Cancer

Last month I wrote this and today I am able to explain it all.

That post was all about my sister. She moved to San Diego California at the end of October. At the end of November she found an OB and had her yearly exam. Thankfully the OB she found is one that believes in checking her patients overall health not just the female parts. Part of that check up was to examine Steph's thyroid where she found a lump. She strongly urged Steph to see her family doctor about that which Steph did.

Last week Steph had her biopsy and the results came back yesterday. I just had to pause after typing that last sentence because I'm struggling right now to type the next one. My sister has cancer.

Yes I said it, my sister has thyroid CANCER.

When I got the call last night from Steph I knew the second I heard her shaky voice say Jo (her nickname for me) that it was bad news. She didn't actually tell me because I instantly started crying but I told her it would be ok. Even though Steph knows the medical side of this it was still hard for her to hear it as a patient this time. She was in complete panic mode. Not because she thought this was going to kill her but more because she knows that while this cancer is the least deadly it's still not an easy process. Her doctor also warned her that there could be a chance she will have to go through chemo and to her that was devastating. Of course Steph wasn't in the mood to talk much so I didn't ask to much just that she call me today. I spent the rest of the evening and all night just thinking about everything.

For me the word chemo brings back very vivid memories of my dad during his chemo treatments and after and he didn't make it. I had to keep telling myself that what Dad had was much worse that what Steph has and treatments are so much better now than they were 22 years ago.

As promised Steph called me this afternoon and I have more details. The first step will be surgery. As long as the Cancer has not spread farther than her lymph nodes, which they are pretty sure it's gone that far already, then she will only have to go through iodine and radiation treatments. If the cancer has spread more than she would have no choice but to do chemo. So please pray, cross fingers, whatever you do that she doesn't need chemo.

Right now that's is all we know. We are hoping to have a surgery date sometime next week but it will all depend on how quickly she can get in to see the general surgeon. When I have more information to share I promise I will.