My current journey...

So I am not going to include any pictures with this one, because honestly, you won't want to see them. I just finished have surgery this last week. It has been a long and very tiring journey that began back in January when my doctor found a lump on my right thyroid. From there I was sent in to have an ultrasound on my thyroid in February. March came and brought a pretty painful biopsy on what ended up being 2 masses on my right side. The biopsy came back inconclusive and surgery was scheduled for April 29th.

My parents came on the 28th to help with Emily and on the morning of the 29th I headed to St. Luke's for my surgery to remove the right side of my thyroid that was supposed to take about 1 1/2 hours. Well...during my surgery, cancer was found and they went back in to take out my left side and 7 lymph nodes as well. I had a terrible reaction to the anesthesia as I was waking. But, by the next evening I was able to check out and come home to recover. It has now been 9 days since my surgery and I am able to eat already, but drinking is still difficult. (Go figure!)

I went back to school on Tuesday morning and for a full day on Wednesday. Wednesday is when I overdid it. By yesterday morning, I was shaking all over and an emotional wreck. I was sent out to my car for an hour to lay down while my aide helped to cover my classroom. I left early to meet with the doctor and have my stitches taken out. My pathology report came back and it really was cancer. I was by myself at the doctor's office and what was I supposed to think? He said that there was cancer in my right side, left side, and one of the lymph nodes as well. He painfully took off the tape and pulled out the stitch and then left. At that point my emotions got the best of me and the tears started flowing. A person can only be strong for so long.

Now I will look to what is ahead. I still need to have an iodine/radiation treatment and am waiting for my new endocrinologist to schedule my appointment so that I can get done with this an move on. I am hoping that this will be a quick process, but as I am learning, things of this nature move at their own pace!

One thing that I am truly thankful for is my family and friends that have been surrounding me. I feel very loved and cared for and that means so much to me! Thank you to everyone for your prayers, food, cards, flowers, and support! I will try to update everyone as I continue to recover. Stay tuned for the rest of the drama that is my current journey...