I’m 57 years old and over the last 4 months I’ve been having tests on a growth in one of my lungs. In February, a PET scan diagnosed it as cancerous. On March 5th, they went down my throat with a scope and collected secretions around the area but could not get a sample from the growth itself because they were afraid the lung would collapse.
The pathology test on the secretions says the growth is not cancerous which was also the opinion of the pulmonary specialist who did the scope test. That’s naturally a great relief. Up next is a needle biopsy to get a sample of the growth to confirm it’s not cancerous and do other tests to see what it might be. The needle test has an even higher risk of collapsing my lung than the bronchoscopy which it why the scope was done first. But, it must be done because the PET scan wouldn’t have shown it as positive if it wasn’t cancerous, an infection of some type or an autoimmune problem. By the way, aside from an irregular cough, I have no symptoms of anything and feel generally okay.
All of this is unnerving enough as it is. But, then you throw in that I’m living and working in the midst of a respiratory virus pandemic, and it is even more so. I’m not sure my chances are good for fighting it off if I should contract it. I can’t just tell my employer that I’m just going to stay home and protect myself. I need the job to pay my bills and, as important, I need the health insurance I have from my job to treat whatever it is that I have. These are just scary days.
