A full plate

I don't like to use the term "full plate" very often, letting others know that I am feeling overwhelmed and extremely frazzled. But, in all honesty, I can't think of a better term to sum up my current state of mind and being. Now don't get me wrong, I know that our Heavenly Father does not give us more than we can handle, and I absolutely know how blessed our family has been, but I'm just saying that right now things are a little...umm...crazy, and I could sure use a breather or two.

With moving to a new town (we still have boxes everywhere), Beck's constant GI tract ups and downs (well, I should say downs because that is the direction all of his pukes and poops go), his unknown cause of what is happening inside his body, Nate's huge graduate school work load, his crazy work schedule (he is working in both Des Moines and Iowa City because he has to work in Des Moines until his insurance kicks in at his new job here), me being 7 months pregnant, Gwen being tugged back and forth between everything (she is amazing through it all!), and on and on and on, we were definitely feeling the pull and pressure of everything. But now, something new has been added, giving us that nudge into the "full plate" zone. I have hesitated about sharing this with the "blogging world," mainly because I am a pretty private person when it comes to my own health, but I know that I have many friends and family out there that would be a little perturbed if I left them in the dark. So, with that said, here goes.

About 3 weeks ago, I found a lump in my neck. It was large enough that it could be seen with the naked eye and it was hard to the touch. After finding it, I immediately found a doctor (we still did not have a family doctor because of just moving here) and made an appointment. Once there, the doctor felt the lump and sent me for labs and scheduled an ultrasound. The labs came back showing that I have Hypothyroidism, and the ultrasound showed that I not only have one lump, but multiple nodules on my thyroid. The small nodules are not overly concerning because 60% of the population have nodules on their thyroid, but the large one was very concerning, so a biopsy was scheduled. After the biopsy (which was surprisingly painful to have a needle jabbed into your neck over and over again), my results showed that my lump is a tumor, a carcinoma, but whether it is cancerous could not be determined. What was determined is that it HAS to come out ASAP, and this is not the best scenario with me being pregnant and having a life inside me that lives off my body. But after visiting with my OB yesterday, it was determined that this is a "must" situation, and it is worth the risks to the baby (which they think will be very small) and myself. One ironic thing is that for both the ultrasound and the biopsy, I was already in the hospital with Beck. So instead of having to drive downtown, I only had to walk across the hall. Nice (ha ha).

The surgery is scheduled for next week, and the results of whether the tumor is cancerous will be determined once it is removed. So, basically, that is where we are at. And to say that I am not frightened would be a HUGE understatement. If you could send a few prayers this way (not only for myself, but for all of us) they would sure be appreciated.

Thanks, and lots of love!
-Kim