GUEST POST: Buster and the neck stitches

THIS IS A GUEST POST WRITTEN BY NANOO (AKA MY MUM).  I MUST ALSO WARN YOU THERE ARE SOME GRAPHIC PHOTOS.

I’m sitting at Tiff’s dining room table playing cards with Buster.  He’s right beside me but where he’s usually quite quick to say ‘Snap’, he’s missing a few chances.  The reason is, he’s fascinated by my neck scars and stitches and is staring at them and losing concentration on the game.

You’ve no idea how happy I am that he’s beside me as Milly has fled to her room in horror and Henry is just peering round the corner then skirting around me as I move through the house.  Apart from putting a facial shield around my head like a Taliban Terrorist, I’ve twirled a pretty scarf around my neck to hide the Frankenstein Monster like stitches and staples.  They aren’t pretty but it’s still me!  Oh - and I’ve got a droopy mouth…………

Here’s the back story:

I noticed a little lump in my neck last October and didn’t do anything about it until December (I’d only just been dealing with a stroke!).  Tests revealed it to be a “Level 2 SCC of unknown Primary Origin”.  I was admitted to hospital on 22^nd December for an exploratory tonsillectomy and to get biopsies done on my throat and tongue areas.  That took up a whole 24 days due to my now being on blood thinning medication (re. stroke) and having a couple of bleeds (more surgery).  The little children came to visit me in hospital and learned about intravenous drips, how the bed moved up and down, why I had lots of bruises and lots of other hospital stuff.  We took photos!

 

 

Move forward another month and having found no other cancers from copious scans, FNA’S, MRI’s etc, etc I went back into hospital to get the lump out and adjoining lymph glands.  This was a shorter stay of 6 days but obviously involved a few hours of surgery considering the lifeline of arteries, veins, nerves and general communication equipment that fits into ones neck.  Tiff took some photos and the children decided they’d rather not visit me. 

Today 2^nd March I feel fantastic and ready for a visit to the Head and Neck Radiology department tomorrow for stage 3 of whatever treatment is in store next.

When I looked for my usual cuddle on leaving Tiffs the other day, Henry managed a ‘below the waist’ cuddle, Milly hid beside the fireplace but dear Buster gave me his usual kiss and hug.  I’ll never forget that hug.