The Results are in...

Last Tuesday right before 5, I got a call from the endo's office.  They wanted me to come in.  They offered to see me that night (after the office had closed) or the next morning.  I wanted to go immediately.

I was still at the office at that time and the doctor's office is literally 5 minutes from here.  I didn't want to go alone and thankfully my dad was right next to me when they had called (another unwritten perk of working with your family).

So my dad and I loaded up and head over.  The doctor walks in and before she even closes the door, she says, "I don't have good news for you."

Biopsy results came back as suspicious for follicular neoplasm which basically means I most likely have follicular thyroid cancer.  The only way to know for sure is to take out my thyroid surgically and look at the actual tissue.

I don't really feel like getting into a bunch of the details.  But here are the main points:

-  I am being referred to a surgeon up at OHSU.  I have my consultation with her next week.

-  I will need to have a chest scan done to make sure it hasn't spread.  It is a really slow growing cancer so it isn't likely it has spread, but obviously they need to check.

-  If it comes back as cancer after the surgery, I will have to do radioactive iodine and then take monster amounts of thyroid supplements for the rest of my life (no big deal, every woman in my family takes those anyway so it was inevitable).


So that is that.  Needless to say, it made for an interesting Thanksgiving.

I know thyroid cancer like this is super curable and most likely everything will be totally fine, but it still is never fun to hear the word "cancer" especially when it is directed towards you. 

I have slowly told some people around me about my news.  My family knows.  Some of my friends know.  And the good thing is that I have heard from a bunch of people who are praying for me and have offered their help and support in whatever way I need.  And that was definitely something to be thankful for.

I greatly appreciate all of the prayers and support.  Keep them coming!  I will take them.  :)  Even if I haven't responded to you or if maybe I don't right away in the future, it isn't because I don't appreciate your support.  I am just doing my best to handle this kind of crappy news.

Seems like an appropriate song...

To go with my White Christmas theme as well as the fact that Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I have decided to post this video.

Considering the stresses I have been dealing with lately, I feel like it is super important to keep songs like this in mind.  Because the truth is, no matter what happens, I have so many blessings in my life.

Last night I woke up at 1:44 in the morning and was wide awake for a couple of hours.  And for a while, in between reading and playing sodoku, I ran this song through my head and counted my blessings, one of the biggest being the sleeping man laying next to me, and two other being my parents and family (in-laws included) who have bent over backwards to support me and my wonderful friends.

Another reason I posted this is because I had no idea what else to write.  My apologies.  :)

Mr. Bones

Sunday, our family got together to watch White Christmas.  We do this every year, right before Thanksgiving.  We used to do it the night before Thanksgiving, but we had to change the date when Phil and I started travelling to Georgia.

This year, Jake and David were super excited about watching it.  While we waited to start the movie, I asked the boys what their favorite song from the movie was.  Jake coudln't pick a favorite, but David definitely know which song he liked:

Mr. Bones

Or Minstrel Show, as it is referred to in the movie.

He then performed a concert for us.

Personally, I like the hat.  When he finished, we clapped.  I asked him what the name of the song he performed was...

"Mr. Bones," he said with a smile on his face.

I am going to be sad when all of my nephews are "cool teenagers" and aren't this cute anymore.



4th times a charm...

I anxiously awaited Friday morning for my biopsy appointment.  Every time my phone rang, moved, hummed, etc. my heart would beat a little faster.  However, by 11:30, I had heard nothing from the endo office, so my mom and I set off so I could get poked.

I go to the front desk of the office to check-in for my appointment.  The receptionist says, "I don't see you on the schedule for today.  You can go talk to the doctor's scheduler."

Ok... Don't panic.  It is probably a mistake.

I walk up to the doctor's scheduler.  Here's how that went:

Me:  I am here for my appointment at noon.

Scheduler:  Well I don't see you on the schedule.

Me:  [blank stare]

Scheduler:  I have you on the schedule for November 30th.

Me:  [Trying to stay calm] No.  You called me on Monday and said you could see me on Friday at noon.

Scheduler:  Ok... Well it isn't in the schedule...

Me:  [Deep breathing and more blank staring]

Scheduler:  I remember talking to you.  I remember emailing the doctor.  I remember putting it into the schedule, but now I can't find it on the schedule.

Me:  [Thinking to myself, "This can't be happening."  I was about ready to tell her I wasn't leaving the office today without getting the biopsy done.]

Scheduler:  She has a lunch meeting.

I bet she does.

Scheduler:  I can see if I can cancel that.  Did you take off work for this?

What does that matter?

Me:  Yes.  I can come back at one.

