Day Three; Generous Gift!

I got an unexpected phone call this afternoon from a lady with The Maids cleaning service letting me know that someone had arranged to have our house professionally cleaned. Support and generosity has come from unexpected places during my recovery. A great friend from high school whom I've lost touch with over the years has reached out and into his wallet to extend well wishes my way. Eric Schlueter is the man behind the mop, or arranging for it. I was shocked and touched by Eric's generosity. His girlfriend, Melissa, is one lucky girl. Thank you Eric!

The generous gift from Eric was welcome news after the day I had yesterday. What was supposed to be the simple task of removing the bandage from my neck turned into a mental meltdown and a trip to the doctor's office. Let me preface this episode by saying that yesterday sucked majorly. I feel like I'm not only recovering from surgery, but also recovering from that truck that ran me over. Did anyone get the license plate? Honestly, yesterday was horrible. I felt like I had the flu all day. I was cold and hot and restless and more than anything just tired.

Anyway, I worked up the courage to take off the bandage and realized that it was stuck to the steri-strips covering my incision. I couldn't figure out how to peel off the bandage without taking the steri-strips with it. They are not supposed to come off so soon. I called Tom into the bathroom for mental support as I tried to figure out how to get the stupid bandage off. Mental support isn't Tom's thing and he immediately volunteered to start cutting with a pair of scissors he had stashed in the vanity. No thank you. I told Tom no and to just give me a minute. He left me even more panicked than before. I called him back in to look at it again and I freaked out again and wouldn't let him look at it. I blame the meds, but I was just plain crazy. I called the doctor and they told me to come in to see them. Needless to say, Tom was not too happy with me. He didn't say a word to me on the 25 minute drive from Catonsville to Glen Burnie. Looking back, I guess I can't blame him. He was in a lose-lose situation and no matter what he did or said I was panicked. Tom, I love you. Thank you for putting up with my madness.

I spent most of the morning with my cousin Amanda, who drove all the way from Hanover, PA to pay me a visit. We don't see one another as often as I like and I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with her today.

I'm feeling slightly better this afternoon. The Mack truck that ran me over yesterday has been replaced by a small SUV. I can't help but feel slightly defeated after this last surgery. My recovery is going to be longer and harder this time. Not only am I dealing with the soreness and pain from surgery, but also, my body is reacting to the fact that I've had a very important gland removed. I've lost my thyroid, now I'm just trying to avoid losing my mind.

Post-Op Update

I'm not ready for Tom to go back to work tomorrow. It's nice to have him here. I've enjoyed bossing him around. The last few days have been a big blur. I'm now two days removed from surgery and finally feel well enough to blog.

As most of you know, my surgery was Tuesday. I have to admit that I was anxious about going under the knife again. Who wouldn't be though, right? Surgery was scheduled for 1PM, but we didn't get rolling until after 2PM. More time to contemplate what was to come. Just what the doctor didn't order. I tried to put on my game face and be a good little patient. Speaking of faces, I made a name for myself when I was being wheeled down the hall to the OR. As my nurse pushed my bed down the hall, we passed my doctor and one of the hospital directors having a conversation. I did what any good patient would do. I put my thumbs in my ears and stuck my tongue out at them. The director was shocked and amused at the same time and commented that in all of her 30 years, she'd never had someone do such a thing on their way to the OR. My nurse cracked up laughing and may have even wet his scrubs. My doctor shouted down the hallway to start anesthesia, stat!

Surgery was a success, at least that's what my doctor told me. I'm not exactly sure I agree. This time around the doctors had to re-open my almost healed first incision. Once inside, the surgeons removed what was left of my thyroid and dug around the neighborhood to make sure none of the cancer cooties spread to my lymph nodes. This exploration for additional cancer cooties left me feeling like someone tried to cut my head off and not simply slit my throat. Unlike the first operation, I'm unable to get comfortable. I'm extremely stiff and bruised.

Sleep has been a challenge. Getting comfortable lying down is next to impossible. Sitting upright seems to be the only comfortable position but it makes getting sleep difficult. I've been nodding off sitting upright much like Tom does when I force him to watch Grey's Anatomy. Hahahah. As if being sleep deprived weren't enough, I feel nauseous and I'm pretty sure I have an infected tooth. Did I mention that my migraines have made an untimely return? Shoot me now. As bad as it seems, I do see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's a bright, radioactive one.

For now, I'm taking it one day at a time and I know that each day will bring less discomfort. I'm looking forward to feeling well again and getting back to work and preparing for the Holidays. It will be around that time that I take the next step in my recovery which is radioactive iodine treatment and quarantine, but that's a topic for another blog.

Thanks for all the well wishes and I'm now accepting visitors. Feel free to stop by and feel free to bring a mop and broom.

Surgery Tomorrow

Well, friends, tomorrow is the big day. My Mom, Tom and I will head to the hospital around 11 for my second surgery. Two weeks ago, before we knew I had cancer, I had the left side of my thyroid and two tumors removed. My surgeon said that since my biopsy came back benign, that only one side of my thyroid had to be removed. The reason doctors do this is to save any unaffected thyroid tissue in hopes that whatever is left will be enough to provide my body with normal thyroid hormone. This prevents one from having to go on thyroid replacement medication for the rest of their life. It's standard practice to remove your entire thyroid if you have cancer, but at the time of my first surgery no one knew.

Deja vu. There is a part of me that's pretty damn angry that I have to do this all over again. I mean, really? Again? I'm finally starting to feel back to normal and now I have to start all over. Having your neck sliced open is NOT a walk in the park. Not to mention I'll be off work for another two weeks to recover. Stupid if you ask me! But, when cancer calls, you best answer the damn phone.

