The Biopsy, the PET scan and Bone Marrow
All was moving with such pace. Final week before Christmas and all that this can mean. I had shared my news with my partner group and was getting fantastic support and understanding. The same can be said for the Deloitte senior executive. I have been given freedom to deal with this matter and to focus on getting better.
I can say I love a good premed! That cocktail of drugs is something I could get used to. Unfortunately, that feeling is short lived and then you are totally out of it. Biopsy of the lymph gland went well. Pathology confirmed Follicular Lymphoma. It was grade A – indolent (very slow growing). It appears confined to 3 lymph nodes in my chest – so it was stage 3.
After spending the night in the hospital I was discharged on the 20th and went straight to Moorabbin for a PET scan to confirm if this cancer was anywhere else. Feeling a little banged up I had my first Tom Hanks “Philadelphia” moment. Alone in a small room, the nurse connects me to a machine that will pump radioactive glucose into my system, I am to stay still for 1 hour to allow it to work its way through me before the scan. Before she leaves she turns on the CD of an unknown opera (unknown to me). As the opera played I was thinking about how much had happned in such a short period of time. A little overwheleming.
The results of the PET scan were very good – no referred “hot spots”.
The final test to determine staging (how far the cancer had spread) was a bone marrow biopsy – a rather nasty little procedure where a core sample of bone and marrow is taken from your hip.
This was scheduled in January.
Dr G advised to enjoy my Christmas and to relax as best I can. We had been through allot in a short period of time and it was time to catch our breath.
My Unplanned Sabbatical 