Hello everyone. Lots of changes in my life over the last year. For those of you who didn't know, I had gastric sleeve surgery last year in July and have lost 92 pounds. I'm about 10lbs from my goal weight, but honestly if I stay where I'm at, I won't be upset. I have bigger fish to fry now, and I'll get to that in a minute.
Losing 92lbs of course has changed my body in so many ways. I left the hospital after surgery off of my pre-diabetic medications (ozempic and metformin), as well as my lasix and potassium supplements. I came off the blood pressure medication in October last year, and my weekly mega-dose of vitamin D earlier this year. The cardiologist has taken me off the cholesterol medication, pending the outcome of my bloodwork that I'll have at the end of November. All I take now is vitamins (multi, B12, and biotin), Celexa, Singulair, and a probiotic.
My obgyn found a large nodule on my thyroid in January. I went through 2 biopsies to ensure it wasn't cancer (less than 4% chance that it was), so that was good. Turns out I have a few more nodules on my thyroid but the largest one was the biggest concern. The doctor might not have felt the nodules in the past due to the extra weight I was carrying, so who knows how long I've had thyroid nodules. Thankfully my thyroid function tests are all normal, so we're just on a watch and see plan with it. If it continues growing and becomes a problem, we can remove it, but for now I'm content on leaving it alone.
In February, the morning of my routine well check with my PCP, I found a lump in my groin. I figured it was a lymph node and of course I brought it up to the doctor. She ordered a CT scan to check it out, which I ended up having the scan done at an ED visit for a very painful tummy the next week. The CT scan just gave the dimensions of the lymph node (something like 2.1cm x 1.5, I don't recall exactly); the scan also confirmed that my severe fatty liver disease is GONE. No more fatty liver!!!!! The PCP took a wait and see plan with the lymph node, as they can sometimes swell due to some sort of infection the body is experiencing, and she didn't seem too concerned as I am generally healthy and didn't seem to have anything going on.
On August 24, I found a 2nd enlarged lymph node right next to the first one. I knew that one was new, as it had not shown on the CT scan back in March, so I contacted my PCP for advice. She referred me to the surgical group here, and I was able to be seen the very next morning. I had already consulted Google for the possibilities - and yes, I know - you should NEVER consult Google with medical things, so I was looking for reassurances that this was no big deal. The surgeon didn't seem overly concerned with it; he removed the original swollen lymph node on September 5 and of course it was sent to pathology to see what was going on with it.
On Thursday, September 7, my pathology results were delivered to my patient portal (MyChart). My life changed forever when I saw the words "squamous cell carcinoma" and "the malignant results were delivered to the ordering provider". I never, ever, dreamed I would be diagnosed with CANCER! I go to the obgyn every year. Get a mammogram every year. I have whatever tests and scans and vaccinations that are suggested, at the intervals recommended.
As I'm sure many of you can imagine, I was devastated at the news. I got the results at quitting time from work, and I cried all the way home. I cried when I told Brian. He held me and he cried, too. I decided that I wasn't going to tell my mother or Steven until I had more information on what kind of cancer, what stage I'm at, what my treatment plan is, etc., and I knew that some of this may take some time to get. This meant I had to straighten my crown, fix my face, and head to American Pie for Carrollton Pride Spirit Night to support Steven and the community that evening. I managed to make it through dinner and held myself together pretty good.
I'm so thankful for the gastric sleeve surgery and losing the 92lbs. I might never have found this lymph node had I not lost the weight.
I had to see the surgeon again on the 11th so that he could check me for skin cancer and another type of cancer that I'd rather forget about, and I'm clear in those regards. He was baffled at how I could have cancer in my lymph node but no obvious primary tumor. Squamous cell carcinoma is a skin cancer diagnosis, and I don't have anything that caught the surgeon's eye as being suspicious. He ordered a PET Scan, which I had on the 12th. The only thing that lit up on the scan was the remaining enlarged lymph node.
I had my first visit with oncology on the 13th. I didn't get the answers I was looking for that day, as now we were on the hunt for a primary tumor so that they'd know what this was and how to treat it. I've had a cystoscopy on my bladder, and thankfully that was all clear.
I decided to go ahead and tell my mother and my son on Friday, September 15, as Mom came to visit for the weekend, and I wanted to tell her in person. I knew I wouldn't be able to see her and not fall apart. I needed my momma y'all. BAD. I think she handled the news better than I expected, but Steven, omg that freaking broke my heart. I remember being broken hearted when I told him I was divorcing his father when he was 11, but that was mild compared to the heartbreak I experienced that night.
I saw a surgeon at the gynecologic oncology office on the 27th, and after his examination he found nothing wrong either. (I had seen a different surgeon at that practice that has now retired, for the VIN III surgery I had in 2017) This surgeon suggested that it was possible that somehow this could end up being vulvar cancer, in relation to the VIN III from 2017. He recommended that I have surgery to remove more lymph nodes in the inguinal region, as well as radiation and chemo.
I saw the oncologist for the 2nd time on the afternoon of the 27th, and she agreed with the gyn oncologist recommendations. Because there's no primary tumor, I'm told that it's really hard to give a stage. I was told we're looking at either stage 2 or stage 3. Definitely not stage 1 since it's in a lymph node, and definitely not stage 4 as it's only in the 1 lymph node based on the PET scan and has not spread elsewhere. I'm good with 2 or 3, and it gives me comfort that it hasn't metastasized.
So now I'm waiting for a surgery date with the gyn oncologist, and 4-6 weeks post-op I will begin the radiation and chemo. I'm told that the particular chemo I will have doesn't typically make your hair fall out, but I don't care if it does. I'm also told that the nausea from this one is pretty bad, so we shall see how that goes. I'm going to do anything and everything that I can to beat this!
THIS GIRL CAN!
