My Battle with Merkel Cell Cancer

I Have Surgery
Saturday, July 24, 2010
May 13. Dr Teitelbaum does a fine needle biopsy of the superficial mass. I have to sweat
out the weekend to get the results. The procedure was almost painless. He did two
passes with a 21 needle. The first return was bloody. The second return was not visible
to me.
May 17 or 18: The biopsy result is reported as a pleomorphic adenoma of the salivary
gland.. This is a generally benign tumor although there are some malignant forms of it. I
am very much relieved, but I have my doubts. Why would it arise outside the gland? This
tumor can be multicentric.
We now have to arrange for surgery. The family is coming to visit for my Mother-in-law’s
unveiling. As the lesion is benign, there does not seem to be much urgency to do this.
The earliest I can schedule the surgery is June 3, almost a full month after the mass was
discovered.
June 3 2010: This is our 48th wedding anniversary. I arrive at the hospital 7:15 AM for the
surgery scheduled for 9:15. The procedure is to be done at St. Agnes Medical Center in
Fresno. I was on staff there for about 30 years in the radiology department starting in
1976. The assistant surgeon is to be Jerry Moore, who I have known almost that time.
After some lab tests and an EKG, I meet the anaesthesiologist, Gary Grimes. He is very
kind and reassuring. He gives me Versed and I wake up in recovery with no memory of
even going to the OR.
Dr Teitelbaum checks me after surgery. I can smile with both sides of my mouth. (The
dreaded complication of parotid surgery is facial nerve injury which leaves a person with
weak facial muscles.)
He reports to me that the frozen section of the lymph node was benign. Things are
looking good, but I still have reservations about the real pathology.
June 7 2010. I am feeling well enough to go to the bridge club. I keep my cell phone off.
After the game I have a message from Dr Teitelbaum to call him. I get his office but not
him. I page him. I call Judy and she says she spoke to him and although he would not
give her any details, the news is “not good”.
Dr Teitlebaum calls back and says I have a Merkel Cell Tumor. All the lesions removed
were metastases to lymph nodes. The frozen section was a false negative diagnosis.I
look this up and find it is a malignant tumor of the deep layers of the skin. So where is the
primary?
Posted by docshu at 10:49AM (-07:00)
My Battle with Merkel Cell Cancer
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