I guess I should have mentioned that pathology came back on the removed portion of my thyroid as positive for cancer...so you see, when the endocrinologist called the other day to tell me that the right side was clear...I felt a huge wave of relief. I mean HUGE.
The cancer was very small and did not appear to have broken through the cell walls, but there is still fear that it could have spread into the other side. But it didn't.
I've spent many, many months wishing that I had never felt that lump. Thinking that if I hadn't noticed it, life would be normal. But then it was cancer. Look, I can play the "what if" game till I'm blue in the face...what if I didn't feel it and it grew over the years...what if my thyroid started failing because of it...but I felt it when it was small. My thyroid was still functioning, it was removed before anything could spread and now I have half a thyroid that works.
Did I mention that the endocrinologist called again today?
The right side is totally compensating for the left. No need for medication.
No need to worry for the time being. I will put it all out of my head until January when I'll get blood work and an ultra sound to confirm that all is still well.
California living is pretty great right now. Hazel and I rode our bikes to the bank and to lunch. August is out walking the dogs to a coffee shop. Trey went for a run this morning. I feel like we are outside more here. Once we get patio furniture we'll be able to eat outside...can't wait.
A Many Family Blog
7/30/13
7/29/13
News You Can Use
Hi folks,
So recovery is complete. I was able to get a little running in today and have been going to Pure Barre in an effort to get back into a workout routine.
Last week I saw a primary doctor here and was set up for blood work to check on the workings of my remaining thyroid. She also set me up with an endocrinologist. Kaiser works quicker than Group Health and I was able to see the primary doc and the endo all in the same week. The endo set me up with an ultra-sound to check the right side of my thyroid to see if there are any nodules. It is my understanding that if they found anything they would suggest removal. He also had me do a chest x-ray and blood work. That all happened on Wednesday of last week.
Today I received a call from the endo office. It has been the first good news I've heard since March. The right side is clear. Nothing to worry about.
We are still waiting on the blood work to verify that the right side is compensating for the missing left.
If I understand it all correctly, I will get to know my endocrinologist very well for the next 3 years. He will monitor my right thyroid for nodules every 6 months. If it remains clear for 3 years I can cut it down to one check up a year.
Our insurance will be changing on September 1st, with it will come other doctors with differing opinions. My surgeon in Seattle suggested removal but noted that I'd receive many other suggestions depending on the doc. For now, I'm good with holding off. As I said before, surgery wasn't the most difficult part, the recovery was...and the scar...the scar kind of sucks.
But it's all good. The weather here is amazing. The kids and I went for a bike ride into the center of South Pasadena and met up with Scott, Amy, Audrey and one of her little friends. Trey is coming home from a trip this evening and all is well.
So recovery is complete. I was able to get a little running in today and have been going to Pure Barre in an effort to get back into a workout routine.
Last week I saw a primary doctor here and was set up for blood work to check on the workings of my remaining thyroid. She also set me up with an endocrinologist. Kaiser works quicker than Group Health and I was able to see the primary doc and the endo all in the same week. The endo set me up with an ultra-sound to check the right side of my thyroid to see if there are any nodules. It is my understanding that if they found anything they would suggest removal. He also had me do a chest x-ray and blood work. That all happened on Wednesday of last week.
Today I received a call from the endo office. It has been the first good news I've heard since March. The right side is clear. Nothing to worry about.
We are still waiting on the blood work to verify that the right side is compensating for the missing left.
If I understand it all correctly, I will get to know my endocrinologist very well for the next 3 years. He will monitor my right thyroid for nodules every 6 months. If it remains clear for 3 years I can cut it down to one check up a year.
Our insurance will be changing on September 1st, with it will come other doctors with differing opinions. My surgeon in Seattle suggested removal but noted that I'd receive many other suggestions depending on the doc. For now, I'm good with holding off. As I said before, surgery wasn't the most difficult part, the recovery was...and the scar...the scar kind of sucks.
