The weather in December 2008 was filled with freezing rain, snow and below zero temperatures.
It was decided from a thyroid ultrasound that I had some parathyroid tumors. I asked my neighbor Bill (Jim’s best friend) if he would go with me to my doctor appointment. He and his wife Annie were such good friends to Jim and me.
Following are excerpts from my Windows blog.
December 8, 2008
“My neighbor drove and we made it to my doctor appointment in plenty of time. We followed the salt truck a good part of the way and my car is a mess. Turns out I had plenty of time as the doctor was 2 hours and 15 minutes behind schedule. I will have a needle biopsy done of my thyroid on this Friday the 12th. The doctor explained to me that 63% of this in women in my age group was benign and 37% was malignant. My sister Rae, who is so dear to me is having surgery this Friday. If you are the praying kind please say a little prayer for us both. If you are not, that’s OK, just hold a kind thought for us.”
December 12, 2008
I look like a vampire bit me. I have two big puncture wounds on my neck and don’t let anyone tell you it doesn’t hurt because it hurts like he**! It took about an hour and a half. They take 6 samples (slides) and they send the picture via the internet to the pathologist and he sees if there are enough thyroid cells in the sample so that they can determine if the procedure needs to be done again. Unfortunately the internet connection didn’t work properly and I had to wait there for the pathologist to come from the hospital to the clinic to look at the slides. Fortunately there were enough thyroid cells that it didn’t have to be done again. I will see the surgeon on Monday morning the 22nd to find out if the cells are malignant and if I need to have surgery done. I just spoke to my niece Dee in WV. Rae came through her surgery fine and she is in intensive care. Thank you all for your prayers. There are none better than my space friends”
Monday, December 22, 2009
The cells were benign. Some were abnormal but not malignant. I go back in 6 months for another ultrasound and we will go from there. My BP has been elevated the last few days so I was able to get in to see the kidney/BP specialist too. Not my regular handsome doctor but his new associate from Jordan. Such a nice young man and not nearly so crabby as my handsome doctor. Anyway to make a long story short, my BP was normal in there this morning. I think I have been so stressed out with worrying about surgery in the dead of winter that I caused my BP to go up. My most heartfelt thanks to all of you who have been praying for me and with me. I am so thankful for you all. 
beth
Ah, the joys of getting older. Glad it came out okay for you.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you had dear friends who took care of you and helped you get through that experience. I hope when you went back, they came up with the same diagnosis.
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice to have a doctor who has good bedside manners. Who cares what they look like? As long as they know what they are doing and treat you like you matter, they are great in my book!
Hi Beth,
ReplyDeleteStill following your story, God has bought you through much, my thoughts are with you.
Hugs Nita.