Medical Matters

 

In January of 2021 I noticed a small lump near my right ear which was growing. I’d initially assumed that it was something like a pimple, but it got bigger and assumed a “volcano” shape and became crusty.

Eventually, towards the end of January, I went to our local medical center, Alsahafa Medical Centre to get it checked out. The GP took a look and said that I need to see their skin specialist. I did so and he referred me to a surgeon at Dallah Hospital, one of the more expensive hospitals that does not accept Al Jazeera’s medical insurance (because AJ has the cheapest cover available).

A few days later I consulted with the surgeon at Dallah and he was willing to excise the cyst there and then. We went into a side room where he injected the mass with local anesthetic and started the procedure. I had some misgivings when I heard the nurse advising him on how to go about making the incision and afterwards advising him on whether I should be given pain medication.

Nevertheless, thirty minutes later the job was done, the cyst had been sent to a pathology lab for analysis and I was a couple of thousand Riyals poorer. Two days later I returned to Dallah for feedback. The surgeon informed me that the cyst was a squamous cell carcinoma. Nothing to worry about, he assured me, but probably two or three sessions of radio therapy would be a good idea just to make sure no stray carcinoma cells were lurking around. I didn’t feel reassured because on the pathology lab report the recommendation was for a complete excision of the cyst with safety margin. Anyway, Dallah did not have radio therapy facilities, so I needed to investigate where to find such facilities.

A few days later I went to Aster Sanad Hospital, where after registering as a new patient I eventually got to see a doctor. He told me that they had neither an oncology department not radio therapy facilities. He suggested I look elsewhere.

The following day I took myself to the Saudi German Hospital. I first spoke to a doctor in the oncology department. He told me that they did not have radio therapy facilities, but he gave me a list of hospitals that did have such facilities. He estimated that I would probably need about fifteen treatments, again at exorbitant cost. He read the pathology lab report and suggested that I consult with a surgeon without delay with a view to complete excision of the cyst as recommended in the lab report. 

The surgeon at Saudi German read the lab report and agreed that immediate surgery was indicated. The cost would be painful but when you’re dealing with a cancer, money becomes a secondary concern. All of a sudden you become very aware of your mortality.

Meanwhile, the cyst had started growing again, soon exceeding its previous proportions.

While discussing this issue with my friend and colleague, he mentioned that the father of one of his ex-students was highly placed in oncology in Saudi Arabia. If we could contact this person, he could presumably point me in the correct direction. The problem was that although my friend remembered the student's name, he didn’t have his number. He spent the next few days trying to get contact details for this student without success. Then there was an amazing synchronicity: a few days later, while sitting in a taxi at a red traffic light, he heard someone calling his name. And yes, it was the student that he had been trying to reach in a car next to the taxi.

We contacted his father and he set up an appointment for me with a professor specializing in head and

neck carcinomas. He had rooms at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, a prestigious hospital in Saudi Arabia. I was incredulous and relieved when he told me that my tests and treatment would be free of charge. This apparently because his son has an extremely high opinion of my colleague as a teacher, so he was happy to help us deal with my issue. He also told me that he loves to be able to help people.

I had several consultations with the professor, a CT scan, an MRI scan (an extremely noisy process), blood tests and an internal organ scan. The decision was made to excise the carcinoma with safety margin, to remove the right parotid gland and several lymph nodes in my neck.

I checked into the hospital and the following day I had a seven-hour surgery. I woke up feeling very sorry for myself. I had a (uncomfortable) catheter inserted, an oxygen mask, a drip, an oxygen and

respiration monitor and a blood pressure cuff which automatically took my BP every 10 minutes. I also had some sort of inflatable leggings on my legs, which inflated and deflated regularly, apparently to promote good blood circulation. My throat was sore, and I was dying of thirst. After a couple of hours, I was taken back to my room to recover. Several days later I was discharged and I Ubered back to my accommodation.

The main side-effects is that up until now my right ear is completely numb as is my cheek below my ear. When I shower if feels like I am washing a piece of rubber stuck to the side of my face. The incision scars are fading into invisibility and the medical report states that all traces of the cancer have been removed. I am supposed to have two or three follow up tests during the course of the year to confirm that there is no reoccurrence.

I do not have the words to express my gratitude to the doctor who made my treatment possible. I would not have been able to afford the excellent treatment I received, either here or in South Africa. I believe there would have been a very different outcome for me without his intervention.

The best way for me to end this entry is with the response I got from the doctor after I sent him feedback and a copy of my medical report:

Excellent...you don’t need anything extra...you are cured...Alhamdulillah...it was early disease and removed completely...you just need follow up..i think King Fahad might charge you more than other hospital.. I think prof. Khalid has a clinic in Dallah hospital and might charge you less for the follow up...by the way follow up is only physical examination and CT scans every 3 to 6 months. Which can be done by any hospital...check with King Fahad first and if they are charging high better you go to Dallah hospital and fix appointment with prof Khalid.. after Ramadan...but believe me Greg. you are really lucky...👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