Scheduler:  [Excited] Oh can you come back at one?  That would be great!

Me:  Yeah.  So am I DEFINITELY on for one?

Scheduler:  Yes.

Can you believe that?!?!  Only I have this kind of luck.

So I walked out to my mom and told her we needed to leave and she about lost it.

Mom:  WHAT?!?!  You've got to be kidding me!!  This place is RIDICULOUS!!!

Gotta love my mom.

My mom and I went and got a small bite to eat and then went back.  I didn't have to wait very long and the biopsy began.  I had both nodules biopsied which meant 12 needle pokes in the neck.

But honestly... it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  Not that is was pleasant, but I think it could have been worse.  The worst part was the last draw of the first nodule when the doctor said to her nurse, "Can you get me the longer needle?"  Not something you like to hear.  And that draw felt WEIRD.

My neck was pretty sore afterwards and still is.  But hopefully it will be the last time I have to have my neck poked at .

Now I just have to not drive myself (and Phil) nuts waiting for the results.

Keep praying for BENIGN results.

Let's try this again...

{I just thought this post needed a picture. 

This is the Big Island, Hawaii taken by me during our helicopter tour.}

The endo office called me Monday morning and said the doctor was willing to give up her lunch break to do my biopsy on Friday (today).

I was so relieved.

First of all, I was relieved I wouldn't have to call and be all aggressive with them to get a sooner appointment because that is what I was going to do.  I was going to call.  Everyday.  Until they get me in.  And while I am sure there are several people in the world that think I would be totally at home being a bis-natch, I was really not looking forward to it.  Plus it helped restore some faith in the whole medical system for me (I was starting to feel like doctors and medical staff had forgotten what it was like to be a patient).

However, I have had a really hard time believing that the appointment would actually happen.  And while I know the likelihood of the doctor cancelling a second time on me is slim, it is still possible.

And I am having a much harder time being in a zen-like place about the biopsy this time.  I think I used all of my coping mechanisms last week.  I am not that anxious about the actual biopsy, even though I know it can't be that pleasant of an experience.  I am no stranger to shots/needles (dentist, dermatologist, etc.).  I had surgery done on my toes (my baby toes lay across my other toes) about 4 years ago (right before Phil and I started dating) and I didn't want to go under general anesthesia, so they did the surgery with me awake which means they used a CRAP-LOAD of local, injected right into both feet.  And there is nothing more painful (in my limited experience) than getting shots in the foot.

So anyway, wish me luck today.  And since I really don't want cancer, if you could send me your prayers again I would really appreciate it.  I know prayers were sent my way last week and I think it made a big difference in my anxiety levels.  Thank you so much.

I will let you know how it goes.  Phil and I are planning to go see the movie Jack and Jill tonight as a light-hearted distraction.  I hope it works.  :)

Work

Sometimes I wish I could share my stories about work...

...Like the time a neighbor to our project suggested we use a bunch of poisonous plants in our apartment complex because they were native (poison oak is technically native but that doesn't mean I am going to plant it in my garden).

...Or the time I went to a neighborhood meeting for an apartment complex where the neighbors talked about how renters were all pedophiles, white trash, or perverts (personal offense since I am a renter and I am pretty sure perverts can own property too.  What is this, 1790?  You are only worth something if you are a property owner?).

...Or the other day when one of my employees said we would be more successful if only we worked harder (Um... first of all I am an owner.  Secondly, no one works harder than my dad.  Third, he was standing by the coffee pot, shooting the breeze when he said that.).

...Or the time a woman told my dad he was ruining her life because of a project we were doing (and we totally were not by the way).

...The kitchen duty can disappearance (Sound dumb?  It was kind of ridiculous).


But it probably wouldn't be totally appropriate to put those details on the internet.  But like I have said in the past, engineering isn't always boring.

Mrs. Cheap Pants

I kind of love to shop clearance racks.  I have been on a bit of a hot streak when it comes to cruisin' clearances.  Tank tops for $2.  Sweaters for $3.50.  But not all of these finds are great when you first see them.  Case and point, these pants:

They are HUGE!  But then I saw this:

{The vain part of me was hoping the SIZE wouldn't show. 

However, they were BIG on and this is a post on taking them in, so I feel ok about it.}

I figured for $2, I could try to make these parachute pants a little more stylish.  And if I messed them up beyond repair (which was likely), I would only be out $2.

Last night I put my sewing skills to use and here's how they turned out:

{I only include my lower legs because I have tree trunks for thighs}

I already wore them today, so I think I got my money's worth.  And a coworker complimented me on them.  This goes in the success column (cause I keep score sometimes).