Fight starts!

UST Hospital

3rd and last opinion

I sought a 3rd and last Opinion. This time from another young Endocrinologist highly recommended by a family friend Doctor, who is also a resident of the hospital.

This young Endocrinologist recapped all the things my lady Doctor in Cebu mentioned. He concurred that the lump should be surgically removed immediately, to prevent the cancer cells from spreading. He also said, he will no longer recomend another Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy, since the two previous tests show consistencies.

It helped me a lot to hear what he said about my type of cancer. He said it is the most friendliest of all type, and chances of survival is very high while treatment is not as hard. He further said that *knock on wood* - "if (he was) given a chance to have cancer, (he) would easily pick this type".

That was it. I said to myself- Bring it on, I am ready! :-)

Admission
I was admitted from January 11, 2005 till January 19, 2005 at the UST Hospital.

The pre operative and final diagnosis is Papiliary Carsinoma- Thyroid Gland. Recommended procedure is Total Thyroidectomy and Radioactive Iodine treatment after.

I was scheduled to be operated on by a surgeon- another family friend.

This is it!

Total Thyroidectomy

I got prepped very early in the morning. After taking a shower, I took some oral meds and got shots which supposed to have brought me to slumberland. I felt groggy but I was still conscious. I even offered to walk and voluntarily lie down the stretcher that will bring me to the Operating Room. Nurses said I should be knocked out already at that point hehe

In the operating room, I was still a bit conscious, enough to hear the nurses rant hehe My sense of hearing was still sharp! hehe

When my anesthesiologist came, she called my name and told me that they were about to start. She placed some sort of an anesthesiology mask. After two short breathes, I was knocked out. I feel I was jabbed by Manny Pacquiao hehe

Recovery room

Approximately after three or four hours later, I woke up, in the recovery room. Still groggy, I was trying to take off my oxygen mask. I also started to check other parts of my body. I wanted to check if I was wearing a catheter and would've wished to have it taken out hehe

I was so thristy and hungry.

Back in the Room

After a while, they brought me back to my regular room where I saw my parents, my aunt, my brother, my bestfriend and other friends.

Although I was happy to see all of them and although they were just whispering, I can still hear them like buzzing bees, which really annoyed me. Sense of hearing was still so sharp I guess. I told my mom to politely ask them to leave first because I could'nt sleep properly which they gladly obeyed.

I think the moral lesson is: It's better for visitors to come on the second day after the operation. This gives the patient more time to rest :-)


Blood!

I asked my mom to check my back since I felt it was somewhat wet. She panicked for a while when I noticed that my back was drenched in blood. When the nurses came, they said it was natural since I was still "draining" my neck area.

Linens where changed and I felt comfortable again.

Lesson: Don't panic, call the nurse hehe


Aguaaaa

I still recalled that day when I first tasted water after the operation. I was really thirsty at that time. My mom said my surgeon has finally allowed me to sip small amounts of liquid. That's why she gave me a small straw and a glass half filled with water.

I will never forget that moment. I have never imagined that drinking water could be that painful, excruciating even. If I were to describe it, it was like a tiny drop of water falling down a barren desert. I hold my mom's hand each time i take the next few sips. I can't help tears from rolling down my eyes. But I continued until I could take more and more water.

When evening comes, I was eating a slice of chocolate cake already! :-)

Patience is really a virtue.



That was Day 1....