Answered Prayers

Today was my appointment with Dr. Hinni at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. I found out lots of good news and answers to many questions and prayers. First, the medullary cancer that I have is "sporadic" rather than "familial". What this means is that it's just a strange cell mutation and not anything genetic, therefore, my children do not have to be tested with the possibility of having their thyroids removed! Next, Dr. Hinni was amazing! He talked to us for nearly an hour answering questions and giving explanations. He seemed confident, but not arrogant. We agreed that there are several factors that lead us to believe that we caught it early. Even though my calcitonin level is high, it's not extremely high which would indicate that the cancer has probably not spread. He also said that the size is smaller than most that they see, which is another good indication that it's contained along with no sign of enlarged lymph nodes on the CT Scan that was done last month! Great news!

What's next? Pre-op testing, then surgery on January 28. He said that I'll be in the hospital for 1-2 days and then at home "with a stack of movies and a remote control" for about 4 days, but not bed-bound. 10 days to 2 weeks for recovery and usually not much pain. I will be seeing an endocrinologist there who will keep my thyroid levels and calcium levels where they need to be.
As far as surgery, he will remove the whole thyroid and the plan is to do a neck dissection, which will include removing the first "level" of lymph nodes in the center of my neck, along with nodes on the left. They will test the lymph nodes while in the operating room to make sure they have a good boundry without cancer. The main risks are to the nerve that controls the vocal chords and damage to the parathyroid, although these risks are rare.

I'm feeling very good about the visit and the upcoming surgery. Thank you again for your prayers. They're being answered!