Long Story Short:
47 year old male, recently went in for a routine ENT appointment on 4/18. Exam found an irregularity and followed up with soft tissue ultrasound of head and neck. TIRADs score was high on two sights. Went through a fine needle aspiration biopsy guided by ultrasound. Two areas biopsied, one positive for Papillary Carcinoma (1.1 cm). The other, they couldn’t confirm.
This all happened in a final build week for a multi-race weekend event in Ohio (4 triathlons/3 days). I was fit, health, asymptomatic.
Now, my journey is this fight. I have a surgical consult Friday with very good specialists in this area (Chicago), if not the best. I am wondering what the road looks like for me. Is my season gone? I was going to race a few gravel events and then do Madison 70.3 with a sprint the week after.
I am being open about my case because this came out of nowhere, and have been sulking into a pit of despair (mentally). We have 3 kids, 9,7,4 and my heart has been breaking everyday knowing I will not be my best for a while.