But it's all good. The weather here is amazing. The kids and I went for a bike ride into the center of South Pasadena and met up with Scott, Amy, Audrey and one of her little friends. Trey is coming home from a trip this evening and all is well.
6/17/13
6/16/13
Calm Body, Calm Mind
I've been breathing these words every day.
Breath in- calm body
Breath out- calm mind
Hoping beyond hope that it will sink in and keep me together.
I make the call tomorrow to get the time of my surgery. Tomorrow night Amy and the kids come over for the week. Tomorrow is my last day at work. Tomorrow the kids start PE camp. Tomorrow we go see the Superman movie.
Tuesday is the surgery.
I don't know what to expect as far as how I will feel after the operation. My dear friend Deborah has told me over and over again that the actual procedure will be easy. I'll go it and take a nice nap. She has had several operations in her life. She also said that I shouldn't be afraid to take the pain medication.
That nurse I spoke with over the phone said that I should give names to my fears.
I'm afraid that I will have a panic attack on the way to the hospital.
I'm afraid that my blood pressure will be too high when we get there.
I'm afraid that Trey won't be able to be in the room with me before they take me to the O.R.
I'm afraid that he won't be there when I wake up.
I'm afraid that something will go wrong.
I'm afraid that I will be a weeping baby.
I want this to be over so, so badly.
Breath in- calm body
Breath out- calm mind
Hoping beyond hope that it will sink in and keep me together.
I make the call tomorrow to get the time of my surgery. Tomorrow night Amy and the kids come over for the week. Tomorrow is my last day at work. Tomorrow the kids start PE camp. Tomorrow we go see the Superman movie.
Tuesday is the surgery.
I don't know what to expect as far as how I will feel after the operation. My dear friend Deborah has told me over and over again that the actual procedure will be easy. I'll go it and take a nice nap. She has had several operations in her life. She also said that I shouldn't be afraid to take the pain medication.
That nurse I spoke with over the phone said that I should give names to my fears.
I'm afraid that I will have a panic attack on the way to the hospital.
I'm afraid that my blood pressure will be too high when we get there.
I'm afraid that Trey won't be able to be in the room with me before they take me to the O.R.
I'm afraid that he won't be there when I wake up.
I'm afraid that something will go wrong.
I'm afraid that I will be a weeping baby.
I want this to be over so, so badly.
6/6/13
Getting Closer
I took Monday and Tuesday off this week. I did it because I had a phone appointment with a nurse to do a "teaching" about my surgery on Monday and then a pre operation physical with my primary doctor on Tuesday. Honestly, I didn't need to take the time off, both were scheduled for the mornings but I had the sick time and went ahead and did it.
So. Glad. I. Did.
The phone appointment had me in tears during the conversation. She was quite lovely, I was quite overwhelmed with all the information she was giving me.
The surgery should take 3 hours but I'll probably be in the hospital closer to 6 with pre and post junk. She started to go into detail about moving the muscles in my neck to access the thyroid...I had to ask her to stop. It was causing me to panic a bit...I started crying. Poor gal...she was just trying to educate me. She was under the impression that the more I knew about the operation, the more calm I would be...knowledge is power... Except that's not so true for me. I'd rather be in the dark. Put that IV in and make me take a nice little nap.
Needless to say, I was a wreck all day on Monday and was quite worked up about meeting with my doctor the next day.
So Tuesday rolls along and my appointment is first thing in the morning. I was worked up because I wanted to ask my lovely doctor if she could prescribe some calming drugs for the days leading up to the procedure. Asking for drugs makes me nervous. I've watched too many medical dramas and think that if I ask for them she will think I'm a junkie.
Well she didn't think that. In fact she was rather helpful. Gave me 2 prescriptions, one for sleep and one for calm. I haven't had to take any yet...just knowing they are available is helpful.
We talked through the biopsy, she agreed that it sounded like a terrible procedure. I felt validated.
