The Plan...Well, Sort Of

I finally had my appointment on Thursday with the ENT surgeon (aka Dr. Best).  I was feeling great about him being my surgeon after several recommendations from patients and reading every journal article of his research (sometimes PubMed access only feeds my neuroticism).  He was even featured in an MD News article that was on the home page of our intranet site at work on Wednesday.  All signs (big flashing signs) were pointing to "yes" for him to be the surgeon of choice.

Besides the fact that Dr. Best is (you guessed it) the best at what he does, he is also my kind of person...a serial optimist.  He was very straight-forward and matter-of-fact in our conversation, and he said that he approaches everything as a best-case scenario.  I like it.

(Side note: When I arrived for my appointment they checked my vital signs, heart rate 128 and BP 138/87...anxious much?  I think so.  It was laughable.  The nurse said, "You know that nurses make the worst patients because we know too much going into the appointment."  Agreed.)

So here's the plan...

The surgery is scheduled for September 12th.  It will be performed as an outpatient procedure, and if all goes as planned, I will be home snug in my bed by late afternoon.  The plan is to perform a right thyroid lobectomy.  Cryo-pathology will be performed in the OR, and if the architecture confirms malignancy, they will remove the other half while I am still in the OR.  I went ahead and signed consents for everything they could possibly need to do while they are in there.  Since Dr. Best uses minimally-invasive techniques, I am looking at only a 2.5-3 cm scar and a much quicker recovery.  I should even be back to work in 2 weeks or less.  Once again, I like it.  So, I call it a "sort of" plan because so much of it will be a "game time" decision.

When discussing possible side-effects, Dr. Best explained that a temporary loss of voice was normal and that I may not be able to speak above a whisper for up to two weeks.  I told him that my husband and kids might like that.

So that's the plan!

-K

Putting Together a Plan

I tend to brag about UAB hospital to others.  The fact that I work there plays into the equation, but I honestly believe that this institution is at the top of the list when it comes to cutting edge research and some of the most gifted healthcare professionals in the nation.  Of course, like most of us these days, I embarked on a Google quest to find the best ENT surgeon out there to perform my surgery.  Lucky for me, one of the most notable surgeons just happens to work for UAB, and I was able to get an appointment for next Thursday to discuss the surgery and do some more lab work.  

All of this is really starting to sink in, and I have to admit that I had not felt much more than numbness and a whirlwind of thoughts until last night.  After the kids were in bed, I was moving through my usual bedtime routine.  When I finished brushing my teeth, I turned around and saw that The Husby was laying on the bed watching me.  He held out his arms for a hug, and I collapsed next to him in tears.  He always seems to know exactly what I need, and this was exactly what I needed.  

Trying to explain all of this to my kids has been difficult because I don't really know what to say.  StickyBun-Scotti is oblivious to it all for the most part, which is fine by me.  The Fred is a different story.  She is a listener.  She overhears a conversation and comes up with a million questions.  I have tried to be very honest and direct in answering her questions, but I'm not sure that she understands.  I laughingly joked with Aunt AllyCat yesterday about how I was sure that someone had written a children's book for this kind of thing.  Sometimes, I just feel like I need an instruction manual.  

Hopefully, I will walk away from the appointment with the doctor next week with a plan for the coming months.  All of this waiting is in opposition to my desire to be in control, but I am going to be patient.  Until then, love and hugs to you all!

Love- K

Time To Start Blogging Again

I was thrilled when I received my acceptance letter for school last month, but of course, with any new program, there are a variety of hoops that you must jump through before you are officially “in.”  One of those obligatory “hoops” just happened to be a physical exam.  I was less than pleased by this requirement after having just seen my primary care physician, my OB/Gyn, and employee health for wellness visits within the past six months and been given the “all clear.”  I continued to drag my heels about meeting this requirement, but finally, I scheduled an appointment with student health services.  If only I had known what a blessing this would end up being.

At my scheduled appointment, the physician asked if I had been diagnosed with any thyroid problems because my thyroid appeared to be enlarged.  Following some lab work, I was referred for an ultrasound.  After the ultrasound, the decision was made to biopsy (deserving of another story in itself).  For seven days, I agonized over what the results may be.  Late this afternoon, I finally received the phone call. 

Luckily, I had enough sense to grab a pen and paper and write as I talked to the physician.  The next few minutes of conversation were riddled with words I wasn’t planning to hear…”atypical nuclei….suspicious for malignancy…refer for treatment.”  What?  Cancer? 

Now, I have joked that the year I turned 30 was going to be a big year for me, but this was not exactly what I had in mind.  The serial optimist in me believes that everything is part of a larger plan and even good things can come out of things that are bad.  Luckily, I have wonderful family and wonderful friends that I know will be with me every step of the way.  The next step is to meet with the ENT to discuss a plan.  Until then, channel those prayers and good vibes in my direction.  I will keep you posted.  

xoxoxoxoxo

Love- K