Columbus and the Valley

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Archive
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Contact

The Sign Said, “No Goitering!”

The last time I spent the night in a hospital with a condition that was NOT cancer was back in the 1980s. I sustained an injury to the tendon that controls my left pinky finger. I was at Julene and Andy Buice’s home. Andy had a motorcycle accident several years ago and lost his life —  I lost a great friend. Their little house was across Cherokee Avenue from the Columbus Country Club and the driveway was a bridge that crossed over Weracoba Creek.

Even after all the partying we did at that house, not one of us ever ended up in the creek. I did have an accident there one night that ultimately sent me to the hospital for surgery. After visiting a hand specialist at Georgia Baptist Hospital to confer about my condition, we decided to have the surgery done here to reinsert the tendon that had been dislocated when I tripped over Julene and Andy’s sleeping black cat, who also just happened to be sleeping on a black rug. I stepped. The cat hissed and yelped. As I jumped out of the way, my left hand slid down the wall as I tried to gain control of my fall. My little finger hung on the moulding around the door frame and my 160 pounds kept going.

Okay, so I’ve gained a little weight.

After that injury, my left pinky finger kind of flopped in the breeze. I couldn’t hold it tight against my other three fingers. This was such an unusual injury, three orthopaedic surgeons were in the OR with me. The surgery was successful and I spent one night in St. Francis Hospital. As I found out yesterday, being in the hospital is never a boat load of fun. But, being in the hospital with almost anything that is NOT cancer, can be quite fun if you look in just the right places.

Back in the 1980s when I had that finger injury my old friend, Larry Aglialoro, came by to see me and we were the only two people in the room. Larry and I probably have enough on each other to get in deep trouble and I will be taking those stories with me to the grave. I can tell this one, though. Ag was looking out the window and he said, “Mike, there are a bunch of nurses in that building over there.” I had just had a big ol’ IV narcotic pain killer pushed into my vein and true to it’s word, I was feeling no pain.

“Ag, help me get up out of this bed. Come on, I need you to help me get up on that ledge. I’m gonna moon ’em,” I said. I rolled out of the bed, pushed my stand holding a bag of fluids over toward the window. We pushed a chair over to the ledge, Ag gave me a boost and I stood up on the ledge and pressed some ham on the window. I stayed up there long enough to make sure we made eye contact with them and I think one of the young women gave me two thumbs up. In fact, I’m sure of it. The memory of Ag, dressed in a suit and tie, hoisting my half naked, hospital gown clad self up onto that ledge still makes me laugh as I sit here some 35 years later.

I have been sheltering an embarrassing secret for the past couple of years. The sound of the word, goiter, doesn’t roll very easily across my tongue. When I think goiter, I see an Amazonian indian with his dark skin painted white. He has an enormous bow, strung with God knows what and the quiver of four-foot-long arrows are coated with curare. That is exactly was I see in my mind when I think of the word goiter. Hey buddy, is that a goiter on your neck, or are you just glad to see me!

In fact, I can’t believe I’m writing about it now. I used a collection of code words when I referred to it in my talks with Jill. My surgeon, Dr. Mac Molnar, said, “Mike, this is the biggest goiter I’ve ever seen! Probably weighed a couple of pounds. It was the left lobe that had grown down into your chest.”

I knew that I had begun to experience difficulties swallowing and it had become very difficult for me to speak loudly enough to be heard in a noisy room. After hearing how freakishly large this goiter was, I’m really excited for everything to be healed. I suspect that I’ll have a much better quality of life with it gone. It is a shame that they had to send it off to be biopsied. It would have made a great anchor for my fishing kayak.

We’re home from The Medical Center and will be able to sleep in our own bed tonight. All the staff at The Medical Center were fabulous. One hit, almost painless needle sticks and extremely attentive, kind care was delivered to us with smiles and cheerful attitudes. Everyone seemed to have a kick in their step.

Meanwhile, since I’ve now delivered my goiter and since I’ve written about it boldly and without fear, I am putting it behind me and looking forward to an easier life without the difficulties it caused. The past few weeks have been all about my pushing my fears to the front and talking openly about things that are embarrassing for me to talk about.

A few weeks ago we showed up at No Shame Theater with my djembe drum that Jill bought me for my birthday. At the end of that evening I brought shame on myself and my family. Turns out that for some there is shame at what is otherwise a “No Shame” zone. I reached back and started tickling Jill’s ankle with my fingers. I felt her jerk away and I went back in for another grope. Then a hand appeared on mine and snatched my hand out of the way. Yes, I was playing with a strange woman’s leg. Oh my God, our whole table erupted in laughter during a time when we really shouldn’t have been laughing. I’ll never be able to go there again.

The thyroidectomy went very well. I didn’t lose my voice, although I am very hoarse and will likely be for a few days. My calcium levels are spot on, which means Dr. Molnar did a good job preserving parathyroid tissue. I was mostly blissfully out of pain and got visits from two of my sons who live in town. I am 59 years old. My sweet parents were at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. yesterday. Ann and John Venable have never missed a single thing in my life. All those Little League games, football games, school plays, concerts, speeches — they have been right there. They are the sweetest parents that I can imagine anyone having. They have given me a good name, wonderful guidance, unconditional love and encouragement to reach for the stars. Jill and I both have great parents and we are so fortunate to have them close by and solidly in our lives.

