Journal pythorlh's Journal: I'm Back... 1

Thyroid Surgery was yesterday. I came home today. The good news: They only did a partial thyroidextomy. Hopefully this means that I will not need to be on a lifetime supply of thyroid replacement hormones. More good news: The surgeon is inconceivably skillfull. I've seen my wife come out of surgery. Even laprascopic surgery, and she's feeling miserable for days. I have an 8 inch incision across my throat, and I've had bruised muscles that felt worse. According to the nurses, there was a total of 5cc of blood loss for the entire surgery. For the metrically dis-inclined, thats a teaspoon. If anyone in New York state needs this surgery done, I heartily recommend Dr. Robinson at Albany Medical Center. You may have to wait a few extra weeks, like I did. I find that it was well worth it.

And finally, the bad news: The biopsy was still indeterminate. This means that they have to have a full lab work up, which will take a week or more, before they can tell me if I have cancer. Which also means, if I DO have cancer, I will be going through this again in a few months to remove the other half of my thyroid. I think I can live with that for now.

So, if anyone wanted to know, I'm back home, and I'm not feeling all that bad. It hurts to swallow, and sometimes to talk. But I've definitely felt worse from lesser injuries. Now, I have three weeks away from work to recover, and I doubt I'll need half that. So, I get to have a sort-of vacation, under doctor's orders. Not such a bad deal

Of course, with my luck, this will probably mean I DO have cancer, and this isn't over yet. I just don't get unqualified good luck in my life. But, I remain (foolishly) optomistic. You have to take the crookeds with the straights. (Bonus to anyone who can tell me what show that line is from. I remember it from a play staring John Amos, the father from "Good Times," in a small theater in Albany, NY, when I was in high school. Is there a small theatre equivalent of IMDD?)