Thyroidectomy

It all started when I was 15 years old. I got home from school, did my work, ate, and took a shower. While showering I turned around to rinse off. All of a sudden I got really dizzy, so I leaned my head up against the wall. Then everything went black. The next thing I know I am staring up at the ceiling of my house and my mom's asking me what happened. I had passed out. We went to my pediatrician right away and blood was drawn. My thyroid levels were too high. They started me on medicines and sent me to Dr. Latif at Children's. We then did blood work and changed my medicine a lot of times over the course of a year. Then I couldn't swallow and felt a knot in my throat. Tests were run, but turned out inconclusive. Finally, we hd a choice between a form of radiation and surgery. I was going to do radiation but it got to where I was being choked. In May 2006 I had a complete thyroidectomy and stayed in the Special Care Unit for one week. After I was discharged 2-3 months later I had to keep coming back for low potassium. After roughly three times of being readmitted and discharged due to potassium causing seizures, today I am doing pretty good.

Children's means everything to me. If it wasn't for the doctors there I wouldn't be alive today. My surgeon, Dr. Barnhart, told my mom after surgery that if we hadn't got it out when we did in three weeks I wouldn't be here.