Skip to main content

Good news and bad news...biopsy update

Here's the deal on the biopsy done this morning: good news is the lymph node was negative for cancer. Bad news: thyroid bed nodule is positive for thyroid cancer.

More good news: Chris and I were able to get into to see Dr. Sanders today. He is the surgeon who operated on me in July 2008. He worked us into his busy schedule on short notice, for which I am grateful.

Last summer, the thyroid cancer decisions were more simple. "You have cancer. It needs to come out." This time, it is a little more complicated. Explaining the options just took me 30 minutes to explain to my dad but here is the deal in a nutshell:

1. take it out now with risks
2. wait six months and see if it grows with risks
3. external beam radiation with risks

I go back to see Dr. Sanders on Wednesday and plan to make a decision by then.

I'm doing OK with it. Aggravated, disappointed, but, as I have said before, I kinda knew.

Thanks to all for your continued prayers and good thoughts...I've got a big decision to make.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 5, 2009 at 7:07 PM

    My hope and prayer for you is that you are able to make a decision and feel confident and at peace with it.

    Jennifer

    ReplyDelete
  2. CarrieJanuary 5, 2009 at 8:44 PM

    Yep, good news/bad news. Wish it was all good news. I am glad you have some time to realy think about what to do next. Sending lots of prayers!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Meg McCormickJanuary 5, 2009 at 10:17 PM

    Go with your gut. You'll choose the best thing.

    More prayers...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Curt McCormickJanuary 6, 2009 at 10:37 AM

    I side with Meg on this one, go with what you think is best. You always do choose wisely!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 7, 2009 at 2:20 PM

    It's cancer.

    Let me spell it for you:
    C.A.N.C.E.R.

    There is no decision.
    It's a minor surgery.
    You have it removed.

    (inside joke so don't flame me)

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJanuary 7, 2009 at 2:26 PM

    Hmm seems I scared my lovely wife and she thought the last post was actually from the Doctor She Doesn't Like. My apologies it was from me!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quite a pay raise!

Today I received a press alert via email from my alma mater, Oklahoma State. Check out the first two paragraphs below: Following only the sixth nine-win regular season in school history, Oklahoma State University today announced a contract extension for head football coach Mike Gundy, giving him a new seven-year contract worth $15.7 million. The contract was announced following action by the OSU/A&M Board of Regents at its regular meeting in Miami. With the new contract, which is effective Jan. 1, 2009 and runs through December of 2015, Gundy’s average annual compensation will be more than $2.2 million. His current six-year contract paid him $1,053,000 this year. What the heck? That's quite a raise, and he didn't even beat OU, Texas, or Tech! Now, I went to OSU when Mike Gundy was the quarterback there. He was the quarterback during Barry Sanders' Heisman year. He seems like a nice guy and a great coach, but wow... In all fairness, I have to point out that I also read ...
2 comments
Read more

Third time is a charm? Third time stinks.

So....unfortunately it seems my gut (and the thyroglobulin blood test) was right. Ultrasound showed two "metastatic" lymph nodes. Same right side of the neck where I had four cancerous lymph nodes in 2008. Radiologist said we could biopsy them but he showed me...."here is what a normal lymph node looks like. But here is what this one...and this one look like. Not normal....with metastatic characteristics." Third time is a charm? Third time stinks. First diagnosed in 2008, recurrence in 2009, and now a recurrence in 2012. About 30% of thyroid cancer survivor struggle with recurrence, and I am in that 30%. What's next? A procedural biopsy next week. Surgery next month. Those are the facts. I'm still sorting through the emotions of it all so more on that later. Thanks for your prayers and positive thoughts.
9 comments
Read more

On my soapbox about "the best cancer to have"

Those of you who follow me on Twitter know I was on my soapbox this morning after reading yet another article about the dreaded subject of how thyroid cancer is "the best cancer to have." Think about that...the best cancer? Why would someone say that? In an attempt to make you feel better about having thyroid cancer, some health care profesionals try to convince those of us who have or have had thyroid cancer that it is "the best cancer to have" because it has a high survival rate. An aside here, that high survival rate applies to papillary carcinoma, one of the three types of thyroid cancer out there. Survival rates are lower for medullary carcinoma and anaplastic carcinoma, the other two types of thyroid cancer. Back on topic...OK, so tell us that papillary carcinoma has a high survival rate. Truly, that is good news. But because of this "best cancer to have" statement, and the fact that I was told my thyroidectomy would most likely be just an easy, ove...
13 comments
Read more