Hello Everyone. I wanted to let you all know what is going on and some of you I just don't talk to regularly enough. I wanted to do a bulk request for all of your prayers and positive vibes, as I received some scary news today.
As many of you know, I've been experiencing protrusion and swelling in my eyes for the past year and a half or so. Doctors initially thought it was thyroid related, but all of the blood tests said otherwise. Then they thought it was allergies, but the test didn't really reveal anything either, and the symptoms didn't add up. This summer the doctors found a lump in my breast, and I subsequently had a biopsy, which thankfully revealed that the mass was benign. However, the pathologist noted that there was something unusual in the tissue, possibly pointing to some sort of autoimmune problem, and I was referred me back to my primary care physician. After more blood tests and consultations with the rheumatologist and endocrinologist who all agreed that they didn't believe this was a thyroid issue, she referred me back to the ophthalmologist I had seen a year ago.
I went to see him last Friday, and he took some measurements. My eyeballs were protruding 3mm more than they had been last September. He thought that there was a good chance it could be Thyroid Eye Disease, and he said it was not unusual to have this despite normal thyroid levels in the blood. He said this was an easy diagnosis, we just needed a CT scan. So I went in this past Monday for the scan. I was told I'd hear back in a day or two. The doctor called me an hour and a half later. He said it was clearly not what he had thought, and that there was definite abnormal inflammation behind my eyeballs, and told me he wanted me to have further blood tests and an MRI. I went in for blood tests on Tuesday, and scheduled the MRI for Thursday. Before going in for my MRI, my doctor called me to tell me that he spoke with another doctor on his team who was a specialist in oculoplastics and orbital abnormalities, and he wanted me to see him. He also mentioned the possibility of doing a biopsy on my eye, going in with a needle through the crease of my upper eyelid to obtain a tissue sample. They scheduled me to get in to see him the next day (which was today).
The news was not so great after this meeting. :-( It turned out that after looking at my MRI, the tissue where the inflammation (or tumor) is, is too difficult to reach with a needle. Instead, they have to do a procedure called a "lateral orbitotomy" where they make an incision in the side of my eyelid, and remove a piece of bone so that they can obtain the tissue sample to send to pathology, then they replace the bone and stitch up the incision. I am scheduled to go in for surgery this Monday. The recovery will take about a week, so I will be off work.
The scarier thing is, the doctor basically said that this inflammation could be 2 things: 1. inflammation or 2. cancer (probably lymphoma, non-Hodgekins). Though he didn't come out and say he thinks I have cancer, based on his exam, his hunch was that most likely it is NOT inflammation, because I wasn't experiencing the other symptoms more commonly associated with inflammation (pain, double vision etc.) But he said not to jump the gun yet. Let's see what the tissue sample reveals. Needless to say I am pretty much completely terrified, but trying to think positive. It sounds like if it is cancer, it is treatable. Anyway, I will just wait and see what the diagnosis is. This is all very scary and surreal.
The good news is, I am blessed with an unbelievably wonderful network of support through my amazing husband and family, friends and colleagues. I know I will get through this, but I really, truly believe in the power of prayer and positive thinking, and this is why I am writing to you, my dear friends and family. I just want to request your prayers and good thoughts for a successful procedure, a quick recovery, and a favorable result of the biopsy. If it is indeed cancer, than please pray for me to get through this as best as I possibly can. I am not trying to be secretive about any of this (though I'm not quite sure yet what to tell my students and their families), but like I said, I think there is great power in numbers, and I am so incredibly thankful to have all the support and well wishes that I can get.
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