After numerous phone calls and countless hours WAITING and WAITING for a return phone call from the message that was left by my oncologist, I FINALLY heard back, not once, but twice tonight.

It turns out that the CT scan I had on Monday showed not only the [supposed] ovarian cyst still there, but also about 5 enlarged lymph nodes.  They are all in one area of the lower abdomen, so that’s “good” news. Lungs, heart, rest of torso all looked good on the scan.

What does it mean, you ask? Well, it means a needle biopsy in the next couple of weeks to see what little secrets the lymph nodes that are swollen are keeping.  Could be melanoma again, could be…well, something else. If it’s melanoma, then surgery is in my near future (again). And we go from there.  I’m certainly not ready to start looking beyond the biopsy.  I know what’s out there, but I am not crossing that bridge before we get to it, thank you very much.

I also have a MRI scheduled for Wednesday – they’re gonna check out my brain (and make sure it’s still there, I guess). I don’t mind the MRI so much, especially since I do appreciate its life saving properties.

This has certainly not been the most fantastic week.

Monday – sick boy, nearly missed the CT scan, CT contrast hang-over.

Tuesday – Mike’s grandpa not doing well (he passed away peacefully after midnight)

Wednesday – Blocked call shows up on my phone so I don’t answer it. Oops. Thus began the Phone Watch 2012 and the continued phone calls to the cancer clinic. Rough night of sleep.

Thursday – oy with the waiting all day. No call, poor sleep.

Friday – continued waiting. Shopping for funeral clothes. Dreary weather.

And finally the not so happy phone call(s). Which of course resulted in the phone calls to my moms and dad. OY.

Can I start drinking now?

P.S. 3 years ago we didn’t really talk to the kids about it more than saying I had some sick pieces of my body that needed to be removed. Guess I really have to talk to them if this goes beyond biopsy, eh? Dammit.