Results

Today went really well. I did have a little cry when we were walking up that tunnel (pictured in a previous post). The last time I was there I was being wheeled down it, post surgery, newly without-cancer. The last time I'd walked up it, I thought I was going to my last needle biopsy before surgery so this little journey was fraught with heavy emotion. Randy folded me into his arms and said so confidently, "It's okay." I knew he knew it was, I trusted that, it felt just right. I was so, so glad he was with me. I had a moment to just cry for a second and I pulled myself together and we waited for my name to be called.

I laid on the ultrasound table and this fabulous tech- I can't remember his name, but he does all of the neck scans so he's VERY good - started my ultrasound. First I had to look to the left which meant I couldn't see the screen. I slept like crap last night so laying there with the regular click..click...click... of him snapping the photos (which meant that he wasn't seeing something scary because they were at regular intervals) and the hum of the machine, in the dark room, holding my husband's hand - I kept falling asleep. :) It was actually really nice to be so relaxed, and I was really reassured by how steadily forward things seemed to move as he scanned from my thyroid bed up behind my ear.

When I could finally watch the ultrasound it was interesting as ultrasounds are, but I'm not familiar with that anatomy so every little lump was an opportunity for him to start measuring- but he never did. They must have been lymph nodes, and boy, we have a lot of them! Guard those little suckers! He kept going and clicking and making comments to himself I couldn't hear but that didn't worry me, and I kept trying to watch, and kept nodding off... It took about 30 minutes or so I think. It didn't take long. When we finished he said, "I need to go look at the film but it all looks really good. I'll be right back." What I heard was, Your resolution is good, the quality of the film is good.

We waited a few minutes and he came back and explained that the radiologist would have to review it and then send results to my doctor but that we could find out probably in 2 days about the results, "...but like I said, everything looked really good."

Yeah!!! The tech probably was the person most qualified, next to the radiologist himself, to tell me that he didn't see anything worrisome. I normally wouldn't bank so much on a tech's opinion but this time he is probably the most expert person I could have asked for.

I left feeling happy and at ease- no traumas or difficulties today, thank you! While I was out getting groceries I got an email from my endocrinologist:

Hi Kristina,

The neck ultrasound results are back and it all looks good. The radiologist did not see any abnormal or suspicious appearing lymph nodes in the neck and no evidence of recurrent or residual disease from where the surgeon removed the thyroid. The results look good and the ultrasound can be rechecked in one year. Let me know of any questions about this.

Dr. S.

I had pulled over to get the email and as I eased back onto the road and came over the crest of a hill, there was a giant rainbow right there, smack! It was like the cherry on top. :)