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old.<br />
We had a very nice visit <strong>with</strong> my brother Jon last week-end and even got in a bridge<br />
game before he left.<br />
<strong>My</strong> sister Ellie will visit from Edmonton next Monday, and our middle son Brian will visit<br />
the following week.<br />
Comparing the CT image to the chest X-ray suggests a barely visible edge of the mass.<br />
This is a very questionable abnormality.<br />
I would like to thank everyone for their kind words of encouragement and prayers. I am<br />
not a religious person but every little bit helps.<br />
Posted by David Shuster at 11:30AM (-08:00)<br />
Review of my <strong>Merkel</strong> Journey to Date<br />
Tuesday, February 22, 2011<br />
May 6, 2010, about three months before my 70th birthday, I discover a mass in my left<br />
cheek.<br />
http://docshu-mybattle<strong>with</strong>merkelcellcancer.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-discover-mass-inmy-face.html<br />
I have a CT scan of my face and neck, links to images below.<br />
http://docshu-mybattle<strong>with</strong>merkelcellcancer.blogspot.com/2010/07/ct-scan-images.html<br />
http://docshu-mybattle<strong>with</strong>merkelcellcancer.blogspot.com/2010/07/parotid-lesion.html<br />
http://docshu-mybattle<strong>with</strong>merkelcellcancer.blogspot.com/2010/07/questionablyenlarged-lymph-node.html<br />
May 13 2010 I have a fine needle biopsy, false negative report. This delays surgery until<br />
June 3 2010, our 48th anniversary.<br />
http://docshu-mybattle<strong>with</strong>merkelcellcancer.blogspot.com/2010/07/i-have-surgery.html<br />
June 7, 2010, I get the bad news.<br />
Why the false negative, you may ask. I think it was a combination of factors. The tissue<br />
sample was wrongly sent as a parotid gland biopsy when in fact it was from a lymph<br />
node. It was read by a pathologist who had probably never seen a <strong>Merkel</strong> <strong>Cell</strong> carcinoma<br />
on a skinny needle biopsy. I have not asked for a review of the slides in this case, as it is<br />
water under the bridge. However, if the correct diagnosis was made, it might have<br />
resulted in sparing me the surgery of June 3.<br />
A search for a primary site fails. Radical surgery is planned, possibly <strong>with</strong> chemotherapy<br />
<strong>My</strong> <strong>Battle</strong> <strong>with</strong> <strong>Merkel</strong> <strong>Cell</strong> <strong>Cancer</strong><br />
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