Another update

[Pam]

Just a quick update. I have decided to get a second opinion regarding my thyroid and have an appointment at the Mayo Clinic this Thursday. I was surprised how fast I got in, I made the appointment today. I go in at 7:30am so will have to leave here around 4:30am...not looking forward to that but am glad I was able to get in.

Thats where I'm at now. I encourage everyone who gets any kind of diagnosis to get copies of your medical records and read them yourself. I found some very interesting things in mine. Amazing how they pick and choose what exactly to tell you.

Keep those prayers coming in.

[fish]

Pam,

I know you know, but the white noise where you are right now may make it hard to remember.

Resist, but gently.

Fight, but peacefully.

I have benefitted from Robert Gass and On the Wings of Song.

I have also benefitted from recorded books.

A passive distraction.

I try to pick out the alphabet as the book is read.

Mr. “A”nd Mrs. Dursley ...

“A”

The Dursleys had Everything they wanted, and their greatest Fear was ...

“D” “E” “F”

It takes us away. Great for going to sleep. Great for going to sleep again and again.

Remember reading the kids to sleep ? These recorded books do it for us too.

Keep fighting, but peacefully.

Resist gently.


fish

fish

[Pam]

Thanks fish. I actually went out and bought a book on tape (CD) the last time you recommended it. I am usually asleep before it hits the end of side 1, have it next to my bed and just hit play if I wake up and cant get to sleep.

Recent update....

Appt at Mayo went well. Kind of a roller coaster ride as after my first appt with Endo he said the nodule had no markers for cancer and gave it a 20% of being cancer. Far better than the 60% I was given. Their pathologists were able to rule out Medullary Carcinoma, to say I was relieved would be an understatement. But after looking at the slides he then gave me 50/50 chance but said he was leaning toward it not being cancer.

So unfortunately the outcome was the same, surgery. I have opted to have it at the Mayo. I go back in September. The day will be filled with tests, blood work, EKG, Chest Xray, ultrasound to map lymph nodes in case it is cancer and they need to remove some, another test I cant think of right now, ending with a meeting with the endo and surgeon.

Through all this I have to miss my kids first day of school I wont be there to send them off or at the door when they get home. It may not sound like a big deal but it is. I have structured my whole life so I could be home with my kids. This is Kara's first year of high school. They always have so much to talk about when they get home. I am however thankful for all my family and friends who are picking up the slack, staying with my kids, getting them off to school and making sure they get home safe. For that I am truly blessed.

I have not asked "why me" once, I have the utmost faith in God and his plan for me. I know I will come out of this better than before, there is no other option.

[fish]

"It may not sound like a big deal but it is."

Of course it is a big deal. Of course it would bring you down.

But your children have even more important needs now. They need you to keep your spirit up so you are not discouraged at at a time when your spirit and your courage are needed to carry you through so you can be there to take your grand children to their first day of school.

Ah, life !

The rest of it sounds, well, almost as good as it could sound in the circumstances. I am sure you realize how conservative these folks are in their statements.

I expect that you are both sustaining and conserving your physical and emotional strength.

This site, your site, is named "powerlifting".

That's what you're doing now.

I suggest that many of the same principles apply.

Trying to define what exercercises, physical, mental, and spiritual, should be done .

Trying to keep on schedule doing them.

Use only enough resistance to build yourself up, not too much to break yourself down. Fight peacefully. Resist gently. Be powerful.

We are with you,

fish

[Pam]

As always thanks for your words fish. I am keeping my spirits up, especially around the kids. It all seems to catch up with me at night though. I try so hard to use the relaxation techiques I've used in the past but have to admit, they just arent working very well right now. I didnt fall asleep last night until 5am this morning. I tried everything, very frustrating.

I am working on trying not to push myself though this one is hard for me. I have so much to do. I am learning though.

I see the cardiologist on Friday due to extremely high CRP levels (c-reactive protein) a marker for inflamation and heart disease. My echocardiogram last year was very good so this really has me concerned. I did however do more research today and there is a relationship between high levels of CRP and thyroid cancer. I am not going to try to guess on this one. I will leave that up to the doctor. Did my research on him too, he likes to treat the body as a whole and not just focus on one set of symptoms...could it really be true? We shall see.

Thanks so much for the support fish, it really means a lot to me.

Pam

PS....OUR site