the operation
It looks like I’ll be admitted to the hospital already on Thursday. Oh no, that’s tomorrow! They want me around for a day for various tests, including an MRI, and then the operation will take place on Friday (the 25th). No, I’m not nervous about it. I’m really, really excited. Apparently post-op care in Taiwan […]
second opinion?
Friends insist that I should get a second opinion. In theory, that’s no doubt a good idea. The fact that NTU hospital gave me such a positive diagnosis — well, under the circumstances — is not itself a reason not to ask for another verdict. But I really trust professor Ko. He is very clearly […]
finally some proper information
We just came back from professor Ko at the big university hospital in Taipei. I have some good news and some bad news. No, actually the news is almost all good!!! The bad news first: there is indeed a cancer in the lymph node, no doubt about it. And it’s a metastasis, meaning that the lymph […]
information is my friend
I’m off to the doctors in Taipei in a few hours. I have a 3 o’clock PM appointment with a cancer doctor at National Taiwan University Hospital who is an expert on lymph nodes. In Taiwan the top 1 % of students go to Med School, and the 1 % of them end up teaching […]
biopsy report
This is the report I got from the doctor who did the biopsy of the cells in my lymph node: Erik Ringmar, biopsy1, biopsy2 It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me but some of it seems fairly encouraging. Perhaps you know who to read these things? I never understood why some people insist on the […]
my angel
My angel, my Diane. I’ve become so totally dependent on her. I constantly need her beside me. We sleep all snuggled up and in the day time there is always one part of my body that touches her. If she’s out of my sight for even a second, I immediately start worrying. I draw life […]
the keys to the kingdom
I’m going into the hospital for the operation and it’s not quite clear what’s going to happen after that. I’d better hand over as much responsibility as possible to Diane and the kids. I’ve taught Beata how to wash clothes and hang them up; I’ve briefed Diane on how to update my web pages and […]
in praise of lymph nodes
This, in short, seems to be the story: I have a cancer somewhere in my mouth, but it’s still at such an early stage that it can’t be detected through normal tests. I certainly don’t have any symptoms, not even a sore throat. The pneumonia I had in the spring weakened my immune system and […]
happiest day of my life
“I want to die,” I’m thinking. Right at this moment. With my wife beside me on the bed; with the kids playing. A needle in my arm to make me dream and then quietly slip away. I would be so, so happy. My life would be complete. It would be the happiest day of my […]
ars longa, vita brevis
As long as I keep on talking I’ll be alright. The Grim Reaper himself will want to hear the end of my story and he’ll delay the execution of his task. It worked for Scheherazade after all. Telling one story after another, she eventually saved her life. I’ll be the Scheherazade of the blogosphere. I’ll […]