Episode 369 : The emperor of all maladies
'So what made you quit?' the doctor asked me, as he pulled out his instruments to do what he called a voice-box test.
'This lump-like feeling in my throat that just wouldn't go away, and the squamous cell carcinoma that they diagnosed on my father's vocal cord', I replied with practiced ease.
'Hmm..., this will hurt a little' he said as promptly yanked my tongue out and began pushing down the back of my tongue with what could have been a tongue depressor. I gagged, choked, and reflexively pulled back, as he held on to my tongue expecting such a reaction. Tears stung my eyes as I wheezed.
'You are not breathing properly', he admonished. How could I, I wanted to retort but his hold on my tongue was strong.
'Say aaaah, and breathe', he advised.
'Heeee…, heeee' I went. The experience promptly brought back a decade-old memory involving a dental surgeon. I should have understood immediately when the doctor said it would hurt a little, I thought to myself. Little for doctors is a lot for laypersons.
'Your father smoked too?' he asked after he let go of my tongue.
'No, he never smoked or drank.'
'And he has carcinoma on his vocal cord?', he asked incredulously and put his instruments away.
'Your throat looks fine. I think your problem is more psychological. But get an endoscopy done on an empty stomach just to be sure', he said. 'You have this problem for 6 months, right?'
I nodded. It started in the first week of January and that was the last time I smoked, barring once at an office event where the beer got to me. The three unsuccessful drags that I took, happily convinced me that my throat would never accept first-hand tobacco smoke again. Every other time the mind craved to smoke, all I had to do was recall those days of anxiety In January.
But every time I swallow involuntarily and feel a lump below my ear, there is a question: what could it be?
* * * * *
The problem first appeared in the last week of December, as we returned to Bangalore on our motorcycles. I dismissed it as another cold in the making, and didn't give it much thought. The office was going to send me on a 6 week trip to the United States of America, and I was determined to do well in my new role. The tickets were booked, and I was going to Madras to visit the folks and tell them of my travel plans. This was on Friday night.
Sunday evening, Edwina and Papa Hyde returned with a report that suggested a surgery to remove what they think is a cyst on his vocal cord. The cost was too exorbitant for a simple cyst operation, so we got a second opinion from a doctor friend.
His reply was terse and suggested that we see a Head and Neck surgeon to rule out cancer. I quietly bury my plan to tell my folks about my impending travel. Instead, I read up all I could on the Internet about the condition that Papa Hyde is likely to have. Some of the symptoms were similar to what I was facing- a lump in the throat, a little discomfort while swallowing, and in addition I had a history of smoking for almost a decade.
Papa Hyde's biopsy pronounced the growth as non-cancerous and too little to be of any consequence. But, it was recommended that he get himself checked after a month or so to see if the growth re-appears.
I, on the other hand, remained anxious. I consulted two doctors, who did not find anything unusual in my throat and felt it could probably be just acid reflux. The discomfort would disappear after a few days, only to reappear after a few weeks. I noticed that it usually occurred every time we travelled between Bangalore and Madras, and probably came out of mild dehydration.
'Give up smoking' they both advised and I nodded vigorously.
At around the same time, Papa Hyde went for a checkup, and we got to know that the growth had turned cancerous and is in its very early stage. 'The success rate of radiation therapy is around 95%. He doesn't need chemotherapy, just a few weeks of radiation therapy and he should be fine' they said.
* * * * *
Papa Hyde now has 5 days of treatment left, which will be followed by reviews on a regular basis. The radiologist and the nutritionist are impressed with his response to the treatment in the last 15 days. 'Only a few more days and you will be done... there is nothing to worry now'.
And I am wondering if this lump-like feeling and mild discomfort will go away if I drink a few more glasses of water every day, whether it is an infection of the tonsils, a paranoia, or something else.
'This lump-like feeling in my throat that just wouldn't go away, and the squamous cell carcinoma that they diagnosed on my father's vocal cord', I replied with practiced ease.
'Hmm..., this will hurt a little' he said as promptly yanked my tongue out and began pushing down the back of my tongue with what could have been a tongue depressor. I gagged, choked, and reflexively pulled back, as he held on to my tongue expecting such a reaction. Tears stung my eyes as I wheezed.
'You are not breathing properly', he admonished. How could I, I wanted to retort but his hold on my tongue was strong.
'Say aaaah, and breathe', he advised.
'Heeee…, heeee' I went. The experience promptly brought back a decade-old memory involving a dental surgeon. I should have understood immediately when the doctor said it would hurt a little, I thought to myself. Little for doctors is a lot for laypersons.
'Your father smoked too?' he asked after he let go of my tongue.
'No, he never smoked or drank.'
'And he has carcinoma on his vocal cord?', he asked incredulously and put his instruments away.
'Your throat looks fine. I think your problem is more psychological. But get an endoscopy done on an empty stomach just to be sure', he said. 'You have this problem for 6 months, right?'
I nodded. It started in the first week of January and that was the last time I smoked, barring once at an office event where the beer got to me. The three unsuccessful drags that I took, happily convinced me that my throat would never accept first-hand tobacco smoke again. Every other time the mind craved to smoke, all I had to do was recall those days of anxiety In January.
But every time I swallow involuntarily and feel a lump below my ear, there is a question: what could it be?
The problem first appeared in the last week of December, as we returned to Bangalore on our motorcycles. I dismissed it as another cold in the making, and didn't give it much thought. The office was going to send me on a 6 week trip to the United States of America, and I was determined to do well in my new role. The tickets were booked, and I was going to Madras to visit the folks and tell them of my travel plans. This was on Friday night.
Sunday evening, Edwina and Papa Hyde returned with a report that suggested a surgery to remove what they think is a cyst on his vocal cord. The cost was too exorbitant for a simple cyst operation, so we got a second opinion from a doctor friend.
His reply was terse and suggested that we see a Head and Neck surgeon to rule out cancer. I quietly bury my plan to tell my folks about my impending travel. Instead, I read up all I could on the Internet about the condition that Papa Hyde is likely to have. Some of the symptoms were similar to what I was facing- a lump in the throat, a little discomfort while swallowing, and in addition I had a history of smoking for almost a decade.
Papa Hyde's biopsy pronounced the growth as non-cancerous and too little to be of any consequence. But, it was recommended that he get himself checked after a month or so to see if the growth re-appears.
I, on the other hand, remained anxious. I consulted two doctors, who did not find anything unusual in my throat and felt it could probably be just acid reflux. The discomfort would disappear after a few days, only to reappear after a few weeks. I noticed that it usually occurred every time we travelled between Bangalore and Madras, and probably came out of mild dehydration.
'Give up smoking' they both advised and I nodded vigorously.
At around the same time, Papa Hyde went for a checkup, and we got to know that the growth had turned cancerous and is in its very early stage. 'The success rate of radiation therapy is around 95%. He doesn't need chemotherapy, just a few weeks of radiation therapy and he should be fine' they said.
Papa Hyde now has 5 days of treatment left, which will be followed by reviews on a regular basis. The radiologist and the nutritionist are impressed with his response to the treatment in the last 15 days. 'Only a few more days and you will be done... there is nothing to worry now'.
And I am wondering if this lump-like feeling and mild discomfort will go away if I drink a few more glasses of water every day, whether it is an infection of the tonsils, a paranoia, or something else.
Aired at 6/14/2016 10:46:00 pm
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