The events leading to D-Day!

One of the first things people always ask is how did I know, or what tests did they do to find it. I'm going to outline it all below -from my first twinge of pain to D-Day (Diagnosis Day!). Its a long one, ignore this post or at least grap a cuppa first!

After Christmas I began getting a low-grade, non-consistent, definitely bearable pain in my neck. I put it down to a minor car accident last October, a new bed, sleeping funny, whatever. Not serious right? I was also SHATTERED all the time. I would come home from work and sit, not able to move again until bed.

11th March 2012

Woke up with swollen glands. Went to the doctor to get an antibiotic (would have generally ignored this but I looked like a hamster). He sent me straight to A+E and gave me a note for 6 weeks off work. I thought he was crazy. Looking back, he knew. I went to Beacon private to avoid waiting all day. 10 hours, 2 rounds of blood tests, an ultrasound (where I first had the pleasure of meeting Pacman) and a chest x-ray (which showed a mass in my chest) later I paid my €480 bill and left armed with a promise for a call from a consultant in Vincents Public. Have I mentioned I have no health insurance?!

19th March 2012

After an ungodly amount of harassment of the poor secretary I got and arrived for my appointment. More blood tests. Looks like 'some sort of lymphoma'. More tests will confirm, we'll call you. Grrrrr 

21st March 2012 - 11th April 2012

PET/CT scan in Blackrock clinic. I was injected with radioactive material, put in the doughnut machine for 35 mins and sent on my merry way. 2 days later I got the call, the scan had also confirmed there was 'activity' in the other side of my neck and my left armpit. To me this was bad - FOUR areas of tumors?! At this point I decided to call my parents who were travelling in South East Asia and tell them what was happening. I had made the decision to see what it was first before worrying them but this was now serious. They were home on the next flight. 

Node Biopsy -Delighted - what I had been told would be an open biopsy neck incision became a quick and easy needle biopsy. Quick horribleness with the local anesthetic and then I was able to watch the really cool process of needle popping in and out of my neck on the ultrasound screen. Probably not what most people would describe as cool  - the vision of a giant needle with the apparent diameter of a hoover nozzle blasting in and out of their neck - but I like to know whats happening! Even asked, and got, to see the samples at the end!

Bone Marrow Biopsy - NOOOOOO! When they told me I had to do this I freaked out. Didn't sleep for 3 days before it. Ouch. Ouch ouch OUCH. Most uncomfortable thing ever. I think the level of pain is not the problem, its the type of pain, it just feels so wrong to have something in your bones. I shouted and and even kicked the doctor during it. I cried a little bit while I was lying on my back waiting for the 'leaking' to stop afterwards. Please god make it so I never have to do that again. I think I had been a trooper up to this point, but this broke me. Cranky pants, that was me. Exhaustion could have had something to do with it.

D-DAY - 16th April 2012 

Firstly, clean bone marrow -YEAY! No more biopsies, no stage 4 disease, no Leukemia! Matter of fact doctor-  this is the type, the stage, the plan. Awesome. Lets go. I left delighted - weird eh? Nick and I met my Mam and my sister, we bought me 4 scarves for my bald head to come :) Then we met my Dad and surrogate sister Claire for a 'Cancer Early Bird' :) My family are awesome. 

Today 

Now its Chemo prep time. Full virology blood tests done. Heart and lung function tests this week to make sure I can withstand the chemo. Fertility specialist on Monday to discuss egg freezing (hopefully not necessary on this treatment and if it is I have no time anyway, but I need to be ready in case the treatment doesnt work and we need to try something stronger) and once all thats done its time to go. So ready. At the rate I can feel this worsening and growing (I now cough full time, have difficulty swallowing and breathing, cant turn my head, look like I've been fatboothed, have a fever that comes on every night, I sleep 14 hours a day and cant fully raise my left arm!) I'm really ready to get rid of this. Scary to think how bad its gotten in just over a month. Lets go!