My recent hospital visit

Some of you may know I have a re-occurring problem with my neck. A lump has appeared which causes me a lot of grief. I was referred to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist and saw her for the first time on Wednesday. 

After feeling my neck and face she asked to look deeper by using a long thin camera, to be inserted up my nose. Anyone that has experienced this before will know it IS NOT PLEASANT.

The nurse tried to keep Lily occupied in case she watched and got upset. The ENT specialist inserted this long worm thing with a light on the end, up my nose. Holy cr*p it bloody hurt! She keep pushing and pulling and as it went down the back of my throat I gagged. I hate not being able to breathe properly and had a mini heart attack in the chair whilst snotting all over the poor woman. Lily looked at me and thought it was highly amusing. I winced a little as she wriggled the camera around then felt like I was going to throw up when she tugged it out. With eyes watering, nose running, shaky hands and still gagging, the ENT specialist told me she has spotted another lump in my throat, so now there's three problems to contend with. Mystery lump number one under my jaw, mystery lump that sometimes appears on the outside of my neck and pusses (really gross!), and mystery lump number three in my throat.

Apparently she hasn't come across this before (so re-assuring...not!) so shes going to consult the cancer surgeon and she thinks they are going to have to work together and open me up. First I've got to have an MRI scan...not looking forward to that but I guess they need to see more of my throat.

As a scan won't give them the whole picture I need an operation, they need to access ALL of my neck so an incision will be made from one end to the other.... whilst telling me this the ENT specialist ran her finger along my neck and gestured pulling my skin back, up to my friggin jaw! She informed me it will be a very tricky and risky procedure, nothing like what I had before (I had a salivary gland removed in 2007). They are going to take samples of the lumps, get rid of any that are removable then sew me back up! She must have seen the look of horror on my face because she tried endlessly to re-assure me it will be okay.

I'm not convinced, no surgery is nice and the fact they have no idea what these lumps are scares the hell out of me.

So this week has been a little stressful.... I need some retail therapy...again!