It won't surprise you to learn that I cried again. She was understanding.
And I wasn't AS upset after that appointment, but having these things one right after the other really made all my fears come back to the surface.
I'm again in the mode of trying to stay busy. This week I signed up for three classes at Barre3 up the road. I'm continuing bootcamp with my old personal trainer and I'm running the lake when I can. Work is wrapping up, which brings other emotions to the surface, but it's keeping me busy.
The house sold. We had several families bidding for it. I'm happy with the family who purchased it. They will fit in with our neighbors just right.
Lots of changes. Lots of lasts. Lots to look forward to...after the 18th.
So. Glad. I. Did.
The phone appointment had me in tears during the conversation. She was quite lovely, I was quite overwhelmed with all the information she was giving me.
The surgery should take 3 hours but I'll probably be in the hospital closer to 6 with pre and post junk. She started to go into detail about moving the muscles in my neck to access the thyroid...I had to ask her to stop. It was causing me to panic a bit...I started crying. Poor gal...she was just trying to educate me. She was under the impression that the more I knew about the operation, the more calm I would be...knowledge is power... Except that's not so true for me. I'd rather be in the dark. Put that IV in and make me take a nice little nap.
Needless to say, I was a wreck all day on Monday and was quite worked up about meeting with my doctor the next day.
So Tuesday rolls along and my appointment is first thing in the morning. I was worked up because I wanted to ask my lovely doctor if she could prescribe some calming drugs for the days leading up to the procedure. Asking for drugs makes me nervous. I've watched too many medical dramas and think that if I ask for them she will think I'm a junkie.
Well she didn't think that. In fact she was rather helpful. Gave me 2 prescriptions, one for sleep and one for calm. I haven't had to take any yet...just knowing they are available is helpful.
We talked through the biopsy, she agreed that it sounded like a terrible procedure. I felt validated.
It won't surprise you to learn that I cried again. She was understanding.
And I wasn't AS upset after that appointment, but having these things one right after the other really made all my fears come back to the surface.
I'm again in the mode of trying to stay busy. This week I signed up for three classes at Barre3 up the road. I'm continuing bootcamp with my old personal trainer and I'm running the lake when I can. Work is wrapping up, which brings other emotions to the surface, but it's keeping me busy.
The house sold. We had several families bidding for it. I'm happy with the family who purchased it. They will fit in with our neighbors just right.
Lots of changes. Lots of lasts. Lots to look forward to...after the 18th.
4/28/13
And Now For Something Completely Different
Our Spring Break destination was California.
And it was an eventful break!
The kids and I flew out to Scott and Amy's place and lived life with them for a few days before Trey arrived to whisk us away to Disney Land. The sun was out, the breeze was cool and things were good.
I'm thrilled to report that August and Hazel still LOVE riding the rides and seeing the characters. They ran from one place to the next and were good sports all day long. I think being there was good for the boy. I think it helped him work through some of his uncertainty with the move.
We were able to see what life would be like on a daily basis while we were with the Reynolds as well as what a special day could be like at Disney.
Zane and Audrey were in school so we did a walk through at the school Hazel will be attending. Zane was a big man on campus as he led her around showing her the outdoor halls and the new library. Audrey is into roller derby and invited Hazel to come watch some of the practice. As a result, Hazel is now registered for their summer camp to see if it's something she might want to do when we get there.
We looked at a few houses during the trip and I am happy to report that we signed a lease! It's a three bedroom house about a mile away from the Reynolds. Both August and Hazel will be able to walk to school! And we can keep both dogs! We thought for a while that it would be impossible to find a lease that would accept dogs, but this one popped up last minute. We signed the lease on our way back to WA!!
The next step is to get our house sold. Trey is working on the front of the house right now, planting and refreshing. The kids have been working on purging what they don't need. I'm trying to wrap my mind around packing things up.
And it was an eventful break!
