With or Without My Thyroid!

[GPC0321]

Everything is set and ready for the little summertime trip to celebrate the end of another school year (teacher here!) and my best friend's 44th birthday.

Well, almost everything. Resort, flights, ADRs, FastPasses, and Magical Express are all booked. The dogs have a reservation at the "pet spa" here at home. My Disney gift card is loaded with all of the spending and dining money I should require while down at my favorite place on earth.

But there is the large nodule on the left lobe of my thyroid! It was discovered a month ago, and a CT scan confirmed that the lobe is enlarged and covered with a "complex nodule". It's pretty huge! It's easy to see just looking at me (someone else noticed it before I did), and it is pushing against some important things (trachea, esophagus, jugular, carotid). Some days I really don't notice it at all, some days (seems worse when allergies are kicking up) it's a nagging and slightly uncomfortable presence. I go May 1st to get a fine needle aspiration biopsy to determine if the growth is benign or malignant. If benign, only the left lobe of my thyroid has to come out. If malignant, the whole thing and possibly some lymph nodes will have to be removed. It'll be at least a week after the biopsy before I get the results, then another appointment with the surgeon to discuss the results and the next step.

It feels like this is taking FOREVER, and all I want to do is get it over with so I can recover and be on my way to WDW without stitches and/or a totally screwed up thyroid (it's functioning fine right now).

My resort reservation is non-refundable (rented DVC points with no trip insurance). So, I'm not really excited about the idea of tossing over $900 out the window and canceling the trip. Obviously, if they can go ahead and do the surgery ASAP, that's the best case scenario. Otherwise, I'm very tempted to tell them they'll have to wait until I get back from the trip, which would basically put the surgery at the beginning of July. Naturally, if my life is endangered by waiting, I'll let the $900+ go!

So, just hoping that the scheduling for this surgery and recovery all work out!

The trip in question is just three nights at Kidani. Only two park days, one at Magic Kingdom and one at Epcot. We plan to take it easy around the pool and resort the first half of the day and spend the evenings until closing at the parks. Dining reservations set at Sanaa, Boma, and Via Napoli (have never eaten at any of them). FastPasses for Mine Train, Splash, Big Thunder at MK and Frozen, Spaceship Earth, and I think Living with the Land (LOL..whatever) at Epcot. Planning to score 4th, 5th, 6th, etc. at MK on that day/evening, and would like one for IllumiNations at Epcot for our evening there (I loooooove IllumiNations and have always watched it from the FastPass area).

Our flight home is fairly late in the day (after 5pm), so we'll enjoy the resort that morning (breakfast at Boma!), probably raid the gift shop for last minute spending frenzy, and just enjoy it all before heading home.

It's a lovely little trip. Fingers crossed that my thyroid and my doctors cooperate so that I can enjoy it!

 

[1911]

I hope you get good news from the tests.cancer is nothing to trifled with,if it turns out to be such get it taken care of asap!

 

[GPC0321]

I hope you get good news from the tests.cancer is nothing to trifled with,if it turns out to be such get it taken care of asap!

Thank you, and absolutely!

 

[1911]

it's kind of funny (not ha ha/lol)
I recently had a scare about cancer.2 months ago I had some mri's done and the radiologist called out osteo metastasis (bone cancer) and recommended a whole body nuclear bone scan.It took almost a month from getting the appointment,having the scan done and getting the results,which were thankfully negative.
That whole time besides worrying about it being cancer, the only other thing I was worried about was how this was going to possibly ruin our upcoming trip.so I can relate to your position.

 

[GPC0321]

Well, the biopsy has been done, and today the results came back...inconclusive! Gah! So they are sending the sample for further testing in California to get better results. My doc says the right side of my thyroid is "perfect" right now, and there is no need to take it out if cancer is not present. He also said if cancer IS present, he needs to know that in case he needs to clear out any lymph nodes in the area.

So, it'll be another 3-4 weeks before the results come back from California, and then I'll meet with the doctor to discuss what he's going to do.

But most importantly! I informed him of my trip at the end of June and asked if it would be okay to postpone whatever surgery I have on the horizon until afterward. He said no problem! Woo Hoo!

I'm actually relieved. It's not bothering me at all, and I'm a teacher, so closing out the year is a hectic time anyway. This way I can finish out the school year, head to Disney for a few days with my BFF, then come back and have the surgery. Then I'll have plenty of time to recover over the summer.

Now to start getting excited about the trip! I can't believe I'll be there next month! That reality hasn't really hit me yet! I've been so preoccupied with the thyroid thing and school! I'm finally starting to feel like WDW is actually on the horizon! This is my quickest return to the World yet. I was just there in December, and now I'm already going back just 6 months later! Eeek!

 

[Deanie1]

I am keeping my fingers crossed. Go and have a great time at WDW! Kid ani would be fabulous to stay at.

 

[Toolulu22]

I'm glad you are able to go on your trip and not worry about your health. I have several nodules on my thyroid and have them monitored with sonograms every year. Once they get too big, they get concerned- as is what probably happened in your case. All the best, I hope nothing shows in the tests and they are being overly cautious.

 

[kittylady1972]

I had to check out this report just because of the title!

So back in 2003 or so, my OB/GYN of all things noticed a nodule on my thyroid during one of my routine exams...I was pregnant with baby 3 at the time. We just monitored it for a while, and eventually I went to a specialist. I know we did a scan and some kind of injection at some point, but determined once it continued to grow it should be removed. I had a partial thyrodectomy in December of 2005. My remaining half of my thryoid continues to function normally and has been ever since that surgery.

The surgery and recovery wasn't bad at all. Wishing you all the best.

We actually head to Disney this month also...just me and my oldest son...after just returning from our very first Easter trip to WDW...and last Easter trip to WDW for sure!