Saturday, August 8, 2009

Two Beautiful Words

Off the record, the 2 most beautiful words I heard last week were "It's benign."

Spoken by the surgeon who removed the left suprior parathyroid, with embedded tumor, from my mother's neck, those words sounded better than anything I had heard in a long time. It's been a busy and intense summer, in large part due to the havoc that 3 millimeter tumor wreaked on mom's health and ability to care for herself. Thankfully she is healing and regaining her strength and energy quickly!
Prior to this nightmarish experience, I had never heard of the parathyroid. I had no idea it was one of four tiny glands within the thyroid; nor did I understand the important function these glands serve in regulating calcium. Had we left this condition unchecked, my mother's bones would have become severely brittle and she would have been at serious risk for renal failure!

There is a story here for sure, and it is one that, if published in the right outlet, has the power to save lives.