Support Tonya's unexpected thyroidectomy Recovery

Late last fall Tonya developed a large lump on her neck, over those first few weeks it got to the point where she was unable to turn her head. When she went to the surgeon they told her her thyroid needed to be removed right away. Her Thyroid was so enlarged and the doctor said it was one of the largest she had seen. With the hope of an easy removal and quick recovery time (back to work in 2 weeks), the team quickly proceeded with the thyroidectomy on February 10th. The next few days Tonya and her husband Nick anxiously waited for the pathology reports, thank God the report was cancer free but they did not know that the road ahead was going to be so turbulent, Tonya was not out of the woods. She started to have major health issues, her body was unable to recognize and absorb calcium due to her surgery that removed her thyroid and one of her parathyroid glands. Tonya has been in and out of the emergency room because her Calcium drops well below the normal range and can be extremely dangerous. She has also had to attend calcium infusion every other day at RRMC. At the 9 to 10-week mark, Tonya had an extended stay at RRMC where the doctors decided it was time to come up with a new plan. They were able to observe firsthand and could see her levels drop drastically in less than 24 hours. The team decided it was time to take a more aggressive approach with Parathyroid injection which was not normally used for this type of issue but it was a hail mary.

Within the next few days, it seemed to be improving. There was hope!

Until her blood pressure spiked and is now another health scare to add to her already frightening list.

This past week Tonya went for her follow-up with ENT where they discovered that her vocal cords were not working at all on one side. This makes it hard for her to breathe or talk, Tonya’s voice is barely there. Her ENT Doctor explained that she would need another surgery to correct this issue but they were going to try PT first. The doctor truly did not believe it would do any good because of the severity of the cord being paralyzed. Her doctor then explained she was not able to return to work until after the next surgery sometime in May and they would re-evaluate.

Tonya, her husband Nick and their three children have been through so much in the last 4 months of uncertainty. She has been out of work for over 12 weeks and by the sounds of it quite a bit more time. Her medical team has tried to help her with financial support directions all ended up with dead ends.

You may know Tonya, she has been a Staple waitress at Denny’s since she was 16 years old. She is a Daughter, Niece, Mother, Wife, sister, sister-in-law, Aunt, Best Friend and so much more! She and her family are involved in Scouting where Nick is the Scoutmaster and she is an assistant scoutmaster. Nick is also on the school board in our local community. Tonya is the first to jump in when someone is in need. She would give you the shirt off her back. Tonya has one of the kindest hearts I have ever encountered! This Family is extremely active in our communities around Rutland County and we are lucky to have them. Now it is our turn to help them and have their backs.

Even if you are not able to donate please send prayers and positive vibes their way!