Results!

Got the results of my biopsies this afternoon.  Overall, it was good news, but the journey is far from over.
First, my salivary (or parotid) gland...
The biopsy came back as benign.  The doctor said that it is entirely possible that I have some chronic inflammation in the gland that will go away by itself.  For right now, there is no treatment and we will just keep an eye on it.  Very good news there as that surgery carries some fairly significant risks (like facial paralysis).

Secondly, my thyroid...
The biopsy came back as benign here as well, though it was a little less clear.  The biopsy indicated the presence of some follicular cells, which could be bad.  There are two types of thyroid cancer and one of them is follicular.  Because of the sample size of the biopsy, it is unclear whether these follicular cells are malignant or not.  There are benign follicular neoplasms (another word for "mass") as well.  For now, we are in yet another holding pattern.  I had more blood drawn (sigh-3 tries, 2 nurses) to test the function of my thyroid and will get those results next week.

Overall, it is good news.  I will NOT be having surgery anytime very soon.  I will likely have to redo the CT scan and possibly the thyroid biopsy again in August or so.  I will also be seeing an endocrinologist in the near future, especially if the blood work done today indicates thyroid functioning problems.  That could end up being very positive, as my weight gain and fatigue could not be Harper's fault, but my thyroid's!!

Thanks again for all your prayers!  It is more appreciated than I can say.