Hi there,
I'm writing to let you know about a concern we are dealing with and would very much appreciate your prayers and thoughts about. I didn't write sooner because I haven't wanted to overreact - and am working to keep myself and Ian calm about this.
The night we came home from NM, David was sitting across a table from Ian and realized he had a lump on one side of his neck. Ian thinks it's been there a while, but it never occurred to him it was different from the other side. When you compare, it's quite obvious. I'm amazed we hadn't noticed it before.
We got him to a Dr. right away and have eliminated TB, a cat scratch disease, Mono, and general infection. He had an ultrasound last Friday which showed several solid lumps in the lymph gland. This eliminated the possibility of a branchial cleft cyst, which is what David had a couple of years ago and what it looked a lot like to us.
Today we saw an ENT who scheduled an open biopsy (Ian will have anesthetic and an actual piece of a lump will be removed, as opposed to a needle type biopsy) for next Tuesday morning, March 2. Of course he would not say what he thought it was, but the fact that Ian has not been sick at all and the area is not enflamed pretty much rules out an infection.
Obviously, we are very concerned and wish we knew more and could have the biopsy sooner. Ian is worried, but he knows he's a healthy person and is doing okay. Life is busy and he can continue doing everything he has been doing. We are grateful we've been able to do what we have as quickly as we have, too.
I love you all and hope you are doing well. Love, Natalie
