I have a date

 Well at least I hope it's the date as they are planning the surgery as we speak!

As I mentioned before there are a number of parts that have to align so its not straightforward, but I have a date currently as the 18th June 2025, bit later than I was hoping for but something at this stage to work towards, sadly it has meant my daughter has had to re-arrange her wedding which for me and her is a tad upsetting but its pushed out to August now so hopefully that will also give me two months recovery

Anyway, received the letter outlining what you go through in this surgery and whilst I knew it from the discussions we had, when you read it about it you realise how daunting this op is, now I know they have to these days tell you everything that could happen, but I think sometimes less is more, because it did make me think should I bother with this, short thought but I think of the potential pain and suffering that not only I will go through but what I will put my family through, but then you realise so many things to live for - my children's weddings, new grandchildren on top of the amazing one I have already, so a lot to live for!

What is Squamous Cell Carcinoma

So, I have also been checking up on this squamous cell cancer and it is a fucker of a cancer.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) can sometimes be challenging to treat with chemotherapy because of its biological characteristics. Here are a few reasons why SCC might not respond well to chemotherapy: 1. **Cell Structure:** - Squamous cells have a unique structure that can make it difficult for chemotherapy drugs to penetrate and effectively kill the cancer cells. 2. **Drug Resistance:** - Some squamous cell carcinomas may develop resistance to chemotherapy drugs, making them less effective over time. 3. **Growth Rate:** - SCC can sometimes grow at a rate that makes it less susceptible to the effects of chemotherapy, which often targets rapidly dividing cells. 4. **Genetic Factors:** - Genetic mutations within the cancer cells can influence how they respond to treatment

Straight from the App - My Friend - more info here if your interested:  https://www.strategiadatasciences.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-my-friend/

I then asked the same with my negative PD-L1 - had no idea what this was, but was outlined as to why I couldn't have immunotherapy, so into ask the App and hey presto here's the reason:

PD-L1, or programmed death-ligand 1, is a protein that can be expressed on the surface of cells, including some cancer cells. When PD-L1 is present, it can help cancer cells evade the immune system. A negative PD-L1 test result means that the protein is not expressed, or is expressed at very low levels, on your cancer cells. Here are a few reasons why your PD-L1 might be negative: 1. **Tumor Characteristics:** - Not all tumors express PD-L1. The expression can vary widely depending on the type of cancer and individual tumor characteristics. 2. **Genetic Factors:** - Genetic differences in tumors can influence whether PD-L1 is expressed. 3. **Testing Variability:** - Different tests and laboratories might have varying thresholds for what is considered "positive" or "negative." 4. **Tumor Microenvironment:** - The surrounding environment of the tumor, including immune cells and other factors, can affect PD-L1 expression. A negative PD-L1 result might influence treatment decisions, particularly regarding the use of certain immunotherapies

Cancer is NOT your friend

Its an obvious statement, but what you realise obviously is that cancer doesn't care who you are or where your from, how much money you have or don't, if your life is good or bad, the one thing for sure - it is not a friend, its a killer that ultimately kills itself, by either being removed or by killing off its host. The biggest problem which I realised from my last round of cancer is that the body loves growth, so until its told that its not friendly it allows it do its stuff, and therefore the longer its left the worst for the person carrying this awful disease and if you bear in mind apart from the lump forming in my neck I have had no side effects whatsoever, so could have easily have missed this or thought nothing of it and carried on in complete blindness to what was trying to take me out! Well mate we've found ya and were gonna kick the shit out of you

What's next

I have a pre-op assessment next week 

I have my colonoscopy on the 2nd June - that should be fun 😆

And then a wait till the 18th, finger-crossed that this doesn't push out further, as I said a lot depends on a number of moving parts, ICU bed suddenly not available for an example, surgeon not going sick and no doubt other elements that could delay

I'll go more into the recovery later but suffice to say its a challenging recovery period