopsy” in non-professional medical term).
The procedure will tell me if I am actually facing my 4th bout of brain cancer in less than 8 years!
ALL SIGNS POINT TO YES
Although I pray. I hope. I wish I could confidently say,”It’s probably not cancer ONCE AGAIN. However, ALL signs point to Yes”
THE SIGNS I WISH I COULD IGNORE
- The PET SCAN that lit-up all around the lymph nodes in my neck, indicating cancer
- The MRI of my neck in which the radiologist believed the metastatic cancer from my brain had returned to
- Yes, it’s basically unheard of but my 14.5 hour surgery last year proved I’m about 1 in 25-30 reported cases of this happening….EVER!
- And if it’s now returned I guess I can say I’m about 1 in a billion. Lucky me!
THE PAIN
The most concerning sign is how much pain I’m in.
It’s hard to swallow.
My voice is so horse because there’s an enlarged node pressing on my larynx.
Laying flat makes it hard to breathe. Also, no matter how I lay down it severely hurts my neck. In fact simply sitting-up, it hurts.
Boy, is my threshold for pain high too!
After 9 surgeries in less than 8 years; 7 brain surgeries 1 surgery to my neck removing my parotid gland and several lymph nodes in addition to a graft from my thigh to replace the skin on my neck; plus another to remove a vascular clip from my 2016 13-hour brain surgery, I’ve been through it!
My Prior Post on my trauma: https://braincancerbabe.com/2021/04/18/so-much-trauma-in-such-a-short-time-its-just-me-against-the-world/
THE SIGNS OF HOPE
- Everything is complicated because all the issues with my neck came-on when I caught dengue fever in the Virgin Islands, which can affect the lymph nodes and respiratory system
- Yes, I tried escaping my cancer chaos only to contract dengue fever!
- I definitely have scar tissue from my surgery a year ago
- I have a great team of doctors who truly care
God grant that everything will be fine.
Best regards, Olga from Russia . I’m with you .
Thank you and I wish you all the best
I’m sorry to hear about all the pain you’re in. Hope the procedure went alright and that you don’t have to wait too long for results and a plan.
Thank you, Nancy! Yes, the pain is horrible but it’s also complicated by the dengue fever that continues to cause fevers. I’m usually at 97 F and everyday I get an episode of what doctors consider “low grade” but it’s not for my body. I spike close to 100F and break out in a sweat.
I so wish we were treated as people and not what some book told doctors to treat us as. We’re all unique and so is how our bodies react to whatever is affecting us.
Not to mention, my schedule got completely thrown off so I wasn’t able to get the procedure done. Have to wait until Monday now
I don’t know what to say. Nothing will make what you’re going through any less awful but I agree on those signs of hope. Hold onto those, no matter what.
I just saw your other comment about the procedure not being able to be done as planned so you’ve got to wait until Monday. Do you know how long the results usually take? I really hope things go as well as possible on Monday, and that you’re not the special 1 in a billion. I know that you’ll handle whatever happens, even though you shouldn’t have to. Sending my very best wishes and lots of love your way. Keep us updated when you can lovely xxxx
Thank you for being such an adamant supporter! I always have to and try my best to Hilo to hope. It wont hurt me bc if the worst happens, well then what does it matter that I held on? However, if the worst happens, and I mentally didn’t at least try to make it better, then I wasted my last days and only hurt myself further. Hope for me isn’t a miracle cure-it’s being as strong as I could possibly be despite all I’ve gone through.
Yes, I will go in Monday and pathology in the past took several weeks but that involved tissue sampling – this is just cells so I expect it should be pretty quick. Plus, my surgeon has already discussed my case with the pathologist.