Thyroid Cancer, Isolation, and a Healthier Bride

This is more a story about God's provision and protection then it is about thyroid cancer.  

Approximately 10 years ago my wife began dealing with a thyroid issue.  Did not seem to serious she simply had to take synthroid, a synthetic version of the hormone that a thyroid typically makes.  There have been some ups and downs over through the years but we seemed destined to simply fight for the care needed.  We fast forward to almost two years ago. She was going to a routine check up for her thyroid and the doctors were concern about the size and shape.  The concern was cancer.  They ordered ultrasounds and biopsies but did not peruse it further.

The summer of 2011 the Army moved me to Fort Leavenworth, KS to attend my next level of military education.  By this time De'Dee's thyroid had grown to the point that you could see it in her neck and it was begin to press on her throat and making it hard to breath and swallow.  Once we settled into our new home De'Dee went to the clinic to see if she can get some answers from new people.  With a little argument with the medical personnel she finally received a referral to a doctor off post.

In her first meeting with the doctor without the doctor even examining her and only looking at her records she recommended surgery.  No this was not a rash pass the patient off decision.  The doctor is quite good at what she does.  De'Dee had to do some lab tests and other examines to confirm what the doctor saw in her charts.

Once everything was confirmed De'Dee was referred to a surgeon.  Not just any surgeon but in my opinion one of the best in the area.  We met with him on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and requested the surgery be done as soon as possible.  The surgeon was going to be on call on Friday after Thanksgiving and suggested we do it then.  Perfect timing.  It was a four day weekend for me and De'Dee would be home and recovering before I had to go to school.  They removed the whole thyroid and the doctor did a beautiful job in the surgery to ensure that not only the thyroid was removed but the incision and the closing were a work of art.

Several days later we received the report from the lab concerning the thyroid.  It turns out that the doctors first impression almost two years ago and confirmed by the current doctor was accurate.  The thyroid was full of cancer.  As De'Dee's current doctor stated on her visit, "This should have been removed two years ago."

This is where we see God's hand of provision and protection.  We learned that the type of cancer, though the best to have for ease of treatment, was also the most aggressive type of cancer.  God protected De'Dee from the cancer spreading and contained it within the thyroid.  There was evidence that it was getting ready to spread further but God protected.

As far as God's provision that comes from the fact that he provided the right doctor at the right time.  Dr. Amanda Bell just set up her practice in the Kansas City area at the end of August 2011.  Just months after we first arrived to Fort Leavenworth.  Dr. Bell is not any doctor when writing her thesis her topic was on the specific type of cancer De'Dee had.  Add to this Dr. Bell is a former Army doctor.  This means she knew the TriCare insurance system and how to work the referrals in order to get De'Dee to not just the right people to care for her but get her to some of the best people.

This bring us to where we are currently.  On 10 January De'Dee took the final step in dealing with the thyroid cancer.  She took a radioactive iodine pill.  You see the thyroid is the only organ that process iodine.  Iodine is what it uses to produce the thyroid hormones we need for so many things.  After starving the thyroid of iodine for two weeks she took a iodine pill that was radioactive.  The thyroid tissues left, yes there are some tissues left because of the location they cannot remove it all it is too risky, suck up the iodine and the radioactivity kills the cancer.

Here is the catch.  For 10 days after she takes the pill she has to remain in isolation.  I can be no closer then 6 feet.  Cannot sleep with her or use the same latrine or shower as her.  So she is in the master bedroom for the 10 days.  We find it quite ironic that she is in solitary confinement on Fort Leavenworth (Fort Leavenworth is home of the military prison U.S. Disciplinary Barracks).

Humor aside I am proud of my bride.  She has endured dealing with this for a decade.  She has bravely endured the thought that it might be cancer for two years.  She now deals with life without human touch for 10 days.  She cannot even have the comfort of our dogs.  She is connected to the world by digits with her phone, iPad and laptop.  We have said that being a part during a deployment is easier.  What is a good feeling is after over 25 years of marriage I still desire to hold her, to simply be able to hold her hand.  The number of times I wanted to just enter the room over the last several days I cannot even count.

I have learned much about the thyroid over the last few years.  More over the last several months then ever before.  What I have been reminded the most about is that God cares.  His timing is perfect.  His ways are not our ways his ways are higher.  I have also been reminded that I have one of the greatest women in the world living in my home and I am honored to call her my wife.  Thanks to God's protection and provision I get to call her my wife for many years to come.

My Bride

Let me introduce you to my bride. She is a beautiful woman that I have been blessed to know since the 6th grade and the blessing was intensified when we started dating just before high school graduation and a little more than a year later we stood at the alter and said that no matter what we would stay beside each other until death do us part.

Things have been pretty good. In fact after 22 years of marriage we were cruising through life. I thought that after 22 years of marriage that I knew her very well. I want you to notice the key word in the last sentence, "thought". As they say that is what you get for thinking.

My world has been rocked recently. Let me first give background for what I think is where this change comes from. A little over a year ago we discovered, okay discovered would implied that we had an active part in this, actually the Army ordered me to Korea. Since I have been deployed to places like Kosovo and Iraq we decided to that she should come with me so we came to the "Land of the Morning Calm." Most Americans here refer to Korea as OINK (Only In Korea) or the "Land of the Almost, but not quite right."

After a year here in Korea and being on the downward slide of the tour I began to notice a change in this woman I call my wife, my friend, my ever present companion in life. Things that had been were no longer. There was this change that had over come my bride. She was herself but not quite. Now understand this is not a complaint it is just a statement.

I first noticed the change one evening as I was sitting surfing the net and she suddenly says to me from across the room if you were going to buy a motorcycle what kind would you get. I had to shake my head make sure that what I heard was from my wife's voice and I knew it was because I have known it for over 22 years. Once I awoke from my shock and was clear about the question I responded with a Harley of course. My bride in her loving way so no kidding what type of Harley?

You must understand that the last time I owned a motorcycle was about 24 years ago and my bride has been against motorcycles so I set that in the back of my mind and did not think of it as a serious thought to consider. So here I am being asked for specifics so with my bride on one computer and I on another the quest began. We settled on the best bike in style was the Dyna Fat Bob. I figured this was just a curious looking so I let it go.

A few days later my bride comes home and informs me that she had talked with the people at the AAFES car sales. That conversation has led to me ordering a motorcycle to be delivered upon our arrival in Junction City, Kansas.

The second piece of evidence of the change that has taken place in my wife is we have decided to purchase a home at our next duty station. I expected to look on line but not put an offer or commit to a home until we arrived in the Fort Riley area. Well we have since not only put one offer in but have countered and countered those offers. Not sure if we will make another while in Korea but even submitting the first ones without my bride seeing the home. For those who know my wife understand that she is a sensing person, thus she needs to see, touch, taste, smell, or hear it before she will normally purchase something. You can only imagine what it would take to purchase a home. See my blog on the home shopping adventure.

The final piece of evidence that Korea has affected my bride is the other night at church she ate something that typically is not allowed in our home. Let me rephrase she ate two serving of this item. The item I am talking about is broccoli.

So what do I make of this. I am not sure but as I have found throughout our 22 years of marriage I have only begun to know and discover who my bride is. It has been an exciting 22 years and I look forward to many more.