Dustin Danner

One day I was at school a reached up and felt a lump on the left side of my neck.  I had just gone through a sore throat and figured my lymph node was just swollen from that.  A few days later the sore throat went away but the swollen lymph node did not.  I am NOT the type of person who goes to the doctor unless I absolutely have to.  After two or three more weeks of the lump not going away, I decided I should go to the doctor.  My doctor figured it was just an infection and gave me an antibiotic and told me to come back in a week.  The next week the lump was still there so he gave me a stronger antibiotic and set me up with a CT Scan and a trip to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist. "Luckily" one day one of my sons had an infection on the corner of his mouth and had to have an immediate appointment at the ENT to have the infection drained.  While there I told the Dr of my appointment that was scheduled TWO months later.  He took a look at my lump and told me I was coming in the following week. While on my appointment he looked at the CT Scan and took a biopsy of the lump and showed me a spot on the back of my throat that concerned him.  I was already told the cancer was a possibility, but I did not think that would happen to me.  The biopsy results came in negative, but he still informed me there was still a chance it could be cancer, but probably not.  We scheduled a surgery to remove the lump on a Monday and that went well.  Coming out of surgery the doctor informed us of the possibility of cancer once again and said he was really leaning towards it being cancer.  It took until Friday afternoon for me to receive the results and they were exactly what I was hoping wouldn't be the case.  I had cancer.  I had to tell my children their dad had cancer and in doing so they were absolutely devastated, but I informed them of the doctor saying he was completely convinced that this cancer would be defeated.  He assured me that I would be able to beat this cancer, but he was going to have to kick my butt in the process.  So, here I am, the evening of my official diagnosis, sitting here numb and unsure of what I'm about to go through.  I know it will be painful.  I know it will make me sick.  I know that I have to stay strong and positive when I feel weak and negative.  I don't believe that life is fair, but I believe that we are given situations like this in order to show others how to handle them.  I am going to do whatever I can to show people that fighting and beating cancer can be done with a positive spirit.  God bless you all and please continue to pray for me and my family!