yes it is, no it isn't, yes it is.....

After a nail biting three and a half week wait I finally had my MRI scan - scheduled to co-incide almost exactly with the staff Christmas dinner. I didn't dare try to change it - who knows when another window might have opened in the hectic NHS scanning timetable. I realise now that this was pretty quick - a result of the hospital having to meet government targets, although I don't know what these are. I then spent a pleasant Christmas and New Year unsuccessfully trying not to worry about the possible results.

I went back for the next appointment with Kath to act as my advocate and to listen properly to what was said. The scan results backed up the diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer, although this time I was told that the cell results from my thyroid were inconclusive and that those from my lymph node were suspicious but not diagnostic. A slightly different story from the previous visit. However the scan results were good enough to make it worth carving me up and removing my thyroid and my left side lymph nodes. I was a bit surprised about the change in story but it didn't register properly until I had left the hospital.

So, I'm hanging about, putting off work waiting waiting waiting for the operation when I get a call from the hospital saying that they want to do another needle biopsy - this time a slightly bigger one to get a better sample. Although I felt pissed off at being messed around I was quite glad that they had decided to make sure that it was necessary to remove all my neck bits. After this sample, and a number of phone calls to my consultants secretary I was handed over to the Max Facs team. This stands for maxilo facial, and no, I still have no idea what this means other than that they deal with head and neck surgery. It seems that because they would be involved in the surgery - doing the lymph nodes bit - their team was involved in the whole process. I went in for a consultation with a consultant from this team. This was very different matter from previous consultations. I was shown my MRI scan (couldn't help admiring what sharp images they were) and their concerns were explained to me. In fact the biopsy evidence was still so inconclusive that they didn't want to operate without being sure, so they decided to do a exicision biopsy - cutting a bit of the offending lump - so that they would have definite answer. So a date was arranged for my first bit of surgery - 9th Feb, at least 6 months after I had initially gone to the doctors.