Upstaging the old woman who swallowed a fly

Nursery rhymes have a sweet, sentimental sing-song rhymes, but they don't usually have great endings. Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Little Miss Muffet, just to name a few. I was always particularly horrified by the tale of the old woman who swallowed a fly..."I don't know WHY she swallowed a fly, I guess she'll die..."

Well, today, I upstaged the old woman who swallowed a fly.
I swallowed a camera. Intentionally. No kidding.
And now I have a 3 minute movie of my vocal chords. (How did I ever live without THAT?)

Don't let anyone ever tell you that there's a "good" cancer to have. Thyroid cancer is not nearly as damaging as other cancers. The treatment is not nearly as hard as treatment for other cancers. But there is no easy cancer.
Today, I was swallowing a camera to determine the extent of the damage to my vocal chords from last November's life-saving thyroid surgery. It is, as I have often said, a miracle that my voice was saved. When Dr. Olson came to talk to my family, he prepared them that, in the course of the surgery, he had lost connection with the nerves to the vocal chords. In order to get the cancer -- which had spread widely--he had to cut through and, apparently, take out muscle surrounding the vocal chords. He was thrilled that I had a voice at all. I am certain that my voice is an answer to prayer.
And don't think I am not grateful to be able to talk! I was thrilled to report to him and the ortholaryngetic specialist that 2 weeks ago, I had preached 8 times in less than 48 hours (the UMW marathon) and had no trouble with weakness of my speaking voice. Yippee!
But, since the surgery, I have lost my singing voice. And, although I knew I loved music, I didn't realize how much I missed my singing voice until it has no longer been available to me. I find myself crying through the hymns at worship -- not because I am so spiritual--but because it breaks my heart for my voice to disappear on me for hymns I have sung all my life. People have come up and said, "I noticed you were deeply moved during that hymn". (I guess tears running down my cheeks has been a dead give-away). And it's been easier to not go into detail that once I could sing but that, with the cancer surgery, my singing voice has been lost. TMI for their concerned observation.
Swallowing the camera gave me some informed hope. The specialist thinks that therapy can make a difference. So that is encouraging. But the overwhelming feeling I had today was a very rich sense of blessing and peace and privilege. No, I am not minimizing what's involved with fighting cancer. But I have spent today seeing healing miracles and possibilities up close and personal. God's delivery systems for healing are mind-boggling and awesome. And, today, I felt a deep sense of humility and gratitude for participating in some of these amazing diagnostic and treatment options.
My throat is a little sore. But my heart is encouraged. Yes, I am fighting cancer. But people take so much for granted. I am blessed.