Things I Know

Things I know this week - where do I start ???

I KNOW THAT CANCER IS A F*CKING BASTARD !!! 

 

In December 2010 my Dad was diagnosed with a very aggressive melanoma on his forehead - a little nothing that could hardly been seen.  He had it cut out but they didn't get enough from around it so he landed up having to have a full skin graft on his forehead when they went back in and cut out more aggressively.
In late January 2011, he found a small lump on the side of his face in front of his ear.  He went to the specialist and after lots of appointments with, it seemed like, a gazillion medical professionals, he had a radical neck dissection on 5 May 2011 where they removed the lump together with all the lymph nodes on the left hand side of his face and neck.  After 6 weeks of radiation treatment and more scans etc the professor said it looked like they had got everything and he was good to go.  About 5 or 6 weeks ago he had a PET scan and they gave him the all clear.

Since having the PET scan he has been back to the ENT for a check-up only for her to find a lump at the base of his neck just above his clavicle.  He was advised to go for an ultrasound.  He did.  They couldn't find anything.  He took the ultrasound to the professor who said it was a waste of money, palpated the lump and said it was a nothing.  He had to go for a follow up appointment with the ENT last week.  This was cancelled as there was some medical emergency.  As my parents are supposed to be leaving for a holiday in South Africa on Monday this coming week, they called to ask if he could see the ENT before he left.  They got an appointment on Wednesday this week.  There is a new ENT there now as the rotations have changed.  She was not happy with the lump and wanted to do a needle biopsy there and then but the pathology lab was closed and there was nobody available to take the sample.  So he had to go back yesterday.  They did the needle biopsy and the technician took the sample away to the lab only to come back a short while later and tell the ENT that it does not look good.  This message was obviously conveyed to my folks. 

This afternoon I took them to hospital to get the results and it is not good.  The cancer is back.  Dad has to go for a CT scan next week.  The results of the scan will determine the course of treatment that we should follow.  If the scan shows that the cancer has not travelled to any other organs - they will have to do another radical neck dissection to remove the levels 4 & 5 lymph glands (they removed levels 1-3 of his lymph glands during the last operation).   If the cancer has spread to any organs, they will remove the melanoma from his neck and send him on his holiday and tell him to enjoy what is left of his life - they will manage the pain when it comes, they will assist if he battles to eat or drink, they will supply oxygen if he needs it - think you get the picture.  Whatever they do will not be enough because there is no cure and the cancer will kill him - very probably, slowly.

I know that, at some point, we are all going to die - my Dad included - I am just not ready for him to die just yet. 

This is a locket that I keep on my key ring with photos of

my Dad and Mom taken on our wedding day.

SOMETIMES LIFE REALLY SUCKS !!!