So I had a PET-scan done yesterday, went in for results today and dr mentioned a 6 mm node lit up on the opposite side of my tumor and where the neck dissection was done (where 1 pos. lymph node was found). It was my RO who ordered the scan as he felt my tumor that was taken out was a bit thick and wanted to make sure the other side was clear.

This absolutely sucks in every way, and even more so as my RO is suggesting that we biopsy it and then just radiate it. Not sure what the biopsy will even mean since they don't think we should do a neck dissection as it will delay my original treatment (haven't started radiation yet) but I feel very frustrated. In hindsight it would've been so great to have had a bilateral neck dissection and then this would be one less thing to worry about, but nope.

So their plan is to radiate it extra hard on that side as well, and that's after doing a biopsy (that has a high chance of coming out inconclusive since the node is tiny and can't be felt through the skin). WHY EVEN DO IT IF IT'S NOT CHANGING TREATMENT!?

I am so angry and frustrated and it feels like my doctor's aren't being proactive at all, but rather talking about logistics. If I could choose (and we all know I can't so this is just my anger wishfully talking) I would've liked for the radiation to go ahead as planned for my original side and then a neck dissection be performed on the opposite side.

It's just the idea of microscopic cells being left in the lymph node that I'm thinking about right now, and no way of checking it.