Sunday, March 23, 2014

First Goiter - Nuclear Test Scan

On Friday I went into the lab. The technician aimed a white tube at my throat and took four pictures.

Then I laid on a bed and a device was lowered within inches of my face. Pictures were taken. Then something radioactive was pushed into my right warm. She moved my arm like a wing to get the radioactive item into my body and took more pictures. These pictures took 5 minutes each. After a while I got off the bed, she changed the lens (a large device the size of a suitcase). I laid back down and she took more pictures.

While the pictures were taken I laid very still. I found it easier to close my eyes and I probably could have fallen asleep. When done, I sat up on the bed. She called the doctor and I heard her say "Multi nodule goiter on the left side". I also noticed my pictures were on the computer screen. They were pixilated red and yellow pictures of my thyroid. I didn't notice anything particularly dark or bright, but I did notice on third of the left side was brighter than the opposite side. Not much brighter, but some.

I returned home and did internet searches attempting to find similar pictures but didn't really find anything similar.

I spent the weekend convincing myself there was nothing wrong. The odds were in my favor. I had read that over 95% of the time goiters are of no problem. And I know that if it is a problem, the survivability is over 98%. So the chance I need to be very concerned is less than 2% of less than 5% - a very small chance. That brought be comfort.

As always in these times we turn to God. On Saturday we took the family to see the movie God Is Not Dead, and on Sunday we spoke out parts of the service loudly to make sure God heard our voices.

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