Josh vs. Cancer: Ballistic
I'm sure none of you get the movie reference. Doesn't matter. I'm writing this so everyone's in the loop about my cancer/goiter/god-knows-what woes. Specifically about how I'll be getting surgery on the 20th of November.
So, I'm pretty sure most of you know about my adventure with this since April. The surgery is the only NEW piece of info. If you want a recap, read on. But if you're only curious about the latest news,, see the section marked SURGERY.
THYROID CANCER (kinda)
So, it all started in March/April, when I was home, and my mother noticed that my neck had a large bump. We thought my lymph nodes were enlarged and I was possibly infected or sick and didn't realize it. I was seeing the doctor anyway, so we asked him what he thought, not thinking much of it. That was until he told us it wasn't my lymph node. It was my thyroid, which should never be that big.
Before i knew it, I was rushed in for a sonogram and they saw a growth there. A bad one. When your doctor implies the worst, and your family has a history of thyroid cancer (grandmother), things get grim. I was in and out of doctors, getting a total of 3 biopsys trying to determine what I actually had.
It turns out, after the second one, that the sist, huge as it was, was benign. Though they didn't tell me this till I was getting my THIRD biopsy (a whoopsee on the doctors part...I was pretty pissed, but that's a story for another time...this is just for the info). However, while it was likely to stay benign, I'd have to keep an eye on it my whole life and I'd always look like I had a chicken bone stuck in my neck. I wanted it gone. So I went to see a surgeon to discuss my options.
SURGERY
With a cist this size, that side of my thyroid is probably not even functioning anymore. So it can be removed without having to take any supplemental medications to make up for a lack of a thyroid. However, while I'm under, they will be doing another 'biopsy' on the removed part of the thyroid, and find out if I really am benign or malignant. If I am malignant (and we just couldn't get a real reading), then while I'm under, they will take out the whole thyroid and I will be on medication for my whole life, followed by me taking an iodine radiation pill. Basically I will become radioactive and shouldn't be allowed around pregnant women and children for a week while the radioactive iodine locates any cells from the thyroid that got spread and annihilates the hell out of them.
So am I in danger? No. I'm pretty safe. All things considered, I'm not psyched about the surgery, which is why I wanted it done ASAP so I could move on with my life. It's been a long few months. The surgery is November 20th, the Friday before thanksgiving. I will be int he hospital for about a day before going home and recuperating. I could probably go back to work on Monday, Tuesday the latest. If I need to take that iodine pill, I extend my 'vacation' by a week while I crap glowing poo (not really, but that'd be awesome).
So yeah, now you all know. I'll answer any other questions you have, but now you know what's going on. Come the beginning of November, this will be a bad memory and I can move on with my life. As my boss says "After 20, it's all down hill."
Thank you all for your support. I'll keep you posted on any updates.
I'm OUT!
-Josh
So, I'm pretty sure most of you know about my adventure with this since April. The surgery is the only NEW piece of info. If you want a recap, read on. But if you're only curious about the latest news,, see the section marked SURGERY.
THYROID CANCER (kinda)
So, it all started in March/April, when I was home, and my mother noticed that my neck had a large bump. We thought my lymph nodes were enlarged and I was possibly infected or sick and didn't realize it. I was seeing the doctor anyway, so we asked him what he thought, not thinking much of it. That was until he told us it wasn't my lymph node. It was my thyroid, which should never be that big.
Before i knew it, I was rushed in for a sonogram and they saw a growth there. A bad one. When your doctor implies the worst, and your family has a history of thyroid cancer (grandmother), things get grim. I was in and out of doctors, getting a total of 3 biopsys trying to determine what I actually had.
It turns out, after the second one, that the sist, huge as it was, was benign. Though they didn't tell me this till I was getting my THIRD biopsy (a whoopsee on the doctors part...I was pretty pissed, but that's a story for another time...this is just for the info). However, while it was likely to stay benign, I'd have to keep an eye on it my whole life and I'd always look like I had a chicken bone stuck in my neck. I wanted it gone. So I went to see a surgeon to discuss my options.
SURGERY
With a cist this size, that side of my thyroid is probably not even functioning anymore. So it can be removed without having to take any supplemental medications to make up for a lack of a thyroid. However, while I'm under, they will be doing another 'biopsy' on the removed part of the thyroid, and find out if I really am benign or malignant. If I am malignant (and we just couldn't get a real reading), then while I'm under, they will take out the whole thyroid and I will be on medication for my whole life, followed by me taking an iodine radiation pill. Basically I will become radioactive and shouldn't be allowed around pregnant women and children for a week while the radioactive iodine locates any cells from the thyroid that got spread and annihilates the hell out of them.
So am I in danger? No. I'm pretty safe. All things considered, I'm not psyched about the surgery, which is why I wanted it done ASAP so I could move on with my life. It's been a long few months. The surgery is November 20th, the Friday before thanksgiving. I will be int he hospital for about a day before going home and recuperating. I could probably go back to work on Monday, Tuesday the latest. If I need to take that iodine pill, I extend my 'vacation' by a week while I crap glowing poo (not really, but that'd be awesome).
So yeah, now you all know. I'll answer any other questions you have, but now you know what's going on. Come the beginning of November, this will be a bad memory and I can move on with my life. As my boss says "After 20, it's all down hill."
Thank you all for your support. I'll keep you posted on any updates.
I'm OUT!
-Josh