Pain in the Neck

Exciting new news in medical land! I went in today for another check-up with my endocrenologist and ta-daa!! They've found another growth! I've got a 1.4 cm nodule on my thyroid gland that needs to be checked out now. Doc refered to it as a goiter, but my understanding is that that's a bit different than a separate growth. But maybe thats just splitting hairs. Or cells.

In any case, the paperwork is enroute to the insurance company, and once approval goes through, I get to have my very own biopsy. That's right! They're gonna slather some topical anisthetic on my neck and then JAM A NEEDLE INTO IT. And I'm guessing my the amount of pressing and digging the doctor did into my throat today to see if he could feel the growth probably means this isn't exactly floating conveniently near the surface for a quick in-and-out.

The 'good' news is that 1.4 cm is pretty small for these sorts of things, its small enough that the doctor couldn't feel it, and about 90-95% of the time these growths are non-cancerous. Again, he is just taking precautions, for which I am very grsteful. On the other hand, I still fell apart and cried all over poor Dr. Larry. He was very understanding, and tried to help me put it into perspective: initially when I came to him for help months ago, he assumed there would be much more wrong with me, considering my lab results. And yes, while several additional issues have floated to the surface and don't look pretty, they keep end up not being big, ugly issues (so far; fingers crossed!) And, he joked, we've basically run out of things to inspect! The endocrine system is only so big, you know!

Bless his heart.

Its not really even so much that. True, that part with te needle being JAMMED INTO MY NECK does not sound like fun and I really really really wish I did not have to do it. And I'm glad I have a super detail-oriented doctor who is on the lookout for all this stuff. But enough already! Fuck! Give a sister a break, would ya, universe?! Damn!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go stick my head in the sand for about a month...