Health Update

Well, I just got back from my hundredth doctors appointment this summer...(actually only my 9th but it feels like more) and I figured I better do an update. I've promised so many people that I will keep them updated on the status of my health and I figure the easiest and fastest way is to just update the ol' blog. For those of you who are not aware of my latest drama...here's a recap:

Back in April, I was dropping off Adelle at my mom's house so I could go to class. As I was just about to leave my mom said "What in the world is that on your neck?" I didn't know what she could mean because as far as I knew my neck had nothing "on" it. She said "Go look in the mirror...you have a lump on your neck." Sure enough, I walked over to the mirror and saw a huge lump on the front of my neck, just to the right side of my trachea. Here's a picture that I took back in April-

Immediately, my brain started in overdrive thinking of all that I had learned in class and what it could be. I figured it was probably either an enlarged lymph node (because I was just getting over a sinus infection) or an enlarged thyroid gland. My mom offered to watch Adelle longer that day so I could go and see my doctor after class. The doctor thought that it was most likely an enlarged lymph node and put me on a strong antibiotic that I had to take for three weeks. A month later the lump was still there so I went back to the doctor. He decided to draw blood to check for two things...my thyroid hormone levels and to see if I might have leukemia. The blood tests all came back normal. Since my thyroid hormones were all normal he was thinking I might have lymphoma (cancer in the lymph nodes). This was scary because my grampa has been fighting lymphoma for years so it may run in the family. Next step... he sent me in to get a CT scan. That revealed that it wasn't my lymph nodes that were the problem but it was in fact my thyroid that was enlarged. I was relieved not to have lymphoma but worried about what it could be. The doctor wanted to get a closer look so he then sent me in to have an ultrasound of the thyroid. That revealed that I had 4 nodules (tumors) on my thyroid. One really big one...the one visible on my neck... and three smaller ones. He said he was " concerned" because they looked "suspicious". Two words you never want to hear your doctor say..I assure you. My doctor then sent me to a specialist in Tempe who said that a biopsy was in order to check for thyroid cancer. I had the biopsy done a week and a half ago...basically I got stabbed in the neck multiple times and it HURT! I had to wait for 10 days to get my results. We finally had the doctors visit this morning. Here's a picture of Joey and I in the doctors office waiting to find out if I have cancer....

Joey was messing around with some of the doctor's paraphernalia and I was so scared the doctor would walk in and see Joey with his headgear on! It was quite humorous! Only Joey could have me laughing as I sit waiting to find out if I have cancer! So the doctor finally came in after making us wait an hour and told me that the biopsy results were "inconclusive". Basically what that means is that I may have cancer...and I may not. They just can't tell by the sample. Bummer! I REALLY was hoping for an answer one way or the other. Here we are at the end of June almost and I still don't know what's wrong with me! Two months of waiting and I still don't know. Frustrating!

So the doctor gave me four choices.....1. Redo the biopsy but with no guarantee that it won't come back inconclusive again. No thanks. 2. Wait 6 months and watch it closely and then redo the biopsy in 6 months. Risky if it is, in fact, cancer. 3. Take out half of the thyroid ( the side with the biggest tumor) and test it for cancer. If it shows cancer, I have to have the other half removed as well... but if it doesn't show cancer then they can leave the left side of my thyroid in and I might not have to take synthetic thyroid hormones the rest of my life. 4. Take the whole thyroid gland out and be done with it. This option will require me to take Synthroid the rest of my life.

After much thought, and prayer and fasting I have opted for option 3. I feel good about it and Joey feels good about it. The doctor seemed to think we were making the right choice as well. My doctor said he's a little biased though because his sister had thyroid cancer and she just sat on it and didn't get it taken care of for a long time and it got more complicated. So he's not a big fan of the "wait and see" approach.

There is a small risk that the small tumors on the left side will continue to grow and one day in the future I will have to have the left side out as well. It's also possible that they will never get bigger than they are right now and I will have a 1/2 of a thyroid that works just fine. That's what I'm hoping for.

So, I find out Monday the date of my surgery. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Now that I've made the decision I just want to get it over with. Before I can have surgery I have to go get a physical from my doctor, go do more bloodwork, go get a chest X-ray, and go have some procedure done where they stick a tube down my throat and take pictures of my vocal cords. There is a small risk that the nerves to my vocal cords could be damaged so they take pictures ahead of time. It's overwhelming to think about how much time and money I still have to spend at doctors offices. Not fun. I definately like being the nurse better than I like being the patient!!

So that's the latest news....when I find out my surgery date I will post it here. Thanks to everyone for the kind emails, texts, phone calls...ect. It is all much appreciated!