Thyroid Half Full

Basically your thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland in your neck. It isn't very big. It weighs less than an ounce. But its pretty dang important. It plays a leading role in all sorts of bodily functions from metabolism to heart rate. If you already knew all this you are ahead of me.
I didn't know any of this until this summer. I mean I knew I had a thyroid and roughly where it was but I didn't really know what it did.
My thyroid had something hopefully yours doesn't. It's called a toxic nodule. In other words a big lump on the right side of my thyroid that was working way too hard and producing way too much thyroid hormone. It gave me this thing called hyperthyroidism. Which isn't good.
If you have hyperthyroidism or know some one who does you know it makes you loose weight. I know right? Doesn't seem like that big of a problem. But it is. Trust me. You also can't sleep at night. Your heart races and you feel anxious. And after awhile that overworking thyroid starts to make you so so so tired.
There are a few different ways you can go about fixing this hyperthyroid thing. But for me and my thyroid, surgery was the best option. Right-Hemi-Thyroidectomy. Which basically means taking the right wing off of the butterfly. And with it, my toxic nodule.
So yesterday that's exactly what we did.
The left side of my thyroid has a cold nodule. Which can be a tricky little thing. But right now isn't hurting me. So we will watch it like a hawk. The hope is to keep half of my thyroid in at least long enough to get some more little Robertson's here. Because lets get real, we make cute babies.
This whole process has been long and trying. I got my first concerning blood panel back at in May. I feel like ever since I have been in the doctor every other day. I haven't been but I felt like that.
In the beginning my doctor was positive. "It's probably nothing, but we should check to be sure." Then it would be something. I felt like things kept getting worse and worse. Pretty soon we had ruled out all of the easy fixes and it was time to test for the big ones. Every test I had came back with more questions and more concerns and with the outcome we didn't want. Every time it could have been better, it just got worse.
One test came back and I was told I had a 50% chance of having cancer. I don't. But it was scary.
Up until that point Parker and I had been dealing with most of this on our own. Just kind of shrugging it off saying it wasn't that big of a deal. But this was the point when it became to heavy to carry all on our own.
My whole family dropped what they were doing to come be with us. Parker and I were both given blessings. We all knelt together in family prayer. That night I went to bed feeling peaceful and hopeful for the first time in a long time.
That is when things changed. My biopsy came back clean. No thyroid cancer. From that point on we kept getting good news. The chance I could keep half of my thyroid. I was able to slip in and get an earlier surgery date than expected. More and more good news.
There is not a doubt in my mind that things started to turn around for us because of the prayers coming form our friends and families. My in-laws, my brothers and sisters, my parents, our friends, and the army of faithful children I am privileged to call my nieces and nephews. Those kids have so much faith. I am so glad I have them on my side. I know these prayers have been lifting me up and holding me together, even healing me. Because every time it could have been worse, it got better.
The love we have been shown is in a word, overwhelming. Everyone rallied for us. And I am so so grateful.
Yesterday I got to keep half of my thyroid. We didn't know for sure I could until they got in there and did another biopsy. When I woke up and Parker told me, I was filled to the brim with relief and gratitude. Half a thyroid is better than no thyroid.
It is going to be a bit of a battle to get healthy again. I should recovery from the surgery pretty quickly. But my half a thyroid needs to learn how to function like a whole thyroid. Which isn't going to feel very good.  It is going to be hard physically, mentally, and emotionally.
But I have been blessed so much all ready. I know it will all be okay.
To those of you have kept us in your prayers and on your hearts we can't thank you enough. I can't thank you enough.
 To my sisters and mom who have taken care of Jack and shuttled me from appointment to appointment, I would be so lost with out you.
And to Parker. ..There really are no words. You continue to be my safe place to land. My strength. Thank you for holding my hand just as tightly on the worst days as you do on the best. And for washing my hair in the sink this morning.
I never want to forget the outpouring of love we have received throughout this whole experience. So I'm putting it here.

 Time  with my sisters and mom after my surgery yesterday.

Snuggling my boy after not being with him all day. I am so glad there are so many people who love him. When I can't be with him, I know he is being taken care of.