My last little update came after my skin graft dressings had been removed, and things were looking positive about how well the surgery had gone. Everything was still uncertain though, as the biopsy results would determine whether more surgery was needed or not. If the tests on what was removed of the original lesion showed there were still cancer cells at the boundary, they would have had to remove more of my ear to get rid of all the cancer cells. If the biopsy results from the 3 lymph nodes showed that the cancer had started to spread from the original spot (the lymph nodes are the first place it would appear), then the rest of the nodes in that particular area would have to be removed. Either of those outcomes would mean I would have had to delay my return to Uganda and go back into hospital for more surgery.
On Tuesday afternoon I had appointments at the hospital to have the stitches removed and meet with the consultant for a review. I also got good news from the pathologists who did the biopsies. The surgery to remove the original lesion had been successful, and no cancer cells were present at the boundary between the removed tissue and my ear! They got it all! The sentinel lymph node biopsy results were also good, with no cancer cells visible in my lymph system. A huge relief!!
On Tuesday I also had a CT scan of my head, which was the last of the checks that the doctors wanted to do as part of my treatment. There is nothing to suggest that anything suspicious will show up, but it’s one more thing to check off the list before we do a complete sigh of relief. My last appointment at Glasgow Royal Infirmary is on Tuesday next week, where I will meet with the dermatologist and hopefully get the scan results as well. All being well I will be home before Heather’s birthday on Sunday!! I can’t wait!!! :-)
The last couple of months have been an absolute rollercoaster, with so many emotions experienced, high and low. I have been encouraged by so many old friends around the world, I have met new friends and come to know them in a really special way, I have been blown away by the care and professionalism in the hospitals around Glasgow (having had experiences on a few different continents over the years, I can safely say that the UK has the best health care system in the world!) and most of all I am confident that in spite of us not fully grasping everything that is going on around us, I serve a God who is in control.
As a wise friend said a few weeks ago, “I am in God’s hands, which is the best place to be”.
Thanks.
