No, seriously, I do.
I know that I have spoke with many people face to face, however, quite unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to speak with the majority of those interested enough to click on this blog. For you, and partly for me, this is this my story quite literally as it unfolds. Many of you have agreed to think, help, and pray for me, Stephani, and my family as we go through this time and for that I thank you. I doubt that there is a proper way to express gratitude for such beneficence. Thank you. Seriously, Thank you.
Anyways, as a way of introduction, this is my story:
Approximately 4 years ago, while a sophomore in college I noticed a lump at the base of my throat. As I swallowed and coughed I would notice that it moved up and down with my Adam's apple. Being slightly worried at such a thing I visited a local physician to ask him about my new "little friend." As he manipulated my neck he told me that it was most likely a growth of cartilage; I had most likely hit my neck in young age and had simply never realized the growth. Being rather busy with school, work, volunteerism, and friends, I took the information with a shrug and gratitude. I was simply too busy to devote attention to what was most likely cartilage.
Now, fast forward four years...
In October of last year due to a chance introduction from a mutual friend I began chasing an amazing girl named Stephani Painter who was a new Student at my Seminary. She is smart, funny, beautiful, AND... a nurse. As the plot thickened we began to date, wahoo!, and began the gambit of all the newly dating questions: hot or cold, cats or dogs, do you play any instruments, and do you have any stupid human tricks. Okay, so the last question isn't exactly normal, but it came up. After I learned of her insanely flexible hands, it's true, I decided to point out to her my unusual throat. Once revealed she immediately went into nurse mode and asked me to get it checked out again. After refusing for some unknown "I'm-invincible-and-show-no-pain" reason I finally relented, and I am still thanking God that I did. It is here that we found ourselves two months ago.
I began to see a primary care physician in Boston in April that sent me to an endocrinologist after an ultrasound which was scheduled for June 14th. Being unwilling to wait two months for an appointment I badgered the office until I received an appointment for the last week in April. There I learned that I had not one but two nodules on my thyroid, one 8mm in size on my left lobe and one 3.8cm in size on my right lobe. These nodules, though being well encapsulated, a good thing, presented with strong blood flow and micro-calcifications, a bad thing. My endocrinologist at the time showed concern and ordered a Fine Needle Biopsy on June 13th. Being only the last month in April I again refused to wait that long and badgered the enocrinologist's office until a cancellation landed me an appointment for May 4th where I finally had my biopsy.
Up to this point Stephani and I had been worried that this entire process would occur while she was overseas for the summer and subsequently unable to be with me for the process. Now we found ourselves with my family in Florida for a meet-the-parents week and it was here that I received the call. While hunting sharks teeth with Stephani and my parents on Thursday May 12th I found myself sitting on a rock in a parking lot and listening as my endocrinologist detailed to me how my biopsy had returned signs of abnormal cells that suggested the presence of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma, Thyroid Cancer.
I... had cancer.
No comments:
Post a Comment