Yes, I assume the lymph nodes were harvested, as the consultant only mentioned the tumour going missing and the fact it hadn’t been biopsied. The affected lymph nodes were biopsied during the bronchoscopy, which was how I was diagnosed. I know they’re in a panic now because patients normally, according to all the paperwork I received before the operation, meet the consultant three weeks after the op and they’ve sent very little information to my own dr with absolutely no mention of the tumour. We don’t have to pay for treatment here and I’ve been given extra scans.

I actually woke up due the pain as they wheeled me out of the theatre to give me a ct scan before deciding the op was completed, for fear they had lost it inside me. The pain was unlike any I’ve ever felt before. I couldn’t scream but sounded like a wounded animal. I must have lost consciousness again because the next I remember was them telling me to wake up while o was in the scanner and they asked me to hold my breath until the count of one. I remember the pain and noise I made every time I breathed out. It actually upset last me to remember it. She said they removed “lots and lots” of the surrounding lymph nodes. One was near the top of my middle lobe, so relatively far away from the tumour. It’s probably silly but I have a fear that a cell of the tumour could have been left behind if they’ve cut through it or something. It was only 16mm but still big enough to see with the naked eye.

It still feels very surreal. I went for the op just before 9am and my kids were told nothing until 5pm, even though they repeatedly asked. That’s upsetting to know.

It was done via keyhole surgery as the original plan was to remove the section (there are 5 in the inferior lobe) but because they couldn’t find it in theatre after removing it, she kept err moving sections until my whole lobe was removed. So it was lost as soon as it was removed from me! I can’t understand how that could happen. Did an assistant drop the tissue, stick their finger in it or what?!