Anyone missing a golf ball?

Twenty two years ago, while I was living in El Sobrante, California, I had a fibrous cyst removed from my back, up by my neck.  I remember it probably a bit better than I remember anything else from that time frame because of the complications that arose from that surgery.  Nothing really serious, but enough to stay in my memory.

Some time abut 12 years later, I noticed a bump in that same region.  Remembering that the first bump was a fibrous cyst, I didn’t take any great concern at it’s return.  Some time in the next couple of years, while at the doctor’s office, I mentioned it to him in an “oh, yeah, I’ve got this bump thing.”  He looked at it, and declared that it was probably a fibrous cyst, and that there was no rush to move to remove it.  We measured it, as best we could, at about the size of a pea.

Last summer, I went to see my doctor about something.  We had a look at all the “systems”.  I knew my medical insurance was running out, so we did a bit of a brief physical.  We measured the cyst again, and it really hadn’t grown much.  It was the size of an almond… a shelled almond.  “Nothing to be concerned about, unless you WANT me to take it out.”  His body language said “Please say no”, so I said no.

Somewhere around early March, I found my hand moving to touch the area rather frequently… and I noticed something… the cyst was exuding some kind of odor… I can’t put my finger on it.  It doesn’t do that all the time, and it isn’t doing so now.  But it’s an unpleasant odor.

As you all know, I’ve been doing a lot of walking.  My back has been a bit sore during this walking.  I knew that was coming, I anticipated it.  I do have arthritis in my spine.  Yesterday my back was hurting, and it had migrated up in to my neck.  As the day wore on, the pain became worse.  Last night at dinner, we entertained some very good friends.  While at dinner, my hand, unbeknownst to me, crept up to the cyst.

“OH MY GOSH, Scott!  There’s a golf ball lodged in my neck!” I exclaimed.  I kid you not.  Some time over the past 3 months, I don’t know when.  It might have been gradual, it might have occurred literally overnight, but at some point, this little almond sized, smelly cyst has become a friggin’ golf ball… maybe larger!  And it HURTS HURTS HURTS!  And I am now aware that the pain in my back seems to be radiating OUT from the cyst.

I slept very badly last night.  Any pressure on my neck is excruciating, and would wake me up.  On top of that, our bedroom is very cold, for some reason, but last night I perspired heavily through the night, sticking to the sheets.  That tells me there’s a fever.

Well, it’s time to call the doctor.  I’ll do that tomorrow and get this removed.

Ugh.