Tuesday 3rd June
Sarah and I had visit to Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital for a follow up appointment with the surgeon, Mr R. This was the first time back, and was very weird, especially when I walked along the sloping corridor whose ceiling I know very well!!He showed us the before and after MRI scans, CT scans and x-rays and he's very happy with my recovery from the surgery, the wound is healing nicely, and my little niggles are to be expected. Swallowing is still a challenge, but my throat will adapt to its new position over time. He said that the operation I had was a very painful one, I disagreed and said that apart from the first couple of days afterwards I'd had little pain, he said I was very "stoical" - is that a compliment?
My neck is secure, and the collar is really for comfort and is also a bit of a warning to people who see me that they need to be careful. I can take the collar off at home and when I'm comfortable. I am allowed to fly, and can drive with the collar on.
Obviously there had to be a small bombshell which was that he's advising me to get another biopsy as the one that was taken during surgery came back as non-conclusive (although it was definitely not malignant), but most likely Fibrous Dysplasia. We would like the chance to get a conclusive diagnosis (although there are no guarantees), and so he would like to take the biopsy from the front of the vertebrae which is where the majority of the "mass" is. This involves going in through the mouth and making a small incision at the back of the throat to get to the vertebrae. Recovery will take a while as I wont be able to eat while the wound heals (tube up nose etc).
Ive agreed to this, and am waiting for Mr Rs secretary to come back with dates - happy days
