In the mid to late 80’s, change was in the air. I closed up my little car lot business for various reasons, and I wasn’t sure what the
next career move would be. I was flipping a few cars here and there, but I was living on fumes financially. I got a job working in an autobody repair shop down in Fenton in September of 1985. My autobody tech skills were barely average in that my skillset was very limited to low-paying type jobs. But, it was a job.
My parents moved to Florida permanently in 1980. They loved it down in South Florida. They kept telling me that I should move down there. I always thought it would be too oppressively hot. Besides, I had a bunch of good friends and for the most part, I was happy with the status quo.
“You Have A Parotid Tumor!”
In the spring of 1986, I noticed a swelling that had welled up on the left side of my neck. At first, I didn’t think much of it. I figured it would go away. It didn’t. I went to my doctor and he put me on an antibiotic. He told me, “This should knock it out, but if it doesn’t, come back and see me.”
Two weeks later not only did it not go away, but it got bigger. My doctor sent me to an oncologist. I’m not sure I knew what an oncologist was at that time in my life. 🤣 Once I figured it out though, I freaked. My first thought was that I had cancer and I was going to die. I couldn’t believe it. It didn’t make sense.
“Dr. Mikhail Office Visit”
I was of course apprehensive about going to this doctor’s Appointment. I was trying to stay positive, but it was tough. Your mind plays tricks with you and I wasn’t the best at controlling my thoughts. Gloom and doom had set a stronghold on my being. When I got in the examining room it was like a staccato of questions.
I answered them the best way I could. He told me he was going to stick a light down my throat to see how it looked. It didn’t take him very long to come back with his diagnosis.
“You have a Parotid Tumor and it needs to be surgically removed.” Of course, my next question was, “Is it cancer?” He told me the only way to find out is through pathology. The surgery was set in approximately 30 days. Meanwhile, I had this growth that was taking over my life.
“Second Opinion Time”
I was consumed with thinking I had cancer and was going to die before I even turned 30 years old. I figured I needed to get a second opinion to either confirm or hear an alternative. It’s funny…I didn’t believe in God, but I was sure praying like I did. I was hoping for a miracle.
I went to see a prominent doctor in Flint and was hoping to hear some good news. When I got into the examination room he asked me what I’d done so far. I told him. Went to my family doctor. He put me on antibiotics. The lump got bigger. Went to an oncologist. He said it was a Parotid Tumor and needed to be removed.
He asked me what was the name of the doctor. I told him, “Dr. Mikhail. This doctor said, “Oh, well his the best oncologist in Flint. If he says it needs to come out then it needs to come out.” I’m pretty sure I cried on my way back home.
One Week Until Surgery
My surgery was a week off. I was sweating bullets. I couldn’t believe what was going on. Then…two things happened almost simultaneously. First, my girlfriend (we were living together and her youngest son also stayed there) suggested that I go see her doctor for one last-ditch effort to have someone look at me. The other thing that happened was that her son looked like he had developed the same swelling in his neck as I had. I’m thinking, “Since when is cancer contagious? It’s not.”
Cat Scratch Fever
My girlfriend’s doctor was kinda of a quack. I told him the whole story. He looked at the lump and said, “This isn’t cancer and you don’t need surgery.” He put me on a different antibiotic and within three days the swelling went down and I canceled the surgery. He said that I had Cat Scratch Fever. Imagine that! I was all prepared to have an operation and a gland removed for no reason at all. Wow!
Conclusion
It’s funny. I didn’t believe in God but I was doing some heavy praying. Not sure to whom, but I was hoping for a miracle. My prayers were answered, but again…to me it was luck. It was a coincidence. It certainly wasn’t the God of the Universe. There’s no such thing.
