A Little History... well, not SO little... Part 3

SO. I go to Vanderbilt YET AGAIN the following day to speak with a new doctor and possibly have an ultrasound. I went to several buildings (Vanderbilt is huge!) looking for this particular doctor. They took me in for the ultrasound and the doctor walked in and told me we weren't going to have an ultrasound today. He then proceeded to show me the scans of my thyroid and showed me how thick and black they were, and were almost completely "cold" on the scans. He said this is pretty much a determining factor for thyroid cancer, and that I needed to be on medicine, have radiation and then my thyroid needed to be removed. My mind went blank from this point on, and I couldn't tell you exactly what else was said on this particuar day.

I went home, alone, and quite upset. I wouldn't dare tell my husband at the time (now ex), because he tends to enjoy running his mouth and telling everyone he can think of, all of my business. So I went a while holding this devastating information inside.  I was deciding just what to do, and how to handle this - with nobody in my life knowing what was going on. Heck, I was fat and depressed anyway, so what would be different, right?

After radiation sessions, dosing of Thiamazole (methamazole) - and antagonist (beta blockers for my racing heart) with no improvement, I eventually made an appointment with my initial doctor, Dr. K, and discussed everything with her that I had been through as she looked over my chart (which had grown extensively by this point). She told me to get in there immediately and have the recommended surgery, a thyroidectomy.  Complete removal of my thyroid. She called Dr. C and got my appointment set up for the very next week, which was now the end of July, 2006.

I met with my surgeon, Dr. C, and he went over everything with me and did a workup on me for pre-surgery. I thought he was very nice, but I was so nervous, I don't think I asked everything that I should have. (my MISTAKE #3 ~ always write down questions for your doctor as you think of them before your appointment, and take them with you, so you don't forget what you need to ask!).

After this it was a complete and utter whirlwind. My surgery was scheduled with Dr. C for the beginning of August, 2006. I went home, swallowed hard, and told my now ex husband what was going on. He wasn't even mad that I had hid it from him. He proceeded to get on the phone right away with his ex wife, and tell her all about my "sad situation". I hate him for that. It is nobody's business what I am going through, much less his EX WIFE's??? I will leave him out of the rest of this because it only makes me angry to recall this time in my life. Guess that is one reason he is my EX, right?

to be continued (the surgery)...