Well, another funny development in the ongoing waiting saga ... Rang radiology at the local hospital to see if they could tell me when the ultrasound would be. The guy said he couldn't see it happening before Xmas - that's even as a priority. It requires a radiologist for the biopsy. Soooooo I thought to myself it can't be deemed that serious if such a wait is the order of the day. I'm going to Auckland City Hospital on 14 December and they should be able to tell me if the node is suspicious or not. (I hope.) Less than 3 weeks to go. And my ulcer has died down if not completely bowed out.
Funnily enough this sort of thing always happens to me even though I try to communicate clearly with doctors: I was given the runaround with my ovarian cancer and then with the first signs of oral cancer which I was told for years was just lichen planus.
Ahhh I'm going to enjoy the glorious late spring weather.

I am so glad your ulcer is clearing up - maybe that's what has gotten your node all excited too! I did some research on nodes and they can naturally be that large though location has a lot to do with it! Sometimes they swell related to infection, etc... Hoping the ulcer clears and the node relaxes well before dec. 14 - you could try calling and tell them to put you on a waiting list in case of a cancellation... Not sure how that would work with the FNA but you could try. Yesterday I called the hospital told them I had dropped off my two previous scans - march and august - asked could they please have the radiologist look at them and compare my most recent scan to them as opposed to the dec. one which they had used. I told them I had an appointment in an hour with my dr. And would like the results then if at all possible - they'd uploaded the CDs which I dropped off later the day of my scan - but no one had gone back and looked after the initial report was filed. The girl checked to see if the dr who saw them originally was in - she was so they had her re evaluate them - then faxed the addendum to my family dr. And apparently I'm clear. My family dr read the report to me. There was no note of the nodes this time - perhaps they're normal for me? I guess upon the newest comparison. They didnt note them as being highlighted or of any concern in the previous report - in fact they noted i was clear and needed no follow up but i was freaked at the fact that theyd saw them and noted it despite saying everything was normal. Ultimately he said I was clear! I couldn't palpate them to begin with. I do trust him he's terrific. I have a local ENT to call my own now so I'll chat with him when I see him, but at some point you have to trust. fingers and toes crossed for everyone here as alway but as my friend always say.. It's not luck - its blessings - and they've been given to you... So I offer them to you here as well! Hugs!

Cheryld, you sound just like me but more proactive. Clever of you to get the scans compared and I'm so glad things are looking clear for you. I love what you said about having to trust doctors at some point. I can't quite do that in my present scanario but what I have to do is get the situation cleared up, explained clearly and then figure out a way I can "go forward" without these biopsies causing me to fret so much. One of my friends is so furious about my having to wait till after Christmas for the ultrasound/FNA that I now have to calm her down. Heck, I might try to ring the ENT guy and ask if I can have a normal ultrasound of my neck before I go to Auckland.
We are both in countries with socialised medicine; cool that we don't have to pay but - in NZ - anyway, we get no choices ....

Still waitin'. Ulcer has gone - great. Now all I have to worry about is my neck. No obvious lump although today the whole neck dissection area has been unusually stiff and so I have worried about it. I'll have to wait until December 14th and maybe a bit longer but just to see the Auckland surgeon will be such a relief. My gut feeling is that there's nothing much wrong with me other than a somewhat ineptly handled follow up system and a nervous imagination. On the other hand, what do I know????

You'll be fine !!! So glad the ulcer is gone - I find my neck stiffens up too it's sometimes positional like the day after a 12 hr bus ride from NYC my neck was so stiff my acupuncturist bent 2 of his needles before stabbing me with a big one ! If you can't palpate anything in your neck you should be ok! I know it's sometimes hard to listen to your instincts (I'm still learning) but my healer - friend told me - listen to your heart where your health is concerned it will lead you - how do you feel? Other than your worry... If you feel great then your body is telling you someting! I'd had the sore in my mouth forever - id had a Biopsy - id had my tooth filed down, I'd had allergy tests I was on a special diet etc. I was going to weight watchers as I had 20lbs to lose - week 4 - I lost 4.5 lbs (now I was active and eating well - this wasn't an unusual amount). However I was suddenly overcome by this fear and this urgency and knew I had to have this sore dealt with. I was in the drs office the next day - and had it biopsied a week later and I just "knew" it was cancer. I think we sometimes feel a little betrayed by our bodies - especially I we are healthy and careful (I mean seriously I was a veg head!!!!!!) so it takes a while to trust them again. But all through my rads and chemo my head and heart were telling me to do certain things to alleviate the fallout from treatments and not only did it work -I would find out after the fact that these were things peoples drs would suggest. It's all about listening. I know this doesn't alleviate your nervousness or kick the scary thoughts out of the back of your mind - but do try to listen to what your body is telling you on a basic level. Sometimes your head over thinks things - your heart has to step up to keep it in check! That said I hear what you are saying about choices! Our system here is very similar but what a lot of people don't know is we do have choices - they just accept that your dr knows best, he will send you to the best because you are his patient etc... Well... Yes most do care - not all - often they will send to who is available - and not neccessarily the best (frankly the local hospital here only has 4 oncologists!!! Two which are not great and two of which are mediocre!) so unless you research and do your homework and learn to work through the system, you could technically be screwed! (in this case I simply told hem I wanted to be treated by this dr.at this ccc And the referral was made - and I faxed it and ALL my records and scans to this dr, myself!) and no their secretaries will not always go the extra step to push for you. - which is why I dealt with the appointments etc.
we have a great system, but it still needs some tweaking! Hav a great weekend and don't let your concern (or this disease ) erode your enjoyment of life... It can be a terrible thief! hugs!

That is why I love Mayo. Biopsy/test done, within hours you are with the Dr. and get the results. They schedule everything for you and usually the same day or within the next day or two of your initial appt. After a year and three of us in the family now as patients I can't think of one negative about this place.

Just got back from long return trip to Auckland with two friends. Saw one of my surgeons - the reconstructive guy - who said all was well and could feel no neck lump apart from a "capula" where he had joined two blood vessels. He advised me to go ahead with the ultrasound though which is booked for next week. He implied that provincial hospitals where this sort of thing isn't seen much get easily spooked. From now on I'll see someone every four months with Auckland in the middle - very reassuring.

So thanks to everyone who empathised. I hope nothing unexpected shows up in my neck - does not sound as if it's likely to.

Love to all
Maureen

Hi Maureen,
Glad to see that your gut feeling was right however all the waiting does not help with the stress especially when dealing with different hospital systems.
Best wishes for the ultrasound next week and I hope the wait for the result is not too long.
xoxo

Hugs!!! So glad you're less stressed !! good luck with the ultra sound - I hav a tiny nob in my neck from the same thing it's been there since surgery! It's like a pea! Thought it was a stitch, and it is! it's right in the scar! Tah care!

Had ultrasound today. They couldn't find an enlarged node (as I knew they wouldn't) but a couple had some "vascularity" so will check again in three months. It's a good plan but it was always just in case I had an enlarged node, not because!!!

End of a waiting period that started on 14 November. Lots of good wished for Xmas for you all.