Follow Faithfully

We met with the surgeon this morning regarding Macey’s cyst. He feels that it is a Thryroglossal Cyst. This is a benign cyst that is congenital and actually pretty common. When the thyroid starts to form, it begins at the base of the tongue and as it develops, it moves down into the neck region. What causes these cysts to develop is that sometimes, for some reason, some of the tissue from the thyroid is “left behind” and it encapsulates in a “knot.”

Dr. B (the surgeon) feels that surgery to remove Macey’s cyst is the best option and after talking with him this morning, Mickey and I agree. He said that if we leave the cyst alone, it could actually grow and start to cause pain OR if it ever becomes infected, it is then really difficult to remove completely and could cause more residual issues.

The surgery is outpatient and done under general anesthesia. The surgery lasts, usually, about an hour. They will remove the cyst and take some of the bone as well.  Once they remove the cyst, it will be sent to the lab to be analyzed and biopsied. Macey will have a small incision on her neck and will have dissolvable stitches. Assuming there are no complications, she will come home the day of surgery.

Dr. B is incredibly nice. Mickey and I both got a real sense of peace after meeting with him and talking everything over. We are all on the same page that this is the right choice of treatment for Macey because it’s best to go ahead and remove it before any complications potentially arise. The surgery scheduler will call us in the next few days and we’ll get it scheduled. We are hoping to have it on a Friday so that Macey can recouperate over the weekend and return to school on Monday. (She really dislikes missing school.) The surgery will be at the hospital where I used to work, so that is comforting as well. I know Macey will be in great care and is always in God’s loving embrace.

Please continue to lift up prayers for Macey and our family. We are still at peace about this, but it’s still hard to thinking of a child undergoing surgery. Still, we know that God is with Macey and will see her thought every step of this journey.

Kelly

Good morning!

I wan’t sure if I would post about this on my blog because it’s such a personal prayer request and this blog is public. But, then it occured to me that God’s people everywhere can be connected in prayer. So, I am posting today to ask for prayers for our Macey.

Back in May, Macey was spending a week with my mom. While they were playing one day, Mom noticed a knot on Macey’s neck. She alerted me to it and we decided to have it checked out by the pediatrician. I didn’t want to alarm Macey, so I didn’t make a special appointment to check out the knot since her check-up was due in July anyway. When we saw the pediatrician in July, she examined the knot and told us that her guess would be a cyst (which is quite common), but that she wanted to have an ultrasound performed to get a better look. So, last week we went for the ultrasound appointment. The pediatrician’s office called to let us know that Macey’s thyroid is fine and that the ultrasound detected a 1cm mass that they believed to be a benign cyst. So, her pediatrician recommended that we see a surgeon for a consultation. I got on the phone immediately and got an appointment for that consultation. The appointment is this morning at 11AM (EST).

We have a real peace about all of this. Neither Mickey not I have really gotten scared or otherwise freaked out by this. Apparently this type of cyst is common in children. It hasn’t changed in size since it was discovered and it doesn’t hurt Macey, so those facts are reassuring. Also assuring is the ultrasound result that it is likely a benign cyst. Still, we are seeing the surgeon today to determine if it should be removed. Mickey and I want to do what is best for our daughter, so we pray for discernment as to her medical treatment. We don’t want her to have to have surgery, but if it’s for the best, that is what we will do.

So, I’m asking for prayer today. For continued excellent health for Macey, for the mass to be benign in certainty, for continued peace and for guidance in making the right decisions. I will update this afternoon.

Kelly