From the beginning

Where does any story start. A doctor noticed nodules on my thyroid in April 2009.  In May i went for the ultra sound, then the CT scan, then some nuclear scan.  Then go in and get a needle biopsy of the suspicious nodules.  All this withing 8 weeks.  Good news benign.  That is the cliff notes version.  It is actually much more detailed.
While at a routine physical I complained of difficulty swallowing at times.  The front of my larynx feel bruised.  The doctor notices a few little bumps.  just to be safe we will have them checked out.  Off to the ultrasound tech I go.After a week or so the Dr wants to investigate further. This is a CT scan with some kind of contrast.  it is by appointment at the hospital and takes about 1 hour.  Wait again.  Well, it is still inconclusive.  So now we are going to get some kind of radiation pill and then take more pictures.  This is a small office next to my primary care physician.  I went in at 8:00 a.m.  We went through the typical formalities. The tech brought out a pill in a cup with a glass of water.  I reached for the pill with my fingers and was abruptly stopped.  NO, don't touch it.  Just throw it into the back of your throat and swallow it.  Are you kidding me.  I can not touch it, but I am going to ingest it.  Ok. Sounds entertaining to me.  Then you return in 4 hours for a x-ray and again in 24 hours.  After all these tests the results are still not clear.  I am sent in the a fine needle aspiration.   Which is nothing more than going into each nodule 3 times for a sample.  Putting needles in my neck is not something to look forward to.  But I am from hardy stock and believe that anyone can put up with anything for a tiny bit.  Mind over matter.  I was taken into a dimly lit room with 2 nurses and one Dr.  He gave me 2 shots of ladicain in both sides of the neck.  the Dr then took the little needles and went into each nodule in three different places. the Dr was very good.  The whole process took about 30 minutes once it began.  I am grateful he was not coming off a bender at the Knotty Pine..  If anyone knows Benny Hill.  that is what I was thinking about during the whole process.  Benny Hill  coming in all dressed in white holding a huge needle that took two hands to hold,  It did occupy my mind put me into a happy place.  The pain was tolerable, not unbearable.  But what do you expect. there is a needle in you neck.  This is where the good news comes in.  Everything in benign..
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Fast forward to December 2010.  Medicine check with primary care physician.  She thinks the nodules have grown and wants refers me to an endocrinologist for further investigation. She sends me for the first step ultra sound.  Low and behold the 4 nodules is now 7.  Yaa hoo.  Too bad my savings account can't multiply like that. The next week i am sent back in for the fine needle aspiration. This is what I have to say about that procedure.  the first one the Dr was very matter of fact with the procedure.  He went in, got what he needed and got out.  The second time around, the Dr. went in was extremely fast,  rat-tat-tat-tat  The second time, it took about 15 minutes and was more painful.  The choice is yours. Slower and less painful, fast and a "little" more painful.  Personally i choose the second.  As I said earlier, I can suck anything up for a few minutes

The following week I have a meeting with the endocrinologist.  She is telling me that the nodules on both sides are now suspicious.  There is only three points of action with the thyroid.  benign, suspicious and malignant. The only get out of jail free card is the benign.  Suspicious and malignant means the thyroid has to come out.  As of today I have been referred to the surgeon.  February 16th, 2011 is my surgery date.  He will be taking out the entire thyroid called a thyroidectomcy.  In the coming weeks I will be writing about my concerns about the surgery and life after it.  I will be posting on the information I find on the WWW.  This is my journey.  I am not in the medical field and am rather naive about allot of medical stufff.  I am 52 years old and this is my first big surgery.  Although it is considered routine, it is not to me.  I am not afraid.  I just want it to be over with  If this is thyroid cancer, it is ok. It is not one of those cancers anyone should die from.  Thyroid cancer has a 90% chance of being removed totally from the body.  So, with that said.  Let the games begin.

January 11, 2011

01-11-11  This days means allot t many people.  Maybe you wanted your baby born on this day.  Maybe you wanted to get married on this day.  Something good has to come out of the numbers.  I will remember this day as the day I got the news from the endocrinologist that I may have thyroid cancer.  I kind of had an idea it was going to go that way, so I was not too upset.  After all, what can ya do.  It is out of the bag, can;t put it back in.  Now what do I do.  After the initial shock wore off.  I figured no one is going to feel sorry for me and I just better get involved with my medical care so I can make good decisions. Next decision, see the surgeon.