The Dream

Chemo, round 1. 

May 30, 2012

In December 2011 I had a dream that was quite troubling. I dreamed that I had cancer.

After the dream I made an appointment with my doctor. My family doctor was unavailable so I saw the PA. I told the PA that I had a dream that I had cancer and that I wanted a full physical and to be checked for cancer. He had just been diagnosed with prostate cancer and was concerned about that. He check me for prostate cancer and ordered blood work and a colonoscopy. During the colonoscopy they found two precancerous polyps and told me to come back in three years. I was relieved at the time and felt like maybe that was what the dream was all about.

In April I was watching a Jazz game, while watching it I locked my hands behind my head and had my thumbs down towards my collarbone. With my right thumb I felt a small lump, about the size of a Dot candy (not green of course). I immediately gave it a name of "Neck Noid", thinking perhaps I was the first person to have one and I could get a royalty every time some one used the word. Sort of like Pat Riley and "three-peat".

I called my family doctor the following day which was a Friday and set an appointment. My doctor was not available so they sent me to another doctor in Lehi. He asked me how long I had my Neck Noid. I told him I had discovered it the day before. He prescribed amoxicillin and told me if it hadn't gone away within 6 to 8 weeks we should do further tests. Two weeks after seeing the doctor in Lehi the Neck Noid was still there, and hadn't changed. I then called my family doctor and I was able to get an appointment to see him. He didn't seem too concerned, he said we could either get more antibiotics, go to see a ear, nose and throat specialist or get an MRI. I told him I wanted to be aggressive with this Neck Noid (I still had the dream in the back of my mind.)

I had a conference in Phoenix with my company so my wife and I took a short vacation to Phoenix (by way of San Diego so we could visit our oldest son.)  Once we got home I decided to wait till after my birthday which was only a few days away before I went to see a doctor. I spoke with my brother Mitch who is an anesthesiologist at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. He suggested I go see one of his friends who is an ear, nose and throat specialist. (to be continued.)