So, since I've been away, I've completed my RAI-131 treatment (although it was not 131, it was 30)...
I was in "isolation" at home for two days where my mom heated up my low-iodine meals and delivered them to me. While in isolation, I had to "clorox" the shower each time I took a shower (twice a day), flushed the toilet 3 times each time I went, washed my hands every half hour/trip to bathroom/after eating. I had to do my laundry separate from anyone in my house and ran bleach through washing machine after I used it. I cleaned my clothes, my sheets, my comforter...etc. I threw away my toothbrush on the 5th day after treatment to prevent any radiation exposure to anyone that came in contact with my toothbrush?!? haha
Other than all of the cleaning, it wasn't that bad. There were no crazy side effects to the treatment. The only things that I can remember complaining about is how sore my neck got and the headaches after the third day. I slept well and relaxed as much as possible. It was sort of a nice "vacation..."
On the fourth day of treatment, I started Synthroid 112 everyday. The first week that I was back on the medication, I felt amazing! My energy felt like it was coming back.
I had a full body scan completed 7 days after the RAI treatment. I immediately took the results to my endocrinologist and he said, "This could not be a more perfect scan!"
Whoo! Yay! Yeah! Finally, some relief!
During the end of the second week of taking the Synthroid 112, I was completely exhausted. I had enough energy to make it through my teaching day, but I came home and was ready for bed. I walked/jogged for 30 minutes every day since I started the Synthroid again and continued it for my health...
Hopefully I can get an answer this week from my endocrinologist about why I am so exhausted. Maybe my dosage is too high? too low?
I will let you know. Thanks for reading! :)
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Snacks...Desserts... Drinks...
Ok...like I said, I am a grazer and a nut for desserts! Here are my favorite ideas for snacking:
Matzo Crackers with organic peanut butter and organic jelly/jam
grapes
apples
carrots with organic peanut butter
unsalted pretzels
Frosted Mini Wheats cereal
unsalted mixed nuts
I kept one or two of these items in my purse for easy snacking when I was out and running errands. I didn't want to become hungry and end up messing up the diet by buying a candy bar...
Desserts...
I found a few recipes on http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf that I loved...
Apple muffins- not just good for breakfast! :)
Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate Cookies
Drinks:
I bought a container of distilled water from the grocery store...
Sprite
Dr. Pepper
Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Grape Juice
Nut Milk...recipe from http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf
I hope this helps with your diet! :)
Matzo Crackers with organic peanut butter and organic jelly/jam
grapes
apples
carrots with organic peanut butter
unsalted pretzels
Frosted Mini Wheats cereal
unsalted mixed nuts
I kept one or two of these items in my purse for easy snacking when I was out and running errands. I didn't want to become hungry and end up messing up the diet by buying a candy bar...
Desserts...
I found a few recipes on http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf that I loved...
Apple muffins- not just good for breakfast! :)
Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate Cookies
Drinks:
I bought a container of distilled water from the grocery store...
Sprite
Dr. Pepper
Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Grape Juice
Nut Milk...recipe from http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf
I hope this helps with your diet! :)
Dinner/Supper...
Ok...this is when I usually ate my meat portions for the day (if I didn't eat chicken salad for lunch)...
Visit http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf for the complete recipes!
These were my favorite:
Mini Meatloaves
Chili
Sloppy Joes
Easy Pot Roast (added non-iodized salt and ketchup-no salt added when I was eating this)
Chicken Salad-with blender mayonnaise in cookbook
Side dishes:
I usually made fresh green beans as a side or fried squash and onions/fried zucchini and onions.
I also had frozen carrots and broccoli that I added sometimes. (Heated up in microwave...)
Visit http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf for the complete recipes!
These were my favorite:
Mini Meatloaves
Chili
Sloppy Joes
Easy Pot Roast (added non-iodized salt and ketchup-no salt added when I was eating this)
Chicken Salad-with blender mayonnaise in cookbook
Side dishes:
I usually made fresh green beans as a side or fried squash and onions/fried zucchini and onions.
I also had frozen carrots and broccoli that I added sometimes. (Heated up in microwave...)
Lunch...
I am a teacher and I always take my lunch with me so....on the diet, I prepared meals that I could throw in my lunch bag with some ice packs, along with fruit or carrots to snack on.
Visit http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf for recipes!
I liked the:
Orzo Salad
Cabbage Stew
Shoepeg Corn Salad
Chicken Salad (Made with blender mayonnaise recipe in cookbook)-MY FAVORITE!
- usually ate with non-salted saltine crackers
Basil Pesto Spaghetti
Like I said, I usually paired these with fruit like apples, oranges, grapes, watermelon, and strawberries.
REMEMBER- use non-iodize salt!
Visit http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf for recipes!
