Sgt Teacups post:
"Speaking of cancer, a procedure update:
A year(!) after original bizarre symptoms reached a critical mass (hah) and 7-months after the CT scan, I'm finally having a biopsy/complete excision of my bizarre posterior auricular lymph node on Tuesday 13 February, then a one-two knockout punch laryngoscopy complete excision/biopsy of sneaky enlarging epiglottal mass on Monday 4 March.
Still no word on biopsy of lung and liver masses/cysts/shadows. Foot still hasn't fallen off.
To quote Granny Weatherwax: "I ain'tn't ded yet". — Sgt Teacup, Feb 08 2024"
Support to you and hope for a good outcome. Please keep us posted.-- doctorremulac3, Feb 08 2024 2038_20doomsday_20cult [hippo, Feb 08 2024] Alcohol - medicine pairings [pocmloc, Feb 09 2024] Thanks [doc]!
Suggested physics/electricity/spirit idea for this idea (based on a true story):
April appointment was mysteriously bumped up to today (!), at the only time this week when I was available and only 40 minutes away. Excellent ENT Doc lit the procedure processes on fire, and both procedure days fit the only holes in my calendar!
Coincidentally at the same time I was getting the consult appointment yesterday, a friend was at the bar (!) inside Spain's St Michael the Archangel church, raising a glass and making a prayer for progress for ol' Sarge. Combined with good wishes from you [doc] and the gang at HB, certainly appears causal.
Another nutbar friend says this is a 'portal week' in the Mayan calendar, and crazy coincidences accelerate.
Some sort of Baader-Meinhof Dunning-Kreuger confluence? Discuss.-- Sgt Teacup, Feb 08 2024 I was just talking about the “frequency effect” where you think about something so you’re tuned to notice it more. And here it is. Wouldn’t be interesting if this was a commonly discussed subject but it’s not.
I’m so cynical I like little moments of magic like that.-- doctorremulac3, Feb 08 2024 //a 'portal week' in the Mayan calendar//
I thought the Mayan calendar ran out of years back in 2012, so any Mayan predictions now are a bit like an astrologer saying "Today, the Moon has entered the House of WTF".-- pertinax, Feb 08 2024 Best wishes, Sgt.! [+]-- hippo, Feb 08 2024 Best of luck Sergeant! Better out than in, and all that.
//I thought the Mayan calendar ran out of years back in 2012, so any Mayan predictions now are a bit like an astrologer saying "Today, the Moon has entered the House of WTF"//
Ah yes, I remember that. People panicking about the world ending, that sort of thing. Although, as I observed at the time, when your calendar runs out, what do you do? You just go and buy a new one, right? So you'd have to go to Mesoamerica and ask the astronomers there if they had any left in stock.-- Loris, Feb 08 2024 If you want to, you can now worry about 2038 instead (see link)-- hippo, Feb 08 2024 //If you want to, you can now worry about 2038 instead//
To be fair, that's probably something to be keeping an eye on. Who know what obscure software is suddenly going to cack itself when the epoch rolls over.-- Loris, Feb 08 2024 Case studies. I don't know where to find them, but case studies are the only answer for exceptionally specific cancers.-- 4and20, Feb 08 2024 Good luck Sarge! I'm rootin for ya!-- 21 Quest, Feb 08 2024 Good luck Sarge!-- Voice, Feb 09 2024 //at the bar (!) inside Spain's St Michael the Archangel church// My father always used to maintain that the simplest solution to the so-called problem of declining church attendance, would be to have a free or at least heavily subsidised bar inside each one. Nourishment and healing for the mind and body as well as for the soul. Glad to hear the Spaniards are ahead of the curve here.
Maybe combine with my "prescription G&T" idea for a totally holistic health service.-- pocmloc, Feb 09 2024 all the best-- po, Feb 11 2024 sending positive vibes to the brilliant Teacup-- xenzag, Feb 11 2024 Good luck Sarge! There'll be a promotion to Staff Sgt upon your return, Shirley.-- whatrock, Feb 12 2024 Lymph node removed this morning and sent for biopsy; looking for cancer, weird microbes, 'everything AND the kitchen sink'! Entertaining procedure while awake, chatting about surgical tools and methodology (Reminder to self: suggest this Doc join us on HB). Results in 2-3 weeks, just in time for Part 2: laryngoscopic epiglottal mass* removal.
*NOT religious-service-induced difficulty swallowing. A mass on the epiglottal flap is often misdiagnosed as 'raspy voice suitable for singing in deeper register', or 'sleep apnea' requiring CPAP. Smokers (not me) get 'em, as do those exposed to asbestos-like irritants (maybe me, if cedar dust from chainsaw carving snuck around my mask), and some are caused by HPV (also maybe me, we'll know in a few weeks).-- Sgt Teacup, Feb 13 2024 Okay, sounds like you're getting some pretty sound evaluation procedures. Getting this stuff clearly on the radar screen is the first step to shooting it down eh?-- doctorremulac3, Feb 13 2024 .... <blip> .... <blip> .... <blip> ..... (wait for it) <<<KaaaaPow!!>>>-- Sgt Teacup, Feb 14 2024 Target eliminated! Time for a cold one-- doctorremulac3, Feb 14 2024 <shluurrrp> "Ahh!" <sets mug on bar>
Update from Camp Teacup: Feb 13 lymph node biopsy BENIGN (Woot!) but containing weird bacterial contaminants and necrosis (?!) necessitating strong antibiotics ahead of March 4 excision and biopsy.
Kids, the Covid hides in the background, wrecks your immune system in ways we are just learning--NHS and CDC agree, each time you get Covid, you double your risk of diabetes/pancreatitis, heart attack/stroke, liver/kidney failure, brain damage, lymph/blood clots, and turbo cancers.
For those in the back of the class, this means Covid risks are EXPONENTIAL.
In related news, on Friday brother-in-law sledding ahead on the snowmobile trail in northern Quebec fell off his sled, dead. Heart attack. He had Covid at Christmas.-- Sgt Teacup, Feb 27 2024 Sorry to hear that [Sgt], and best wishes for the March 4th appointment-- hippo, Feb 27 2024 March 4th boldly, march home safely.-- pertinax, Feb 27 2024 Condolences Sgt, but best wishes for the future results being good.-- doctorremulac3, Feb 27 2024 pre-Ostara/Eostra (not to be confused with estrus) update:
Having March 4thd boldly to 2nd surgery, we found all 3 epiglottal mass biopsies benign (yay!). General consensus: tonsils grow back if you live long enough.
Side effect of having new extra-large sized incorrectly placed tonsil removed: my quality of life has improved, I can breathe well enough to exercise and sleep more deeply. I may now be able to beat all the assorted interior-ior lumps just by dint of breathing and moving more.
Thank you to all HB well-wishers and wish-wellers, and all the ships at sea!-- Sgt Teacup, Mar 26 2024 Hell yes brother! Glad to hear it! You have some catching up to do here, sir.-- 21 Quest, Mar 27 2024 Right on bro! Great news!-- doctorremulac3, Mar 27 2024 ^_^-- Voice, Mar 27 2024 Happy days, from a very grey and very rain lashed place not that far from Scunthorpe.-- xenzag, Mar 27 2024 Keep on breathing, Sarge.-- Loris, Mar 27 2024 That's good news [Sgt]!-- hippo, Mar 27 2024 random, halfbakery