A call I didn't think would come...

So throughout this whole thing, I've been a little nervous due to my family medical history. If something is wrong, its usually something big. You know, us Brileys like to keep the medical field employeed. Why one of us kids didn't end up in that profession, I don't know. At least one sister-in-law recognized the need and became a nurse!!! Anyway, as I was saying...

I've been nervous from the get-go. But, all blood tests (and there were a bunch of them) and all ultrasounds showed nothing. No cancer. I went into my surgery being told "we are 99% sure you do not have cancer. But we always send the tissue off to pathology just to be sure." I felt very confident in all of that. So, I had my surgery. The Drs both told my family how healthy my thyroid looked, aside from the growths. Almost as if they were even in shock.

Fast forward to Thursday, 1/5. And then my phone rang. My surgeon was calling me to tell me that he got the pathology results back, and it wasn't good news. The left side of my thyroid was malignant. The right side was pre-malignant. The good news, they got MOST of it with the thyroidectomy. The bad news, they didn't get all of it. Bottom line.....I have cancer.

Now, stop right there. I don't care who you are and what you have been through. If someone says those words to you, "you have cancer", it doesn't matter what kind of cancer it is. Those are scary words.

That all being said, the outlook is good. Another operation is unlikely. We will most likely do radiation to treat the cells that are still in my body. The good news about this type of cancer is that it spreads slowly, so chances are it hasn't spread anywhere else in my body. It also is easily, and completely treated, meaning once we get rid of it, it should be gone and shouldn't come back. So, there is that good news in there....

I go back to the Drs on Tuesday. I go see my Endo first (whom I saw last week before they got these results....he started me on my Synthroid....and has since taken me off of them.....so glad to pay for meds I didn't need....now anyway.....) and then I go see the surgeon for the 2 week follow-up from my surgery. Speaking of, my incision is healing GREAT! The "super glue" has come off, and it is healing nicely. I will try to post a new picture in the morning...I'm already in bed right now, and not getting up just to take a picture!!!

So, I will be back with a more detailed update after my appointments Tuesday. For now, I just ask for your prayers. Prayers for my strength & health, prayers for my family & their peace of mind, and prayers for the Drs & all of those in the medical field looking after me.

Thank you, and God Bless you all!

~rlb