Update on my previous post, Surgery and PTSD — my doctor said he was shocked

Linda Lee @LadyQuixote

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To recap: on November 20 I went to see a surgeon who comes highly recommended in this area. He has been a practicing surgeon for 33 years. So, when he looked at the new growths on my forehead and on my neck and said, “Well, that’s cancer,” I did not question it.

As a former nurse, I already knew that the growths looked like cancer. And a quick search on Google had produced plenty of skin cancer images that looked exactly like my ugly growths, especially the one on my forehead. That one was fairly large and beginning to ulcerate. It looked like a squamous cell carcinoma, although the surgeon initially had said that it might be the less dangerous basal cell type.

Surgical removal of the growths was done in the hospital under general anesthesia on December 6. I have had two life-threatening anaphylactic shock reactions to an anesthesia drug in years past, so I was very nervous about the anesthesia. I have also had two biopsies in the distant past that came back positive for carcinoma, so — even though I have been cancer free for almost forty years — I was a nervous wreck in the days leading up to this surgery. Knowing that skin cancers are rarely deadly did not help me feel any better, because the lymph nodes in my neck have been swollen and tender for the past few weeks. So, truth be told, I was fearing the worst.

Yesterday I went back to the surgeon for my post surgical appointment. It’s an hour and a half drive from our home and I had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep the night before, due to my nerves. My husband wasn’t feeling well, so I made the drive alone and I was beat by the time I got there. Exhausted, and expecting to hear some very bad news.

I was surprised when the nurse took my blood pressure and it was normal. Of course, I had done a lot of praying and singing along with K-Love on the way there, which always helps my mood.

Then the surgeon walked in, set my chart down on the counter and said, “So, what’s up? How are you doing?”

” I… don’t know, ” I said. Meaning that I was waiting for him to tell me how I was doing.

I noticed that he looked nervous, which worried me even more. I don’t remember ever seeing this self-assured surgeon look nervous before.

“Well, I am shocked,” he said finally. ” I was positive that those growths were cancer. But they were benign. ”

It was my turn to be shocked!

Wow. Wow. Just…. WOW!!!

Thank you all so much for your caring words and your prayers. I just wish that everyone in the world could get great news like this. All the suffering in the world breaks my heart. And I know that there is nothing special about me, no way, not at all. On the contrary, I am a very fallible mess! So I know that if God will do something wonderful like this for me, He can and will do wonderful things for anybody who sincerely asks Him to. Even if you don’t believe! I know this is true, because I was staunchly agnostic, almost an atheist, for many years.

Life is so amazing. Although I’m glad that I am not dying right now, I really am eager to see what the next life is going to be like!

38 thoughts on “Update on my previous post, Surgery and PTSD — my doctor said he was shocked”

  2. ibikenyc December 12, 2018 / 6:59 am

    I am a’whoopin’ and a’hollerin’ inside my head right now so loud that I wouldn’t be surprised if you could hear me all the way out there!

    YAAAAAAY!

    I am SO happy this all turned out this way!

    😀

    Liked by 4 people

  3. CynthiaBaileyRug December 12, 2018 / 7:04 am

    WOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! That is wonderful news!!! So glad to hear this! Thank You, God!!!!!!!

    Liked by 4 people

    • Linda Lee/@LadyQuixote December 12, 2018 / 7:10 am

      I am just blown away. Seriously, if God will answer prayers for a mess like me, there ain’t nobody hopeless!

      Liked by 3 people

  5. Preacher Biker December 12, 2018 / 9:57 am

    Love you xoxoxoxo

    Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

    Liked by 5 people

  6. atimetoshare.me December 12, 2018 / 9:58 am

    I’m glad you’re not dying too. You have still got work to do here, my friend. I’m so happy for you and your wonderful news. Praise God for answered prayers and Merry Christmas.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Linda Lee/@LadyQuixote December 12, 2018 / 10:34 am

      Thank you, Kathy. I believe I forgot to mention in my post that in the days between the surgeon telling me it was cancer, and the actual surgery, the growth on my neck shrunk to about half its original size, and the large one on my forehead changed dramatically, to a much lighter color. Wow. I am still in a daze. ☺

      Liked by 5 people

      • atimetoshare.me December 12, 2018 / 10:36 am

        Your Christmas miracle❤️

        Liked by 4 people

  7. Alexis Rose December 12, 2018 / 10:19 am

    Wow! Wow! Wow! This IS great news. I’m so happy to hear this!

    Liked by 3 people

    • Linda Lee/@LadyQuixote December 12, 2018 / 10:38 am

      Thank you, dear Alexis. I am still in shock! I pretty much drove home last night in a daze. Thank goodness most of the drive is very rural, with almost no traffic. I am also glad there weren’t any deer or pronghorn antelope herds in the area where I was driving, as there often are.

      Liked by 3 people

  8. Lee Poskey December 12, 2018 / 10:40 am

    ALL GLORY TO THE RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!

    God is indeed loving and perfect!!!!!!!

    I’m happy for you sister 😀👍🙏

    Liked by 5 people

    • Linda Lee/@LadyQuixote December 12, 2018 / 11:08 am

      Happy tears. God’s mercy and grace are beyond measure. I was scared, doubtful, and grumpy, in the days between the doctor telling me that the growths were cancer, and the day of the surgery. Oh me of little faith, that was me. But God’s love is so amazing!

      Liked by 5 people

  11. bornagain732 December 13, 2018 / 1:50 pm

    ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️❤️❤️❤️
    That makes my heart sing; HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!!!!!!
    WOW!!! Just WOW!!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  12. bornagain732 December 13, 2018 / 2:35 pm

    Reblogged this on I ONCE WAS LOST and commented:
    How about this for another God given -God glorified testimony? GLORY TO OUR RISEN LORD THAT IS SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD OUR FATHER!!!

    Liked by 4 people

    • Linda Lee/@LadyQuixote December 13, 2018 / 4:32 pm

      Thank you, Elizabeth. I am praying for the day when all cancers, and all sorrows, will be no more.

      Liked by 4 people

  13. bornagain732 December 13, 2018 / 4:34 pm

    It’s a comin’ Sister! Our Lord said so and we believe Him ❤️❤️❤️

    Liked by 3 people

  14. Sherry December 13, 2018 / 6:43 pm

    Praises to our Beloved Lord! \o/

    Liked by 4 people

  16. hawk2017 December 14, 2018 / 8:11 am

    I am Loving It. Our God is Sooooo Good. :))

    Liked by 1 person

    • hawk2017 December 14, 2018 / 8:12 am

      was reblogged. some were concerned.:)

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Dee December 15, 2018 / 11:37 am

    Wow, that is amazing! Praise God, He is so good! And congratulations to you.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. jackie1227 December 15, 2018 / 10:10 pm

    Praise God for this wonderful testimony! All glory to Him. I just found your blog…I think because you liked one of my posts. Do you have a post about your conversion? You were Agnostic…almost Atheist? I’d love to hear your story. God Bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Denise Hisey December 16, 2018 / 8:55 am

    What a great Christmas gift!!
    I’m so happy for you!!! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Anna Waldherr December 16, 2018 / 3:12 pm

    This brought tears to my eyes. I’m so happy for you, Linda! Ours is truly a great God. May you and yours have a wonderful Christmas! ❤

    Liked by 1 person

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