I liked the:
Orzo Salad
Cabbage Stew
Shoepeg Corn Salad
Chicken Salad (Made with blender mayonnaise recipe in cookbook)-MY FAVORITE!
- usually ate with non-salted saltine crackers
Basil Pesto Spaghetti
Like I said, I usually paired these with fruit like apples, oranges, grapes, watermelon, and strawberries.
REMEMBER- use non-iodize salt!
Breakfast...
Like I said, I usually had Quaker Instant Oatmeal for breakfast (usually maple syrup flavored). I bought the organic pack to be on the safe side.
Here are other breakfast recipes that I enjoyed and that are easy to make:
Well...I cannot upload the .pdf files, but please go to http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf to get recipes.
Apple Muffins
Griddle Cakes (good with maple syrup!)
Jelly Omelet
Any fresh fruit you like to eat
REMEMBER...use non-iodized salt!
Here are other breakfast recipes that I enjoyed and that are easy to make:
Well...I cannot upload the .pdf files, but please go to http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf to get recipes.
Apple Muffins
Griddle Cakes (good with maple syrup!)
Jelly Omelet
Any fresh fruit you like to eat
REMEMBER...use non-iodized salt!
low-iodine diet...
In preparation for the RAI-131 treatment, almost all doctors will require you to go on the low-iodine diet. Before discussing it with my endocrinologist, I read that most people do it for 2 weeks before the treatment and after the treatment....
Luckily, that wasn't the case for me. My doctor required me to start the low-iodine diet 7 days before treatment. I quit taking the Cytomel 50 mcg 7 days before the diet began.
quick timeline:
Tuesday, October 11, 2011: Stopped Cytomel
Tuesday, October 18, 2011: Started Low-Iodine Diet
Thursday, October 20, 2011: Bloodwork to check iodine levels
Tuesday, October 25, 2011: RAI treatment
Tuesday, November 1, 2011: Full Body scan and end of diet!
Ok...so, how did I survive this diet?
Three words: Organize and PLAN ahead!
Several people told me to go to www.thyca.org and get ideas from the low-iodine cookbook....
BEST advice EVER! Seriously!
This cookbook states amounts of food you can eat per day and RECIPES (that, honestly, are not bad). I went through the recipes and printed 10-12 that sounded easy and good. Knowing that I would have NO energy to cook everyday, I started buying ingredients that I needed and making meals that could be frozen and heated in the microwave.
Also, I LOVE sweets and snacking throughout the day. As my doctor describes, I am a grazer. :)
I found GREAT ideas for snacking, unsalted pretzels, fruits (apples, grapes, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries), veggies (carrots- with peanut butter), Frosted Mini Wheats cereal (no milk!), unsalted nuts, homemade oatmeal cookies....
I am not a huge peanut butter fan, but I bought Organic/Natural (Honey) peanut butter and had that in my lunch bag everyday! If you've never had natural peanut butter, you have to mix the oils and solid once you open it for the first couple of times.
Also, I am not a huge fan of oatmeal, but that was really the only thing I could think of eating at first. For breakfast, I had a bowl of oatmeal, usual maple flavored and drank some apple or orange juice.
Later in the diet, I found a recipe for apple muffins that turned out GREAT! These were a great breakfast treat! :)
For lunch, I usually had pasta recipes or vegetable recipes for the thyca.org recipe book.
I usually saved the meat for dinner (since you can have 5-6 oz. a day). By the end of the diet, I felt like I had accomplished so much and learned many new and yummy recipes! :)
I will upload some favorite recipes next...
Luckily, that wasn't the case for me. My doctor required me to start the low-iodine diet 7 days before treatment. I quit taking the Cytomel 50 mcg 7 days before the diet began.
quick timeline:
Tuesday, October 11, 2011: Stopped Cytomel
Tuesday, October 18, 2011: Started Low-Iodine Diet
Thursday, October 20, 2011: Bloodwork to check iodine levels
Tuesday, October 25, 2011: RAI treatment
Tuesday, November 1, 2011: Full Body scan and end of diet!
Ok...so, how did I survive this diet?
Three words: Organize and PLAN ahead!
Several people told me to go to www.thyca.org and get ideas from the low-iodine cookbook....
BEST advice EVER! Seriously!
This cookbook states amounts of food you can eat per day and RECIPES (that, honestly, are not bad). I went through the recipes and printed 10-12 that sounded easy and good. Knowing that I would have NO energy to cook everyday, I started buying ingredients that I needed and making meals that could be frozen and heated in the microwave.
Also, I LOVE sweets and snacking throughout the day. As my doctor describes, I am a grazer. :)
I found GREAT ideas for snacking, unsalted pretzels, fruits (apples, grapes, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries), veggies (carrots- with peanut butter), Frosted Mini Wheats cereal (no milk!), unsalted nuts, homemade oatmeal cookies....
