To Denise:

Thank you so much.  You can surely imagine how much it means to me in the
midst of this panic to hear a hopeful voice like yours.  I am so afraid,
but I am trying to do positive things like eat healthy and exercise. 
Thankfully my daughter (age 11) is away on vacation with my ex and I have
time to figure out how to approach the subject with her.  The surgeon, by
the way, does not discount the role of my thyroid in all this.

I'll keep you posted!

Susan