The Mysterious Lump

Sometimes weird things just happen to our bodies.

In December, just before Christmas, we had a leadership meeting with our pastor, and I (feeling later like a not-so-awesome wife) decided to sit with my friend instead of Cliff. I was positioned directly behind him and as the meeting proceeded, I noticed something strange: Cliff's neck was not symmetrical. I thought that maybe he was just sitting awkwardly... and I admit, I didn't pay much attention to the content of the meeting. When we were done, I said to Cliff, "Sooo, it looks to me like you have a lump on your neck." He reached his hand up to touch it and exclaimed, "I have a LUMP on my neck!"

Honestly. It was huge. Neither of us know why we never noticed it before. Obviously, fearing cancer, he started the process of figuring out what it was. He had an appointment with a general practitioner within a few days, an appointment with a ENT doctor in Honolulu a few days after that, a CT scan and biopsy the day after that, and surgery scheduled a few days after that.

The ENT said the CT scan showed that the cyst had already displaced muscle tissue in the neck and was compressing the Carotid artery! He was quite confident it was a rare cyst called a branchial cyst that fills a small space in the neck vertebra if the space does not close off as a child. If one were to develop this type of cyst, it would appear between the ages of 20-40.  Cliff was 37.

The surgery was scheduled 6 weeks out and the ENT said, "Just watch it. It will continue to grow, but it will probably be fine. If it gets too big though, it could block off your trachea or explode, so if that happens, go to the ER immediately." Hmmm. Comforting.

We both watched it grow and grow. He began to feel uncomfortable, like someone was sitting on the side of his neck. And he was no longer able to turn side to side because it hurt. Also, when he slept, he would have long sleep apnea. I laid awake one night listening to him take a breath every 20 seconds or so before I jabbed him and made him turn over (lying on the lump side made it better). 

In typical Cliff fashion, he said it would be fine... he could wait till the surgery.... nothing would happen. He continued to lift weights, he went on hikes (including the Stairway to Heaven!), and watched the lump get even bigger.

Well he made it! This is a couple of days before the surgery:

 It was definitely noticeable by the end.

The surgeon took 1.5 hours excising it. He said it was 4.5 centimeters across and was starting to attach to tissues all around it, but though it was still encapsulated, it was started to look infected. And the fluid inside of it was a foul, puss-y fluid. Nasty! Needless to say, we were both happy it was out. 

When he was done, he had quite a long incision (he was informed his neck-modeling days are over), and this drain. He was supposed to keep it in for 6 days, and keep it all covered up with gauze, bandages, etc. until the post-op appt. 

Yeah, that didn't happen. the wrap was off within the first 5 hours, and within a couple of days, he sterilized some dull kitchen scissors had Mason cut the stitches so he could pull the drain out while I was taking a nap!

Here's what it looks like now. He looks tough. Like he got in a knife fight and barely lived! 6 months later and he still has no feeling above the incision and all the way up to his jaw and ear. I guess those nerves are never growing back. At least he can still smile :) 

The other day Cliff was at work and was caring for a guy who's pacemaker misfired a bunch of times and made him pass out. When he came to, he looked up at Cliff and mustered a weak, "What happened to YOU!" Haha! 

Anyway, we're really thankful it wasn't more serious, that his sleep apnea is gone, and that he's made a full recovery. He's still trying to figure out the best story to tell people when they ask.