How it all started....

No permanent address.

I was then, one of the Sales Account Executives of the country's first and only Telephone Directory Publisher - Directories Phils. Corp. I was based in Cebu City but I travel as frequent as two cities per month to cover the Visayas and Mindanao (VISMIN) region.

My stint in VisMin lasted for 8 years. I literally lived in a suitcase :-)

January 2004

Cagayan de Oro City

One sunday afternoon, while I was on official business trip in Cagayan De Oro City, Phils.; I accidentally found a lump on my neck while I was talking a bath. It was on the right side.

Soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, I requested my room/office mate- to check his neck and compare it with mine. It was obvious, his neck did not manifest the same protruding lump.

Amidst this, I decided to just continue to observe my body and even convinced myself that it must have been caused by my colds.

Bacolod City

A couple of weeks after, our team flew to Bacolod City- again on official business trip. I have decided to seek medical advise already....something that I don't normally do.

My physician immediately recommended I undergo a Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy. I did, as advised. Results of the biopsy neither confirms nor denies the lump as malignant or benign, instead, they highly recommended that I take further tests.

My physician wanted me to undergo such tests but I begged off and decided to do it in Cebu City due to time constraints.

Cebu City

Meeting Dr.Quack

A couple of weeks past and I was back in Cebu. I got recommended by my Health Card office to this young promising Doctor. He reviewed the Biopsy test and said "There is nothing to be worried about". He continued saying that- "For Aesthetic reasons, you may have it taken out via surgery. But if it doesn't bother you, then it's ok, you may just leave it as it is".

Second Opinion

I was bothered by what the young Doctor said, I asked friends and colleagues and started to research a bit. My efforts brought me to this Lady Doctor- well known as the best Endocrinologist in Cebu.

The good doctor recommended that I take another Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy, which I did. She then asked me to bring the specimen to a laboratory outside of the Hospital, where she said she is "more confident". She explained this later that, the results from that laboratory has so far been very accurate. I followed her recommendations.

In denial

To be honest, at that point, I knew something was wrong but I guess I was in a stage of denial.

I purposely did not went back to the Lady Doctor nor did I bothered to get the results of the test. I convinced myself that the lump will just go away. I still believed it was caused by my colds.

10 Months

In the next ten months, I would experience several things:

-Unexplained recurring fevers which lasts from one to 4 days.

-Discomfort in the neck area. Causing spleepless nights and weight loss.

-Blood in my saliva, usually in the morning.

Getting ready for the Holidays

Before heading home to Manila for the holidays, I finally decided to see the Lady Doctor. Immediately when I saw her, she looked concerned while reading her copy of the test results sent by the clinic that she recommended.

Up to now, I still vividly recall the lady Doctor saying ~ "Hijo, this is something serious. You should've atleast called me to check on the results. Why did it take you this long?"

I explained to her my schedule- the only excuse I can think of.

She then started to explain everything to me. She said that I have Papillary Carsinoma- a type of Thyroid Cancer.

She explained many things about this type of Thyroid Cancer, but that's a different story.

She mentioned the next steps:

-Undergo surgery to totally remove my Thyroid Organ inlcuding the mass or Total Thyroidectomy.

-Undergo Radioactive Iodine Treatment or RAI Treatment.

-Expect scheduled blood tests

-Taking Thyroid Hormones for Life

I went back to the office and tried to process all everything.

All of these happened 9 days before Christmas.