I picked up my perscription for my thyroid hormone replacements today. I had a conversation with the bottle in the car. "So, guess you're with me forever, huh?" "Well, if we are in this for the long haul, you better act right and not make me feel like shit, or make my hair fall out like your directions say you might."
It's amazing to me all the important things your thyroid does for your body. Two months ago, I didn't even know I had a thyroid, much less its function. Apparently, your thyroid regulates body temperature, controls blood pressure, and regulates your metabolism. Tomorrow that important gland is coming out, and I'll be relying on a little white pill forever.

I'd like to take this monent to thank my thyroid gland for jumping on the cancer granade. For sparing my other glands and major organs, I award you the purple scalpel. R.I.P Thyroid. I'll miss you.

I'll try my best to blog tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks again for all the calls, texts, and cards. Getting the mail has taken on a whole new meaning! Love you all!

Needed: New head.

Maybe I need a head transplant. I woke up yesterday morning with a swollen cheek and the mother of all fever blisters. I crawled out of bed and walked into the bathroom to have a look at my aching face. What I saw was a gigantic fever blister that had baby fever blisters on top of it. Awesome! Happy Thanksgiving to me! I thought well, it's a good thing I don't have to be around anyone today. Oh wait, I do. Ha! Tom never misses an opportunity to laugh at my expense. He would stop, look at my lip, jump back, and say "HOLY SHIT". He's a gem.

Yesterday continued the same way it started. I had to take a pain pill before we even left the house to head to my Mom’s. In true two year-old fashion, Maxwell refused to nap and was a nasty guy all day.

I had a good time at my Mom's, and it was great catching up with family. We had dinner with my family and headed over to Tom's parents’ house. As soon as Tom's Dad saw me he said, "What the hell is wrong with your lip?" Oh, nothing Mr. Huppmann, just a fever blister. MORTIFIED. I'm not kidding when I tell you this thing is huge. Looks like I got in an early black Friday brawl and lost. 

That's not gravy!

I felt much better today. We got up, had breakfast, and went couch shopping. Maxwell and I had a nice afternoon nap, while Tom went to lax it up with his friend.

We got this beauty for the basement.

I'm trying to enjoy this weekend. My second surgery is scheduled for Tuesday and I know I’ll be out of commission for a good week after. Trying to squeeze it all in. The house is a wreck . That's on the to-do list tomorrow. I'm waiting for one of my super caring friends to offer to help with something, so I can ask them to come clean this house. :) I'm a famous blogger now; I don't have time to clean anymore. Haha!!

Like I said before, I'll be having surgery Tuesday at 1:00pm at Howard County General in Columbia. I'm not sure if I'll be staying overnight or coming home. I'll ask Tom to blog Tuesday with my status.

Hope everyone saved lots of money on the Christmas gifts they got me! ;) Happy Black Friday.

How i got here...

Yup, you read that title correctly, I have cancer.

January of last year I started having this weird facial pain and swelling on the left side of my face. I went to numerous doctors (Dentists, Ear Nose and Throat specialists, and even my primary care doctor) and no one was able to tell me why my face and neck hurt. By process of elimination we decided that perhaps it was a tooth. I had a root canal in May. The pain never really went away. Defeated, in August I called my ENT once again thinking this HAD to be a sinus infection. I spoke with the receptionist, who told me my doctor was on vacation, would I mind seeing the new doctor at the practice. When Dr. Beningfield came into my room, he looked at my file, which I’m sure is a mile long, and said; “WOW, Miss. Mayfield, where do we begin?” Hah!

I had a "new patient exam" and about half way through he said, "Has anyone told you that you have a nodule on your Thyroid?" Ummm, no? Wait, what the hell is a Thyroid? He went on to explain that Thyroid nodules are very common and usually not a problem, but that it might be a good idea to have an ultrasound to have a closer look. On my follow up appointment after the ultrasound, Dr. Beningfield told me that my nodule was pretty large and he thinks that we should do a fine needle biopsy. I had my biopsy and was told that as they suspected, I did not have cancer. Whew! What now?  I have something growing in my neck that is the size of a golf ball... do i want to have surgery to remove it? Um, yeah. Ha. Can we do it today? I had surgery November 11th at Howard County General to remove the left half of my thyroid. The surgery went well, and my recovery was easier than I imagined it would be. A week later, during my follow up visit, my surgeon warned me that my" tumors" looked funny and that a pathologist was looking them over. We'll know more when my pathology report comes back. Three days later I got the call. “I’m sorry, Miss Mayfield, you have CANCER!”

I’ve come to learn that if you're going to get cancer, thyroid cancer is the kind you want! The 20 year survival rate for thyroid cancer is 98%. Awesome! Now what? Now, i have to have yet another surgery. After my second surgery, I’ll have a treatment called radioactive iodine.

I’ve tried to call most of my friends and family, but there are so many of you.  I wanted to start a blog because i think it will help keep everyone informed, and to be honest.. I kind of feel bad for Tom. All we talk about anymore is my thyroid and cancer. Poor guy.  Tom says that if anyone asks, he likes Qdoba. I've told him that it's okay for him to play the cancer card, too!

In closing, I wanted to say that while I’m scared and a little angry, I’m very hopeful. I will win this fight. I want us to laugh our way through this together. We're in this together after all, aren't we?

The happiest of Thanksgiving to all of you. This year, I’m thankful for Thyroid cancer, thankful that I didn’t get some kind of other, less manageable cancer.