It has been a difficult few weeks. I can't put into words all I have felt and stressed over but will attempt to sum it up. Taylor had a lump in his neck we were told was a cyst a few months back but ended up being thyroid cancer. It is the 'good' kind that is very curable but anytime you hear the C word, there is stress. Taylor's brother Mark has been so helpful with information and doing the tests Taylor needed a radiologist for. It is worth the drive to have a family member do the procedures and to not wait 2 weeks to get an appt. in SLC. Mark also delivered lightning fast results. After getting sent to a different doctor who did more tests, we were sent to a third Dr. up at the Huntsman Hospital. We saw him on a Friday and he was able to schedule Taylor for surgery Monday morning. Surgery was long and involved a thyroidectomy and partial neck dissection. Taylor stayed in the hospital 5 days to let the fluid and blood drain out the sides of the neck. Taylor handled it well (besides being nauseous while in the hospital on pain medicine) and is amazing. I have never feared for his life even from the moment we found out about it. There has been a calm, quiet assurance from the spirit that all would work out. That doesn't mean there haven't been moments of fear, fatigue and frustration but I have felt so comforted by the Holy Ghost and as though Heavenly Father has been so close. Of course nobody would ask for trials but once they evolve, I am grateful for the growth and insight that comes from it. I have been more emotional than usual. When a dear friend that I don't talk to on a regular basis heard and called me, I burst into tears as she patiently let me weep and reassured me. Neighbors and friends have dropped off food and watched my kids on short notice. Our families have been so helpful with childcare, food and emotional support when I have called them with questions or to vent or cry. Just thinking of their kind acts of service and love brings me to tears now with such a tenderness of love towards them.
We are blessed and I am full of gratitude today. Taylor feels better everyday and has an awesome scar now. Lily had been on antibiotics and swelled up Friday, the day Taylor came home from the hospital. I took her in and they put her on something else which caused a worse reaction in the middle of the night. On Taylor's first night home from the hospital, Lily had a high fever and was so swollen, I couldn't really see her eyes. She was red on over 85% of her body and kept twitching. I was so worried and wondered if I needed to take her to the ER. I woke him and had him give her a blessing. He wasn't in the best shape himself but to a stressed, exhausted mother, the blessing of the priesthood in the middle of the night is priceless. She settled down and slept a couple hours snuggled up with me. Pictures of Taylor in the hospital and Lily all swollen up would have been worth a thousand words but I have been on survival mode. It didn't even occur to me to snap one until they both look so much better.
