Thyroid awareness month
In
July, 2005, as I was putting lotion on my face and neck I noticed a lump on my
throat, roughly where my Adam's apple is, that I hadn't noticed before. I was
quite sure it wasn't something that belonged. I made an appointment with my
doctor.
My
family doctor subsequently made an appointment with a nose ear & throat
specialist. I went to see this doctor and underwent a few uncomfortable procedures. I had three
nodules on my
thyroid, but whether they were benign or malignant the
doctor couldn't tell. I was sent to the Nuclear Medicine department
of the hospital for a special x-ray, which was inconclusive as well. I was told
that the next step was surgery.
Initially
booked for several months down the road, a cancellation suddenly moved the date
forward. I was glad to get the procedure and the suspense over with!
Along
the way I'd done a lot of internet research on the thyroid and the implications
of nodules.
What a wonderful tool the internet can be. As my mother has a goitre and my
youngest sister has hypothyroidism, I read about all
aspect of thyroid disease. The pre-surgery appointment at the hospital was
helpful for understanding what to expect of the surgery itself.
I
was very grateful to have my dear friend Marjorie accompany me to the hospital
that day, to wait with me prior to going to the operating room, as well as
being there when I came out of recovery. It was a long day for her! I was unconscious for longer than expected, not because of the
surgery, but because the operating room had to be re-sterilized,
adding extra time to the procedure.
My
recovery was uneventful -- three days in the hospital, then home for two weeks.
Thankfully, only half my thyroid was removed and none of the parathyroid
glands. My voice was unaffected by the operation. The nodules proved to be
benign. And as the remaining half of my thyroid was working
I have not had to take medication. The only sign of this
ordeal is the small scar across my neck. Thanks be to God.
Thank you Barb for sharing your experience with Thyroid disease.
Grandma Snyder
©2013-2014 twosnydergirls
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