The chest X-ray showed ‘widening of the superior mediastinum, which is consistent with the upper mediastinal lymphdenopathy’.  Basically, it just shows there is a mass under the rib cage, left of my sternum.  The medical team think the primary causes are either tuberculosis (TB) or lymphoma, but at this stage they do not know.  I will have CT-scan today, and a biopsy of one of the lymph nodes under general anaesthetics tomorrow.  Hopefully, those tests will shed some light.

The food in the hospital in rubbish!  It is so over cooked, under nutritious, and tasteless.  Thankfully, Suzie has been bringing me cheese, oatcakes, grapes for dinner.  I hope, I do not need to be here too long.

The swelling of the lymph nodes has got worse.  And the glands under my left armbit are also swollen.  My head is feeling hot and I can feel pulsating feeling in the left side of my neck.  I called my doctor again at lunch time from work, and explained what had been going on since Friday.  He said, I should leave work immediately, and go and see him.  I drove back home in a daze, and called Suzie who insisted she was coming to see the doctor with me.  Our mutual agreement was, we were going to get to the bottom of this, and not leave the doctors until we get some answers. 

At this point, I had a strong gut feeling, I should be in a hospital, and that I am NOT well.  

Suzie was brilliant at the doctors, like a little terrier!  She said to the doctor “we are not leaving until we get some answers!”.  I was crying.  So, in the end he referred me to see a registrar in the Homerton Hospital.  Result!

Both of us got on our Dutchie bikes and cycled to the hospital.  I managed to cycle with my swollen glands and swollen left arm. 

We didn’t have to wait too long until we were in a cubicle in the A&E department.  A nice registrar came to see me.  I told him my history of these swollen glands, and for the first time, I felt someone was taking me seriously!  I felt relieved.  He came back with a consultant on-call, a heart specialist, who walked in the cubicle and greeted me in Finnish (he wasn’t Finnish, he must learned few words somewhere)! 

After his initial examination, they said I was not going anywhere, I will be admitted in and all the necessary tests were going to be done to find out what’s causing the lymphoedema (swelling of the lymph nodded/glands).  He said, we need to look after you, you’re one of us, part of the medical team!  I wasn’t overly keen to stay in the Homerton, but I was glad I was finally having some tests done!!

I woke up my left arm swollen now.  What next?!  I called the weekend doctor service, and they said I should go the Homerton walk-in clinic where they have booked an appointment for me. 

I went to the see a doctor.  They couldn’t do anything, as they can’t issue any tests, apparently only my GP can do it.  And, since the tests have already been ordered, he just sent me home.  What a waste of time.  I feel, like no one is taking my condition seriously.  I probably die of this ‘cancer’ before I even get any tests done.

I had the worse night, so much pain!  And now my front of my left upper chest, along the left side of sternum is raised and painful.  This is not right.  

I went to see my GP at the surgery, and he has decided to refer me to cancer screening.  I should be screened within two weeks, it’s the new government guideline.  I called Suzie who came over straight away. 

I’m so upset.  I may have cancer…   I feel so frustrated, as no one done a single test on me, not even a blood test, yet!

Oh my God!  The glands in my neck have gone HUGE, tennis ball size.  I can’t identify the lumps anymore.  And, the pain is worse…  what is going on!?  I’m getting worried.

I started the job two days ago, and it’s going so well!  And, I got the new white Fiat 500 from the car hire company for me to drive to work.  I love the car, it’s co cute.  I have been so cheerful in the mornings driving the car and listening to some cool tunes Shawn’s recorded for me.  Sun shining.  Happy days.  Living the dream.

Sadly, the pain and swelling of the swollen glands in my neck seem to have increased today, no fever though.  I just have to solder through this week, and then rest over the weekend.

I saw a doctor yesterday morning, and he thinks I should not worry about the increased glands in my neck.  He said they should go away in about two weeks or so.  And if not, then I should go and see him again.  In the mean time, he has requested some blood tests to check everything.  I suppose, that’s good.  At least he doesn’t think it’s cancer!

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