Monday, April 22, 2013

Moments that change things.....

We all have those moments in life when things change; the day you get married or have your children or maybe the first day on a new job.  You know the days that become turning points or markers in life.  For us we talk about the year we 'almost but not quite' moved to Italy and the year we moved to Spain and the year we came back from Spain, the day George got laid off from HP....

Tomorrow just might be another of those days!

Last summer I noticed a little lump on my thyroid.  The doctor thought it warranted a 'fine needle aspiration' and biopsy so in September I had one and the results were negative.  However the doctor wanted to check me again in 6 months and this time she felt that the nodule was bigger so she scheduled another biopsy.  Unfortunately this time the results were 'suspicious' so tomorrow I'm going in for surgery to have at least half of my thyroid removed.  They will take out the right lobe and do another biopsy.  Depending on the results, they might take my whole thyroid.  I've never had surgery before so I'm scared.  I'm scared that today is my last 'cancer free' day; that from now on it will be 'after my cancer diagnosis' and that's how we'll look at time.

Now statistically things are in my favor.  Only a small percentage of thyroid nodules are cancerous and of the ones that are cancer, the huge majority are a type that require no further treatment. So I am probably going to be fine.  I guess I just always thought I'd be like my mother - healthy and active to my late 80's.  My Daddy died at age 63 of cancer.  Scary thought!

This gives a whole new perspective to my Come what may and love it theme!  Still good advice and still the way I'll try to approach things!


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