I’m Cancer Free

Well I finally got a hold of Dr. Strickland today. After not hearing anything for a week I decided to hunt her down and ask what the results of the test were. I had lost the phone number for the endocrinology clinic so I had to call the nurses hot line to get some information. I finally got through and the Airman that answered the phone asked what I wanted and I told her I had gotten an FNA done a week ago and I wanted to know the results, could I talk to Dr. Strickland? She took some information and then told me she would submit a consult and someone would get back to me within 72 hours. I said, “That’s nice” and hung up.

A couple of hours later Dr. Strickland called and said she was going to call me today. (yea, right!) She told me the results were back and they looked good. The nodule was benign (that’s good). Which is what I said. She agreed and read from the report,

Final Diagnosis:

Thyroid nodule, left, fine needle aspiration:  Benign.
Reactive Hurthle and follicular cells present in a background of colloid and macrophanges, consistent with hyperplasitc nodule with a cystic component.

That’s pathologist talk for – it’s ok.

So I stopped at the hospital on the way home and got a copy of the report to see if there was anything we could glean from it.

When I got home Terry was already there and she said let’s celebrate, ok, I said and we proceeded to open a bottle of Champaign and had a toast. We went out for dinner, even though I wouldn’t be able to taste much, it just seemed like the right thing to do.

So now what? Well, I continue seeing my doctors and following their directions. I continue healing, which may take some time. And we wait. If I make it 3 years without a recurrence that’s good, if I make it 5 years without a recurrence that’s great and I’m considered cured. I imagine there will always be some doubt and anything will set me on edge for quite some time. But hopefully that will pass with time.

I’m different now, I’m a survivor, and I will never be the same person I was before, mentally or physically. I will live differently (hopefully for the better) and I’ll have a different outlook on life. I want to put more emphasis on living not just doing. Quality is more important than quantity. I’m not going to start a bucket list of things I want to do before my time runs out. (I never really had the urge to jump out of a perfectly good airplane) My priorities have changed, the job isn’t as important as it once was. I’ll still give it 100%, but I’ll make time for others things as well. Terry took very good care of me and I want to return that favor, it’ll probably take a life time (and will probably involve some diamonds).

I’ll continue this blog for as long as people are interested. I’ve got a lot of healing yet to do, so there will be a lot of updates. Maybe I’ll consolidate the blogs, flush it out some, add more detail and turn it into something a little more readable.

I’d also like to find a way to give something back to all those who took care of me and for those that will need care in the future. I’ll be thinking about it. If you have any ideas I’d like to hear them.

Ok, this hasn’t been my longest update, but I think it’s one of the best. It’s been a very long nine months and this chapter isn’t over yet, but I think the worst is behind me. The future looks good.

Y’all take care.
Cheers,
Miller, out