THE OLD MAN’S CORNER: The Road Ahead of Me

Written by: E.L. Winston

Happy New Year, peeps! I hope that your holidays were filled with love and comfort and all the things you wanted and needed. My new year is starting off a bit stressful but exciting at the same time. See, I have this tumor in my left thigh. It’s been there for at least 9 years now. Yes, I said 9 years.

Let me explain…it started out as a lump no bigger than a baseball. I went to the doctor and the doctor said that it’s because I need to lose weight. That’s all he said. He didn't run any tests, didn't look any further… fast forward a year or two from that visit and I start a new position at work that requires me to get in and out of semi trucks all day. On my first day on the job, my leg swells up to the size of a softball. I go back to the doctor and he says, “Oh no you have lymphedema. You're going to need this reduction kit and have to wear it constantly to get the fluid off your leg.” Again, he didn't do any tests, didn't do anything further and still says that weight is a factor. Needless to say the kit never worked. So here we are. Let me tell you what the cause of my tumor was not. It was not my weight or lymphedema and had the doctor taken the time to listen to me then what would have been a simple procedure Is now a major surgery. The mass is now the entire length of my thigh and I’ll be laid up at home for the entire month of February.