Uncharted Territory

What better name for our
first home together?! ;)

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I'm clearly a fool to have thought the wedding would be the start of a new, stress free life for me and my sweet husband. I haven't even fully moved everything into our cozy little Love Shack, much less begun to decorate for Christmas. Since I'm not one for beating around the bush, I guess I better just get straight to the nitty gritty and share with my sweet followers what this new journey Mr. K and I are embarking on (no, sadly, it's not a baby, all in due time my friends)... I have Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

Right after biopsy #1 in Jul

If you're an Instagram follower of mine then you may remember back in July I posted this picture of me in a hospital room following a Core Biopsy of a nodule in my thyroid.  It's EXTREMLY painful to swallow while an 18-inch hollowed out needle is in your neck, btw. When the doctor and nurses say, "Don't swallow," DON'T FREAKIN SWALLOW. :/ After that procedure, I scheduled an appointment with an endocrinologist. That appointment just happened to be the Monday of the wedding.

As compassionate as my doctor is, that appointment was just too much for a soon-to-be-wed lady and I left the office in tears. He was ordering a second biopsy, a fine needle aspiration, of the tissue in my thyroid nodule. Apparently there are 5 indicators that make him suspicious of the c-word and I had 4 of them. The second biopsy was scheduled for January. Almost immediately after the appointment, the office began calling, saying that I was on a cancellation list, that my doctor wanted me in sooner than January. RED FLAG

My second biopsy was last week on November 30, and while doing the biopsy Dr. Frieze didn't seem optimistic that the results would be good. He even noted two other suspicious looking lymph nodes while doing the ultrasound-guided-biopsy. RED FLAG

Right before biopsy #2 last week

I got the official phone call on Wednesday, although, I think Mr. K and my family and I pretty much all suspected what the results would be. Have no fear, friends and followers, thyroid cancer is not a death sentence. I will undergo no scary chemo treatments, no loss of my lovely golden locks, and no radiation. I may have to have some radioactive iodine treatments depending on how I respond to the surgery. Regardless of how positive of an outlook this cancer has, it's still that word cancer and it terrifies me that it's a label that now refers to me.

Speaking of surgery, I met with an ENT Surgeon on Friday and I'm having a Total Thyroidectomy on December 18. However, there are some unique aspects about my case so it could become a Central Neck Dissection if they get in there and find more sketchy looking lymph nodes. There are quite a few more risks associated with the dissection, so let's hope they don't have to do it, but my surgeon has my consent to do it if necessary. I want all of the cancer out! There will also have to be precautions taken because of my blood clots back in April that are still hanging around, I sound like I'm 90, don't I?!

I appreciate your prayers and positive vibes during this roller coaster journey. My newlywedded husband and I are quickly learning the ins and outs of our insurance policies and are dealing with this pretty well so far. I'm personally having a hard time right now seeing God's plan in this, that I've had to deal with the blood clots and this all in one year (not to mention the same year that I've gotten engaged and married), but I do have faith that He is in control and there is something to be learned from this trial. When I ask myself how much more I can handle, I just remind myself I'm not alone. I have my AWESOME husband and the best, most close-knit family to help me when I have doubts I can help myself. I am definitely blessed!

Anyone want to help me decorate my house for Christmas? I want something pretty to look at while I'm recuperating from surgery!