Boooooo

Finally had my FNA thyroid biopsy this past Monday. It sucked. Big time. From everything that I had heard, I expected the biopsy to be uncomfortable and a little bit painful, as well as to have a little swelling and tenderness afterward for about a day. I found this to be the answer to my questions about the process when asking people in real life, as well as when looking up the information online.

SO NOT THE CASE FOR JEN!

Ahhh. Instead, the actual procedure was very very uncomfortable, as well as very painful the entire time. I was in  holding back and then eventually in tears as the doctor inserted a needle and scraped around the right side of my thyroid gland three separate times. Super fun.

My neck was swollen like a tree trunk for about 4 days, as well as very painful to look in any direction, as well as swallow, cough, and sleep. Slowly though, the swelling and pain has decreased.

Now I'm about 5.5 days out and the left side of my neck is totally back to normal. The right side, though, is still slightly swollen and very painful under my chin and into my thyroid. I have a cold, and I don't think this has helped either. It hurts still to swallow and look up. Sneezing is extremely painful, as is bending over to the ground.

This bites. Hopefully I am better soon. Booooooo.

Teacher Seeking School

I need a job. A real teaching job. I desperately need a steady job in my own classroom with a salary and my own kids and my own stuff and I nameplate on the door and a mailbox and an email and even some crazy coworkers and parents to deal with. I NEED IT.

And, because I need a real teaching job so very desperately, I cannot really give any opinions in favor of any one group/organization as per the state of certain schools and their districts.

However, if I did not desperately need a full time teaching position (seriously, ANY DISTRICT AT ALL), I might have some very strong opinions on the Neshaminy strike. But, I do, so let's just say that I don't have any thoughts at all...

New Year, New Disease?

Happy New Year! It's 2012... weee!! Since it was the holidays, I haven't really written in a while, but now I think I should jump in and update some things.

Christmas was good and fun. We had dinner with my family and also visited some of his family, near and far. As far as fun presents, Drew got me a pretty hat and a really nice new digital camera, yay! We also had fun at a New Year's Eve party with some friends, where we could see the waterfront fireworks. :)

As far as diabetes goes, I have my new REVEL! It is not that different from the 522 that I had before, but a little fancier and just new. I like it a lot! It's nice to not have to worry about no delivery alarms. And, I really like using the sure-T infusion sets. I've had a couple painful sites, but in general it's been great. New stuff rules.

Well, most of the time, it rules. Some new stuff really sucks. Like new diseases. Booooooooo. My endo already told me that my bloodwork showed heightened thyroid antibodies, which can indicate problems. Now, she's gotten back the results of the thyroid ultrasound that I had done. She said there is a nodule in my thyroid. She said that now I have to have a biopsy!! She said it is likely Hashimoto's disease (which means my thyroid is killing itself... more autoimmune diseases). But, I have to have the biopsy because there is a 5% chance that it could be thyroid cancer. WHAT. THE. HELL. I don't even want to hear about a 5% chance. I don't want to hear about a 1% chance.  I am 28 years old. Cancer is unlikely but still a little scary. Another chronic disease is not what I want to hear either. This sucks.