The ENT found the lump. That’s actually good news. It’s soft and does not have definite edges which cancerous lumps do. It’s most likely a lipoma. That’s just a lump of fat. We both have family members who get those in their arms. But the doctor says you can get them anywhere in your body and Dave’s body appears to have chosen his neck. They did a cat scan with contrast to be sure that’s all it is but the doctor is very sure. We’ll get the confirmation next week.

As to the hoarseness Dave is experiencing the doctor explained that the vocal chords are muscle. When men retire they stop talking as much. A muscle that doesn’t get much exercise tends to get weaker. Dave has never been much of a talker. He was offered the option of going to a speech therapist who could help him strengthen his voice if he’d like to do so but he decided that is not worth doing.

And the ear popping is a pressure issue. You know–like what happens in an air plane. His is because his left eustachian tube is more wide open than most. So just talking a lot can cause his ears to pop. All that wind, you know.

TTYL,

Linda

From NOAA:

7-DAY FORECAST

• Overnight: A slight chance of flurries. Cloudy, with a low around 32. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph.
• Saturday: A slight chance of flurries before 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. Northwest wind 9 to 15 mph.

Winter does not get to come before I get out of here later this month. I remember the year of the Halloween blizzard and do NOT, I repeat NOT, want to experience that again.

TTYL,

Linda

The doctor says the ultrasound showed nothing abnormal. Dave can still feel the lump. The pulse in that side of his throat is substantially quieter than the pulse in the other side. But, apparently that’s all normal.

Now we wait for Dave’s appointment with the ENT regarding his hoarseness. Which isn’t supposed to have anything to do with the lump. But…

TTYL,

Linda

They did an ultrasound of Dave’s throat this afternoon. The tech gave no sign of finding or not finding anything. So now we wait for the radiologist to read the test then call Dave’s doctor. Then we wait for the doctor to call Dave. We get to do that waiting at home. More waiting room.

TTYL,

Linda

Not the sentimental kind. The physical kind.

I don’t know how long it has been there.

What I do know is that yesterday Dave said he has a doctor appointment today. He just made the appointment.

No I didn’t need to worry about them getting him in so soon. It’s a new doctor.

Well, not really new. The doctor has been practicing for 30 years. He’s just new to Dave’s clinic so he hasn’t yet built up a large following here. He’s Ukrarian.

No, I don’t know if here just means this clinic or in the USA. We have a large Ukranian population here in the Twin Cities. In fact, back in high school I dated a Ukranian. So the doctor could have lived here as long as I have.

So Dave is in the clinic and I am in the waiting room.

Waiting.

TTYL,

Linda

Update: The doctor could not feel the lump Dave feels. He ordered an ultrasound to be done later at a different facility. He also referred Dave to an ENT for the voice weakness Dave has been having for several months. So it goes on.