Open Lung Biopsy 03/15/05

On 03/15/05 I was admitted to the hospital for my first surgery in this journey. Two days later, while in the hospital with a chest tube, I was informed I had Papillary Carcinoma, a form of Thyroid Cancer. I was puzzled how thyroid cancer would be in my lungs. A short time later, an Oncologist met with me in the hospital room. I asked what stage of thyroid cancer I had, and he indicated stage IV. My next question was how many stages are there? He told me there are four stages. He added that this type of cancer is very treatable, but that didn't ease my concerns too much at the time. He then said that if one was to get cancer, this would be the best kind to get. This is because thyroid cancer is well-differentiated, and many have been cured through surgery and treatment.