Adjusting to the new normal after surgery, recovery

If I didn’t mind risking sounding too corny, I would title this column, “I’m baaaack.”

Back from where you might ask?

Back from the tight grip of vulnerability. Back from a weakened immune system that questioned my mind-over-matter defense. Back from a spiritual slump.

Thank God, I’m back. I didn’t like being there.

Even though I returned to work two weeks ago, it was in physical nature only. My heart, mind and soul was back at home in bed, wanting to just curl up and sleep. Sleep through this season in my life that had me mentally bound.

As I mentioned over the holidays, I had a complete thyroidectomy on Dec. 29. The surgery went well. Recovery? Not so great.

Four days after my surgery, I started having shortness of breath. It felt as if my lungs would not fully expand to take in all the air I needed. It started out mild then grew to sheer annoyance and discomfort.

I was sure this new symptom was my body’s way of rejecting this new medicine that I must now take for the rest of my life to replace the function of my thyroid: Synthroid, 125 mcg.

I called my surgeon to update her on my condition. Without giving too many personal details, she immediately ordered me to have an ultrasound of my right arm to see if I had a blood clot.

Blood clot? Now I’m really concerned. That test, which was negative, led to me having a CT scan of my chest. Again, looking for a blood clot. That, too, was negative. Thank God.

Still, the shortness of breath continued, leading to sleepless nights and anxiety attacks. One night it got so bad that I went to the emergency room. On the way there, I asked God to please give me a really good doctor who would look for everything.

And that’s exactly what I got. Dr. Tu, a short man dressed in a Burberry jacket, tested me for every possible cause of shortness of breath. He gave me a chest X-ray, a CT scan of my neck and an EKG. All negative. And no flu, no pneumonia. Nothing was there.

So what was causing my labored breathing? My surgeon finally chalked it up to a post-operative symptom and reduced the strength of my Synthroid.

My spiritual advisors, on the other hand, said it was spiritual warfare – believers will get this.

Needless to say, I put on the whole armor to prepare for battle. I started reading the Bible more, even attending Bible study. I found a great church to supplement my Sunday morning worship. I posted scriptures all over my bedroom. I started eating more healthy, took extra Vitamin C, increased my meditation, and even resumed Yoga classes at the gym.

I am happy to report, I am winning. I walk in healing every day. Most days, I’m good. But on others when the shortness of breath tries to creep back up, I knock it down with a Bible verse.

I believe people go through things in order to help deliver others. So if anyone else out there is being attacked in their health – or any other aspect of their lives for that matter – fight it with the word of God. It is the only thing that will defeat the forces against you.

This walk must not be temporary, but a daily lifestyle that includes prayer, meditation, studying of the word and praise.

I can now look back and be grateful for the struggle, for the brokenness, for it is making me more spiritually fit and prepared for the rest of this new year.

I am embracing the new normal – the new me – minus my thyroid.

E-mail Editor Kimberly Harrington at kharrington@pagelandprogressive.com