The "C" Word...

At the beginning of March I took my son from the care of a pediatrician to my family doctor. I wasn't sure if the decision was the right one. But, now I know it was!
I took my son, Henry, in for a routine 3 year check up. I was expecting a height and weight check and a nice "see you next year"
Instead my doctor looked at me and said... "YOUR thyroid looks big, my I examine you?" I agreed... thought it was odd. I hadn't noticed anything. I have been gaining a lot of weight... After she felt my neck she suggested some blood work and an ultrasound to check out my goiter. I told her I had been totally exhausted lately and I wake up frequently in the night and find it hard to fall asleep... maybe my thyroid is out of sync.
When I got home I studied myself in the mirror... I didn't see anything! I couldn't feel anything! I told my Mom... "I just have a fat neck... its just fat! This is silly!"
A week later my tests results came back. All of my thyroid levels were smack in the middle of normal range. I heaved a sigh of relief. Then she said they did find I tested positive for the Epstein Barr virus which is caused by having Mono at some time in my life... and these little antibodies live in my body and never go away and they cause me to be tired all the time because my body is always trying to fight them off. Great. NOT! There is no cure. But she did want to order a sleep study to make sure there are no other issues before she gave me any type of sleeping pill to help me fall asleep and stay asleep. Nice. More tests.... Now, on to the results of the Thyroid ultrasound. It came back showing a solid nodule about the size of a marble. She warned me of the dangers and possibility of cancer and referred me to an Ear Nose and Throat doctor in town. He is the best in the area and had a 6 week waiting list... fine.
Meanwhile, I am nervous and irritable for the next 6 weeks but following through with my sleep study... (I also found out I have apnea too!)
I finally got in to my ENT and he did the routine exam, told me the dangers of cancer but told me not to worry... It probably wasn't... but we needed to make sure... BTW... the FNB was not a fun procedure!
My ENT called me back Tuesday morning. May 10, 2011
and informed me that my biopsy came back indicative of Papillary Carcinoma.
My heart stopped. My head spun. I felt like I couldn't swallow.

So, I now go back on Monday morning May 16th to discuss my surgery. He is talking about a total thyroidectomy.

My son's 3 year check up went great for him... but caught 3 new illnesses for me. Epstein Barr, Sleep Apnea, and Cancer.
Who knew that a routine exam for my son would turn out this way?

Now all I want to do is go to my family doctor and give her the biggest hug ever.

I can't believe how one routine exam for my son would be so life changing for me?