2011

With the half-marathon under our belt, what was the next "bucket list" item?  I decided I wanted to run a full marathon.  Robin didn't have any desire to run a full, but she used to be a competitive swimmer and was thinking real hard about a triathalon.  She is such a badass.

I picked my training intensity up and tried to continue shaving seconds off my time.  I was also losing weight but still didn't worry because of the mileage I was running.  However, the lymph node was still around and if I was being perfectly honest the little voice in my head had been telling me there was something else to it since before the White Rock.  I called my GP, Dr. T.

That is huge, by the way.  I used to joke that the only way I go to the doctor is in an ambulance. Like I said, I knew there was something wrong.  He took blood for a full workup.  He touched the lymph node in my neck one time and told me I needed to see an ENT.  I think I had to wait a little over a week to get in.  Before the ENT appointment I received my bloodwork in the mail.  No bad news there (sigh of relief).  I also went to a dermatologist with a "thing" by my eye that had me worried.  He says "Oh that is nothing" and freezes it off my face.  The good news is just rolling in.

Met my ENT, Dr. G (who I am nominating for sainthood).  Dr. G. touched the lymph node in my neck one time and told me I needed a CT scan with contrast.  At this point I am still not freaking out.  We will just find the sinus infection and kill it, maybe sinus surgery, who knows.  Had my first CT which is kind of cool.  Did NOT enjoy the contrast.  No headaches or anything, just didn't care for the sensation.  Next appointment with Dr. G was the following week when the imaging was back.

Met with Dr. G again.  He took Robin and I to his PC and fired up my imaging.  Sure enough, I had several pockets of gunk in my sinuses that had been causing me problems and needed to be cleaned out.  Then he said, "Now why don't we sit down and talk about your tongue."

That was when the good news stopped.

He saw a "thickening" in the base of my tongue that concerned him.  He wanted me to go to the hospital. Now. I then heard him walk into the hallway and make a cell phone call.  He had called a friend who happens to be a pathologist at a local hospital and told him he was sending a guy over for a fine needle biopsy of a neck lymph node.  He told him to read the results to to the guy right then, don't make him wait.

Robin and I got in my truck and just sat there silent.  This is not good.  But let's not freak out until we know exactly what we are dealing with.  I don't remember the drive to the hospital.  While I don't remember waiting in the lobby at the hospital, I do remember it seemed like hours.  I finally get called back and the doc describes what he is going to do.  I remember thinking it didn't really hurt as bad as I thought it would.    He brought in a microscope and mixed the sample with some dye.