The kids and I flew out to Scott and Amy's place and lived life with them for a few days before Trey arrived to whisk us away to Disney Land. The sun was out, the breeze was cool and things were good.
I'm thrilled to report that August and Hazel still LOVE riding the rides and seeing the characters. They ran from one place to the next and were good sports all day long. I think being there was good for the boy. I think it helped him work through some of his uncertainty with the move.
We were able to see what life would be like on a daily basis while we were with the Reynolds as well as what a special day could be like at Disney.
Zane and Audrey were in school so we did a walk through at the school Hazel will be attending. Zane was a big man on campus as he led her around showing her the outdoor halls and the new library. Audrey is into roller derby and invited Hazel to come watch some of the practice. As a result, Hazel is now registered for their summer camp to see if it's something she might want to do when we get there.
We looked at a few houses during the trip and I am happy to report that we signed a lease! It's a three bedroom house about a mile away from the Reynolds. Both August and Hazel will be able to walk to school! And we can keep both dogs! We thought for a while that it would be impossible to find a lease that would accept dogs, but this one popped up last minute. We signed the lease on our way back to WA!!
The next step is to get our house sold. Trey is working on the front of the house right now, planting and refreshing. The kids have been working on purging what they don't need. I'm trying to wrap my mind around packing things up.
4/11/13
Chunk of time
Well, one chunk of time has almost past. It's Thursday, which officially means that tomorrow is Friday...which means that we're that much closer to our California visit. It also means that the end of the school year is rapidly approaching and that I have to be observed today.
I've never had much thought about being observed until this year. It's a whole new ballgame, one that I'm happy to drop out of. This will be my last year teaching. I was a substitute for seven years before I found a classroom position. Teaching has changed in those years and I find myself very frustrated with many of those changes.
During today's observation I will be working with my first graders as they learn the art of retelling the stories they read. We've been taking it part by part and reviewing each section weekly. We will focus on the "important events" in the story. Many of my students will simply state one thing that happened, but our Common Core State Standards demand that students are able to identify key details in the books they read...so I'm teaching them to expand on the stories. We'll use sentence frames and anchor charts to help internalize this practice. I will use Wemberly Worried to model how I retell the important events and will then read Edward the Emu to guide the students through their own written retell.
It's a fine lesson. Not spectacular. It'll get the job done...sadly, I'm more worried about what my observer will find wrong with the lesson than I am about the students success.
More things to worry about. I've been trying to manage the worry but going to the gym before work but life gets in the way...August had a dentist appointment yesterday so I didn't make it to the gym. It's amazing what skipping a day can do to me. I'm going today. I'm stressed about work, stressed about the dogs (we may have to find new homes for them, but that's another post at another time), stressed about getting everything together for California.
Sigh. Jennifer worried.
I've never had much thought about being observed until this year. It's a whole new ballgame, one that I'm happy to drop out of. This will be my last year teaching. I was a substitute for seven years before I found a classroom position. Teaching has changed in those years and I find myself very frustrated with many of those changes.
During today's observation I will be working with my first graders as they learn the art of retelling the stories they read. We've been taking it part by part and reviewing each section weekly. We will focus on the "important events" in the story. Many of my students will simply state one thing that happened, but our Common Core State Standards demand that students are able to identify key details in the books they read...so I'm teaching them to expand on the stories. We'll use sentence frames and anchor charts to help internalize this practice. I will use Wemberly Worried to model how I retell the important events and will then read Edward the Emu to guide the students through their own written retell.
It's a fine lesson. Not spectacular. It'll get the job done...sadly, I'm more worried about what my observer will find wrong with the lesson than I am about the students success.
More things to worry about. I've been trying to manage the worry but going to the gym before work but life gets in the way...August had a dentist appointment yesterday so I didn't make it to the gym. It's amazing what skipping a day can do to me. I'm going today. I'm stressed about work, stressed about the dogs (we may have to find new homes for them, but that's another post at another time), stressed about getting everything together for California.
Sigh. Jennifer worried.
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