Surprise, you've got cancer!

Finding out you have cancer is pretty shocking news, no matter the scenario. So finding out you have cancer with no prior symptoms or inclination that you are sick can be doubly shocking.

I have been diagnosed with Head and Neck Cancer, specifically nasopharyngeal cancer. I've decided to document the experience on my blog, maybe it will serve as some reference for myself in the future.

How did we get here?

This journey started back in January 2023 when I visited my primary care for some routine check ups. I asked about some lumps in my neck that I thought were just swollen lymph nodes. These lumps didn't cause me any type of discomfort, so I really didn't think anything about them.

The doctors referred me to get a head-to-toe CT scan, which didn't reveal much else, so the next step was to conduct a biopsy and figure out what these masses were. The doctors mentioned a few potential causes and conditions, but the suggestion of cancer was never mentioned. We received the results of the biopsy within a couple of days.

Things are getting serious!

I received a call from my primary care provider mid-day while I was working, she informed me that the biopsy had revealed cancer cells. Based on their type and location, it was apparent that these cells had migrated here from some other source.

This started the process of building my treatment treatment team, as I have found out cancer treatment takes an army! The next month and a half was a barrage of meetings with various specialists and tests to pinpoint the cancer. From here my team developed a comprehensive treatment plan.