Surgery #3

        Someone that has never had cancer does not understand the fear a cancer survivor has going into their next appointment. Friends and family can be there for you and tell you everything is going to be alright but, until they are in your position and have to lay down on the table to be examined for cancer, they will not truly understand that fear. 

     It was July 2014 and I was going home to visit family and of course to get checked to see if I was in remission. My trips home seemed to always be centered around going up to Cleveland Clinic and seeing if the cancer has returned. I can never just go home for leisure anymore, it is always a trip to the doctor that brings me back up north. My doctors appointment this time had been scheduled for a day before I was supposed to return back to Georgia. My dad and I once again headed up to Cleveland Clinic to see Dr. Shin. I had been offered a job at the school I was an athletic trainer for the previous year, to be a full-time teacher and was eager to get back and get started. My friend/gymnastics coach, Amy, was at the Cleveland Clinic going through her radiation to remove the rest of her thyroid cancer. We got lunch together and talked about how crazy it was that we both had thyroid cancer. It was then time for me to go to my appointment. We got there and Dr. Shin performed the ultrasound and just said "I'm Sorry." Of course I knew what that meant, the cancer was back and I would need another surgery. I was on a roll now, every 6 months I would need a surgery. I was beyond frustrated. Dr Shin had a opening for the following day for surgery. I jumped at the opportunity to have surgery quickly so that I could return to Georgia. I was missing TJ and just wanted him there with me. We drove home and called family and friends to inform them of the news. I was depressed and so frustrated, I just wanted to live my life cancer free.
      The next morning we drove back up to the Cleveland Clinic for my surgery. Dr. Shin had told me that the surgery would take a few hours. I was wheeled into the operating room and giving anesthesia.  I woke up in the recovery room and about five hours had passes sense I was taken in. I was confused, why had it taken so long? The nurse came in and told me that one of my blood vessels was clipped during the procedure and that that is why it had taken so long. Everything was okay now though and the bleeding was controlled. Dr. Shin told me that they had taken 6 lymph nodes out and sent them to pathology and I would need to return for my follow up appointment in one week and then I could return to Georgia.
     I returned a week later and the pathology report showed metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma tall cell variant in four of the six lymph nodes, the largest measuring 1.7cm in diameter. She told me that she would monitor me every three months instead of six months now. I would need to return in October during my fall break. At that time we would determine if I should have radiation.
     The cancer was gone for now but Dr. Shin told me this more then likely would not be my last surgery as tall cell variant was an aggressive cell type. Not the news I wanted to hear but I was good for now and ready to move on with my life. Until next time Ohio.