October 2008 Archives

On the heels of my recent post listing things you hope not to hear at the dentist's office comes the following list of things you don't want to hear when you take your computer in for service:

Having just had a dentist appointment last week for the usual 6-month checkup, I was inspired to write the following list of things you hope you don't hear at the dentist's office:

• "Hmmmm... these x-rays look a little odd.  Oh wait, I had them upside down..."
• "You do have good dental insurance, don't you?"
• "I am so hung-over...."
• "I wish I could afford a new drill bit. This one is just so dull and rusty..."
• "What do you mean we're out of novocaine?"
• "Sure, I'm planning to use gas.... just not on you."
• "Have I ever told you how much I enjoy garlic and onion sandwiches?"
• "Sterilization? That's for wimps."
• "New Mercedes, here I come..."
• "When you wake up, you may find some of your clothing missing. That's completely normal."
• "Mind if I film this session for a medical journal?"
• "Hope your day's going better than mine. My spouse just left me for someone who looks.... like YOU!"
• "Let's have a look at those teeth... Cha-ching!"
• "License to practice? What's that?"
• "Front desk? You'd better cancel my other appointments for today."
• "This is a self-serve dentist.  Just let me know when you're finished."
  

Feel free to add your own items to the comments or post a similar list on your blog...

Yesterday, I met with the surgeon who removed my thyroid to discuss the pathology report and next steps in treatment of my cancer.  He has referred me to an endocrinologist, who will administer the radioactive iodine and start me on replacement thyroid hormone.  I've been feeling really run down the last few days and in a moderate amount of pain, which is probably the fibromyalgia acting up.

The pathology report showed that the cancer didn't appear to extend beyond my thyroid, which means that the radioactive iodine should get any remaining cancer or thyroid cells.

The surgery is only a memory now, and will be a week ago tomorrow.  I just spent my first full day back at the office, and it was a fairly busy one.

The steri-strips over my incision are starting to come loose and are expected to fall off of their own accord in the next day or two.  The little bit of the incision that's already visible doesn't look too bad.

I'm not feeling too bad. I got a little tired late in the day at work, but walk and some decaf coffee perked me up enough to get through the rest of it.  There is a small amount of pain left in my throat, and the incision area itself occasionally burns a little, but I haven't had to touch the prescription painkillers for days.

There are lots of doctor visits in my immediate future... follow-up about the surgery, planning for the radioactive iodine treatment, working out a dose of synthetic thyroid hormone, and whatever else might arise in the meantime.  Still, I'm happy to have the cancer out of my system and to continue on.

Tuesday morning, I underwent surgery to remove my thyroid and the cancer it contained.  It took over three hours for the surgeons to do their job.  Afterward, they told me that it appears the cancer didn't spread beyond the thyroid, which is extremely good news.  If they missed any, the radioactive iodine I'll be drinking in a few weeks should take care of that.

I spent Tuesday night in the hospital, where they monitored my calcium levels and other vital signs to ensure that the surgery went well.  Although the hospital staff was very attentive and treated me very well, it was still a fairly unpleasant night.  Every time I tried to fall asleep, my mouth and throat would dry out and wake me up.  I'm pretty sure I saw every hour pass from 3pm when they put me in the hospital room until about noon Wednesday when they released me.  When I got home yesterday, I took a couple of pain medication pills and a nap on the couch.

In terms of recuperation, I've been asked to sleep with my head raised up so that any swelling caused by the surgery will be carried down to my chest rather than remaining in my neck.  That makes sleeping comfortably a little difficult, but not impossible.

Today, I was allowed to shower as long as I didn't get the surgery area on my neck too wet and didn't attempt to scrub or dry it.  That probably did as much to help me feel better as the pain medication.

All things considered, I actually don't feel too bad.  The surgery site looks like something from one of Dr. Frankenstein's experiments.  It's stitched up and covered with "steri strips" (tape-like stuff).  The steri strips are a bit bloody-looking, which contributes to the Frankenstein look.

My throat is still a bit raw and sore from having a tube stuck down it during the surgery.  That's probably the majority of the pain I'm feeling right now.  The surgery site doesn't hurt much, unless I put stress on it by moving my neck too much in any one direction.

All that prevents me from returning to work at this point is all the paperwork.  Unfortunately, it looks like I may have left that on my desk Monday.  Hopefully, my wife will be able to get that sorted out for me tomorrow.