Norah’s Lump

For a couple of months this blog went from a family chronicle where I shared photos and news with our friends and family, to a blog about Pediatric Graves Disease.  My 4-year-old daughter, Norah, was diagnosed with Graves at the beginning of August 2010, turned out to be allergic to the medication (methimazole), and had a thyroidectomy on October 7th, 2010.  Throughout the testing, diagnosis, search for answers, and finally surgery, I used this blog to keep our family and friends informed.

Since then, several people have found my blog while searching for information on Pediatric Graves Disease and thyroidectomy.  It’s not a very common diagnosis/treatment for little kids, and I had a hard time finding anything beyond the published clinical studies and technical papers.  In a world where information about any topic is available at my fingertips, the fact that I couldn’t read about the disease from a family’s perspective was frustrating and alienating for me. 

This blog is my outlet, and was originally created for my friends and family – people who know me, love me, and don’t judge me when I have a Bad-Mommy Moment (BMM) or share TMI about stuff that most people keep quiet about.  It’s a little scary to think that people might come here in search of information about Graves and wind up reading about when our sewer pipe got clogged or the methods I use to try to keep my kids in line, but hopefully you won’t judge.  My life is nuts and sometimes it shows.

Here are all the posts related to “Norah’s Lump.”  I’m not an expert…just a mom who read whatever I could find to ensure that my child had the best possible outcome.  I hope this information helps another family.  If you have questions or comments, feel free to leave me a comment and I will get back to you.  I wish you the best of luck. 

• Yup, That’s a Lump.  (7/28/10)
• Lumpy  (7/29/10)
• Testing…1, 2, 3  (8/2/10)
• Graves Disease  (8/3/10)
• Lumpdate  (8/9/10)
• Lumpier  (8/27/10)
• Acupuncture  (9/2/10)
• Options  (9/14/10)
• Roller Coaster  (9/19/10)
• Decision  (9/21/10)
• Norah  (9/25/10)
• The Dream Team  (9/28/10)
• Temporary Cold Feet  (9/30/10)
• This is a test.  (10/2/10)
• The Necked Truth  (10/3/10)
• Cracks  (10/6/10)
• New Haven  (10/7/10)
• Out Like a Light  (10/7/10)
• Closing Time  (10/7/10)
• Time to Wake Up  (10/7/10)
• Rip Van Winkle  (10/7/10)
• Recovery  (10/7/10)
• “I’m Bored!”  (10/7/10)
• Sleepover  (10/7/10)
• What a Difference a Day Makes  (10/8/10)
• In the Garden  (10/8/10)