I hid the goiter from them too. I was afraid they might shun me if they knew about it. There, now I’ve said the G word out loud. I never want utter that word again.

April 12, 2012 | Tagged With: Andy Buice, Ann Venable, cancer, Cherokee Avenue, Christopher Riddle, Columbus Country Club, Dr. Mac Molnar, fishing kayak, Georgia Baptist Hospital, goiter, Jill Tigner, John Venable, Julene Buice, Larry Aglialoro, Nick Riddle, No Shame Theater, St. Francis Hospital, The Medical Center, Weracoba Creek| Filed Under: Uncategorized | 7 Comments

CT Scan Day

Mike's Hydration Station

Here I am again. I’ve had my three full doses of sewage for this CT scan. There’s nothing like the smell of Mucomyst in the morning! I also have drunk both bottles of the contrast barium stuff. I did some research and discovered the mocha flavor is the most palatable. I concur. I added a short squirt of chocolate syrup to mine and put it in the freezer for a while before I popped it open. It has ice crystals in it. Think of the best milk shake you have ever had in your life. It was nothing like that.

It tasted more like something that might have been expressed from a recently dead animal. But, I got it down. One last night and another one this morning just a few minutes ago.

My God, we can put a man on the moon and we can’t figure out how to create better tasting things that we’re forced to drink for a medical test. Someone needs to get on that.

The people up here at the John B. Amos Cancer Center have taken such good care of me. Despite what you might think, this is such an upbeat place. The caregivers have hearts of gold and the people who come here for treatment respond to that caring treatment by putting on their game face and putting the good fight that is required if you want to bring cancer to its knees. If you ever have a chance to see the remarkable things that are being done here, don’t miss the opportunity for a tour.

The Columbus Regional Medical Foundation along with many, many sponsors including presenting sponsor, Synovus, has raised a record $315,000.00 for the John B. Amos Cancer Center. I helped raise that money and I’m also a beneficiary of the donations from local corporations and individuals as a cancer patient. Next year when someone gives you an opportunity to participate in the Celebrity Classic just go ahead and reach back and get out your checkbook. There is no better cause in our community.

My scan is done now and I’ve settled back into my chair over in the infusion area at the JBACC. They left a light on for me. I’ll be here for at least 2 more hours as these fluids I’m taking on wash the contrast dye out of my system. I got a little piece of good news while I was at the Medical Center. When they checked my creatinine before the scan it was 1.4! That is as good as it has been since well before my surgery last June. This is exceptional news and proof that when you take the time to name your kidney it will respond by being all it can be. Positive self expectancy! Remember that when you’re running your children down. They will become whatever label you give them when they’re young.

Man, I hope Millionaire is doing well down at Troy! I can’t wait until he gets out of school and can support Jill and me.

April 21, 2010 | Tagged With: barium, Celebrity Classic, Columbus Regional Medical Foundation, creatinine, Jill Tigner, John B. Amos Cancer Center, Mucomyst, Nick Riddle, road kill, Synovus, Troy University| Filed Under: Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Please subscribe!


Subscriber Count

    787

@MikeVenable

Follow @MikeVenable

Mike Venable
@MikeVenable

  • Don’t Give Up https://t.co/gSIUAmI5wn
    about 5 days ago
  • https://t.co/AEGYBGCSU3
    about 3 years ago
  • You’re welcome! https://t.co/AjWSQ9w1Mg
    about 3 years ago
  • KCCure - Non-Clear Cell Kidney Cancer Clinical Trials https://t.co/X5nvedofkD
    about 3 years ago
  • UTSW researchers uncover new vulnerability in kidney cancer https://t.co/PRWAI5cBGE
    about 3 years ago

Blogroll

  • Chattin' the Hooch
  • Nikolaus Hines
  • One Man's War
  • The Money Pit

Recent Posts

  • Ideas, Please!
  • Christmas Update
  • Sgt. Stubby Teaches Us About Love and Commitment
  • Decisions Get Tougher
  • Subscribe to My Voice of the Valley Blog for Notification of New Posts
  • Cancer Treatment Enters New Phase
  • Time to Grab the Go Bag
  • Hope Is In the House
  • Find Your Music
  • My Flesh and Blood Plays Red Rocks Tonight

Archives

Search Tags

Tags

Adam Venable adrenal gland American Cancer Society blood pressure Christmas Christopher Riddle Columbus and the Valley magazine Columbus GA Columbus Georgia creatinine CT CT scan diarrhea Dr. Andrew Pippas Dr. Dan George Dr. Janice Dutcher Dr. John Cabelka Dr. Lance Pagliaro Dr. Liza Stapleford Dr. MIchael Morse Dr. Mike Gorum Dr. Raj Alappan Duke University Hospital Emory facebook Hardaway High School HDIl-2 HD IL2 Houston TX Jill Tigner John B. Amos Cancer Center John Venable kidney cancer M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Marquette McKnight Michael Venable MRI radiosurgery renal cell carcinoma stereotactic radiosurgery Strainer The Medical Center tyrosine kinase inhibitor Votrient Xanax

Copyright © 2023 · COLUMBUS AND THE VALLEY MAGAZINE, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Web Design by TracSoft.