Hello, my name is George and someone told me that it might be helpful to find other folks who have been through what I am eventually going to experience. So, here is my story of the past couple months..


I noticed a small lump on my neck in mid June and after it was still there a week later I made an appointment with my PCP. The nurse or nurses aide made me feel a little foolish about it and I was still feeling that way when the PCP came in. She also didn't seem too concerned but ordered a ct scan "to be on the safe side". Scan was on 7/5 (Thursday).

I didn't hear anything until late Monday 7/9 and we were out of town visiting family. My PCP's office called to tell me the Radiologist felt that it was "unusual" and I needed a Biopsy. Since I wouldn't be back for another 14 days I left a message asking if the Dr felt that it was urgent or if it would it wait until I returned, she got back to me the next day and said it could wait until I returned. I told them when I would be returning because they said that they could schedule the biopsy.

So, after returning on 7/23 I called to see when it was scheduled and I was told that there must have been some confusion and they gave me a number to call and schedule it myself. I managed to get an appointment for 8/14 (Tuesday). My PCP contacted me Friday and scheduled an appointment for Tuesday 8/21 to discuss the biopsy findings. The report said "G3-4 Poorly differentiated unknown primary" and she said she wanted me to have a PET Scan that day, of course that couldn't happen because it had to be approved first by my insurer.

PET Scan Wednesday 8/22 and was told the report would be done and available by Friday but I didn't hear anything from my PCP until Monday 8/27. I had gone and picked up the report and disk for myself that morning we spoke on the phone and she suggested that I self refer myself to the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.

I managed to get an appointment for Wednesday 9/5 and after the examination the ENT Dr said she felt that 6 weeks of radiation/chemo at Moffitt would be the best course of treatment and hopefully I could avoid surgery. Moffitt is nearly a 2 hour drive if there are no delays, accidents, construction etc.. after some thought, and an assurance from my ENT Doctor that Moffitt would be there for me if I needed them, I decided to get another opinion from a Cancer center closer to home.

I am scheduled to see an oncologist here on 9/24.. I haven't been given any advice about what (if anything) I could be doing or not doing while I wait..

So, that's where I am right now.. waiting, and you may have noticed from this post that I am really beginning to hate weekends.

George