The "C" word

I have used my blog for various reasons over the last few years but usually it is just to document and show off the sweetest and cutest 2 kids ever.  I want to be able to one day look back and remember all the good times..........and now we will add the not so good times.  It is very hard for me to type it out but here goes--- I have cancer.  There, I said it.  I have said it repeatedly over the last 2 days.......it hasn't gotten any easier.

Rewind the clock 4 years ago when I was 30 weeks pregnant with Cohen.  I went to the hospital in preterm labor.  The labor was stopped and I was sent home on bed rest.  What they noticed was that my heart rate stayed elevated and it was discovered that I had hypothyroidism. After Cohen was born, I saw an endocrinologist who more specifically diagnosed me with Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroiditis. Since then I have had my TSH, T3, and T4 levels checked regularly and managed with medication.  She also likes monitor the anatomical makeup of the thyroid.  On October 1, I went for my annual ultrasound of my thyroid where a 9mm nodule was discovered on my Right lobe.  Nodules are very common in Hashimoto's and usually only of concern if greater than 1cm in size.  However this nodule was new so as a precautionary measure, the Dr wanted to perform a fine needle aspiration.  I had it done the following Wednesday and received the results Monday.  I had researched nodules and learned that 95% of nodules are NOT cancerous.  That means 19 out 20 are benign.  Can you see where I am going with this?  I am in the 5%.  I also learned the 4 types of thyroid cancers and knew that majority were very treatable.  What I did not research was the less than 1% chance of another type of cancer.  I bet you know what's next.  I am the 1 in a million (yes that says MILLION) that has Primary Thyroid Lymphoma.  This is a lymphoma that actually originates in the thyroid. 

Lots of things are unknown at this point.  I am very pleased with my endocrinologist and the team of drs that she has ready to treat me.  I am choosing to continue my treatment at UMC due to the fact of the extreme rarity and the little info out there on PTL.  I met with a surgeon yesterday who will remove the Right lobe of my thyroid Friday.  He will consider taking out the whole thing after looking at the complexity of the tissue.  Hashimoto's thyroids are usually very scarred and difficult to remove.  Clinically, surgery is not required but to get the most accurate biopsy more tissue is required.  He will also remove some lymph nodes to have tested to see if it has spread.  After the surgery, we will wait 5 days for pathology to test and determine the cell type to know what we are dealing with.  I will also be scanned from  "head to toe" to ensure it has not spread.  Of course we are hoping that it has not spread and that the cancer is contained to the thyroid. Chemo and radiation are the most effective with treating this cancer if even contained.  The staging will determine the frequency and intensity.  

Everything is very surreal right now.  Things have moved very fast and I know I have not processed everything.  I have time to do that.  I know it will hit me.  But what I do realize is that I am very fortunate to have a very thorough Dr (I had zero symptoms) and I  can also see that God has done a few things over the last few months to make some aspects of this easier to manage.  Tomorrow we are meeting the hematologist/oncologist who specializes in Lymphoma.  I am anxious to hear what she has planned and meet my new best friends for the next few months.  

I can say how appreciative and overwhelmed I am at the outpouring of support in such a short time.  I can tell that we will be well fed, have plenty of babysitters, and lots of love in the next few months :)