Pictured below, in late November of 2005, around Thanksgiving time, I began to notice what I thought was a  developing muscle on the right side of my neck from an aggressive swim class at the Napa Valley College.
In this aggressive swim class, I only breathed from the right side; pulling my face from the water where my chin met my right shoulder with each breath.
At the discovery of the lump/mass on the right side of my neck, I began to use only the left side to breathe during what became four-thousand yards each week; during two one and one half hour swim meets.
Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, as pictured above, the lump/mass was significantly apparent at that time. The lump/mass did not hurt; I thought I was developing a muscle. However, my right hand and arm experienced an unusual pain escalation and previously controlled headaches returned on a more often than not basis.
 In late December 2005, around Christmas time, I presented my condition and swim muscle theory to the Pain Center team at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
From the Pain Center team, appropriate referrals and appointments were made whereby a fatal stage IV metastatic head and neck cancer was diagnosed.
Pictured above and to the right is the lump/mass on the right side (your left) of my neck which is significantly noticeable at the time of diagnosis. |
