A few minutes after leaving the CT scan (we had made it out to the parking lot and gotten into the car), Dr. Bhandari called us and let us know that she had set up an appointment to see an oncologist, Dr. Spence McCrachren, at 1:00 that afternoon at Thompson Cancer Survival Center.

This whole process was moving a bit fast, and we needed a break! We were able to drive out to the lake at the Cove Park on Northshore and sit on the big swing right out by the water. We sat for a few minutes, swinging and relaxing, and talking about the possibility of having to deal with cancer, and then it was time to see the oncologist.

Thompson Cancer Survival Center is really nice. Maggie, Dr. McCachren’s nurse, was very nice. She took my vitals, and while doing that, told us that she thought we would be able to go on vacation. Vacation?!?!?

Yeah. Vacation. Jacqui’s parents and Jacqui and I had been planning a trip to Glacier National Park in Montana for months. We had made lodging reservations, and bought plane tickets to fly out on Saturday, June 19, and fly back on Friday, June 25. We were going to have a wonderful week of vacation. I was going to see the Rockies. We were going to go hiking, and just enjoy ourselves for a week.

With the appearance of the lump in my neck, we thought vacation might be cancelled, but we were glad to hear that Maggie supported us going on vacation. It turns our Dr. McCachren also supported us going on vacation. After examining me, he said that it was very probable that I had Hodgkins Disease, a type of lyphoma. To help confirm his suspicions, Dr. McCachren had scheduled a needle aspiration biopsy for me at 2:30PM that afternoon with Dr. Zach Lewis. I wonder if the day could get any more busier???

Tuesday June 15 – The CT scan was scheduled for 10:30AM. After getting there, and having to fill out the same paperwork AGAIN with my health information, personal information, emergency contacts, health history, and present all that with my driver’s license and insurance information to the receptionist, I began to like paperwork even less than I had before.

The CT scan used contrast, in order to show where disease might be. It was administered using an IV, and gave me a very warm feeling in my tush, which is supposed to be normal. The CT went well, and afterwards we waited for Dr. Bhandari to read the CT.

The CT showed enlarged lymph nodes, and also an enlarged hylar node. Dr. Bhandari thought we should schedule an appointment with an oncologist.