Well, the Smith's have been in a little bit of a limbo lately. That is why I didn't want to update. Also, I lost my camera. (yes, again) But now I have found it and I have decided that perhaps I'm ready to get things off my chest. But I'll do that at the end of this post. First, I've got to share some of my favorite photos from when Nicole, Cameron, Hudson and baby Leo came to visit and to have Leo's blessing.
Keldrie loved holding Leonard and helping with his bottles.
Keldrie, Hudson, and Russell had a ball the whole time!
And this is my favorite picture. Leo being held by his Great-Grandma Nicholas.
About the time that Leo and his family came to visit, I had first started to feel like some things were off with my health. I figured that it was most likely my thyroid, but after my first blood test, my iron levels came back super high. We spent a few weeks trying to diagnosis what had caused that, but after a second blood test came back normal, we were at a loss for what was wrong.
By this time, I was starting to feel pressure in my throat around my thyroid. Because of my history with my thyroid and the iodine radiation procedure from a few months ago, I already knew what this sort of thing felt like. Another doctor visit confirmed what I thought: I had more nodules growing on my thyroid, again. One on each side, actually. After an ultrasound confirmed the location, existence, and size of the thyroid, we decided I needed a biopsy.
The biopsy needed was called a fine-needle aspiration. Basically, the radiologist first numbs my neck, and then takes a very tiny needle and uses the ultrasound machine to guide the needle into my thyroid and then shakes the needle up and down to collect cell samples which are then sent to another lab to see if they can determine if there are any cancer cells among the ones collected.
The results came back a week later, and were about the most annoying thing ever: inconclusive. We knew that that was possible but it was so frustrating to have it happen. Basically, that means the samples were insufficient to diagnose. After all that, we went to an ENT to discuss our options. He talked to us about how we would just have to wait and see. The nodules don't look extremely dangerous and since they were too small to get a good sample with, we will just have to wait and see. We will go back in 3 to 6 months and check the growth and see what to do then. The nice thing about thyroid cancer is that it is almost always completely curable. It doesn't kill people my age. So although we have to wait and see, if something does get worse, we know it can be taken care of.
We are grateful to have this news that allows me to focus on feeling better for the time being. We have been greatly blessed during all of this. We have heath insurance. Matthew has been able to give me a handful of blessings as I have dealt with all of this. I have my testimony of the Gospel and I have a deeper understanding of the Atonement now. General Conference meant so much to me this year. Our children are healthy and growing well. It has been two very stressful months, and we are happy to have some of our questions settled. That is the nutshell version of what we've been up to!
Luckily, some of the stress is starting to leave and I am beginning to feel at least somewhat better.
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