I am not a huge peanut butter fan, but I bought Organic/Natural (Honey) peanut butter and had that in my lunch bag everyday! If you've never had natural peanut butter, you have to mix the oils and solid once you open it for the first couple of times.
Also, I am not a huge fan of oatmeal, but that was really the only thing I could think of eating at first. For breakfast, I had a bowl of oatmeal, usual maple flavored and drank some apple or orange juice.
Later in the diet, I found a recipe for apple muffins that turned out GREAT! These were a great breakfast treat! :)
For lunch, I usually had pasta recipes or vegetable recipes for the thyca.org recipe book.
I usually saved the meat for dinner (since you can have 5-6 oz. a day). By the end of the diet, I felt like I had accomplished so much and learned many new and yummy recipes! :)
I will upload some favorite recipes next...
Sunday, October 30, 2011
pictures after final thyroid surgery....
Here are two pictures 1 month and 23 days after my last and final thyroid surgery. I've been rubbing vitamin E oil on it twice a day.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
feeling alone in your struggle(s)??
So, I went to bed thinking of all I didn't put in here...but its my blog and I can write at any time, right?
I couldn't help thinking about those dealing with a diagnosis of thyroid cancer...any cancer...any struggle they are dealing with in their lives...
My question is.."Where do you find hope to keep going?"
First of all, I am not one to force someone to believe in what I believe in, but I do believe I NEVER was alone in this entire struggle...and you are not either.
Believe me, there were times when all of my support would leave...stop texting or calling...stop sending cards...etc. This will and may be happening to you in what you are going through.
Even when the sun goes down and you are alone in your apartment, bedroom, kitchen...anywhere, I promise, you are NEVER alone...
how do I know, you ask?
Let me begin with this...
"...the Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave you, nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6
Read that again...go ahead, I'll wait..........
still waiting....
How amazing is that? Seriously? Someone you've never met face to face will NEVER leave you...never!
Even when you've hit rock bottom and feel like you cannot get up or when you at the top of the world...God is always there....
"My God, He was....My God, He is...My God is always going to be." (Aaron Shust)
Again, I do not want to push anyone into my beliefs and faith... I am not that person...but again..
What or who do you run to in those desperate times? Really? I want to know...
I, seriously....seriously could not have made it without firmly knowing that I had the Ultimate support team with me every step of the way...from the first day of being diagnosed with Vertigo and all the way to my RAI-131 treatment....
Every second of the day...I had someone right there with me.
Ok...so I didn't feel all "giddy" and amazing everyday...believe me, I am a girl...and I need good crying moments sometimes. Always been that way....
There were nights that I found myself losing my vision and feeling hopeless...when there was no answer for months...I would cry and lay in bed thinking, why me? Why me, Lord?
Then I thought about a high school friend who lost his mother to cancer and I remember hearing her say...
Why NOT me? ...................................Who am I that I think I shouldn't have to go through something crazy? so selfish of me, right? So from this realization and on....if I felt like I was NEVER going to find relief, I would think to my self....
Why NOT me? Maybe one day, someone can find strength through my struggles...and that's how I had to live each day.
It was God and me....(along with my support team...that had multiplied so much...) I know I shouldn't rely on worldly support (i.e. family, friends...N.G....etc)...but they were praying to God just as I was to find answers.
"But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint." Isaiah 41:17
"they will not grow weary...they will walk..." wow....God is amazing. Isn't he?
Even through everything...every struggle, every night I went to bed crying, every day my stress from work would increase, every day I felt like... I am going to have to settle with this and deal with this for the rest of my life....yes, I am 24-25 years old...but I guess this is it...
WRONG....
"Haven't I commanded you; be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
What a MIGHTY God we serve.....
In conclusion...whatever struggle you are going through...cancer, drugs, other diseases, alcoholism, anything...remember, even at your weakest moments, you are NEVER...ever...ever...alone.
"The Lord's unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him." Psalm 32:10
I couldn't help thinking about those dealing with a diagnosis of thyroid cancer...any cancer...any struggle they are dealing with in their lives...
My question is.."Where do you find hope to keep going?"
First of all, I am not one to force someone to believe in what I believe in, but I do believe I NEVER was alone in this entire struggle...and you are not either.
Believe me, there were times when all of my support would leave...stop texting or calling...stop sending cards...etc. This will and may be happening to you in what you are going through.
Even when the sun goes down and you are alone in your apartment, bedroom, kitchen...anywhere, I promise, you are NEVER alone...
how do I know, you ask?
Let me begin with this...
"...the Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave you, nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6
Read that again...go ahead, I'll wait..........
still waiting....
How amazing is that? Seriously? Someone you've never met face to face will NEVER leave you...never!
Even when you've hit rock bottom and feel like you cannot get up or when you at the top of the world...God is always there....
"My God, He was....My God, He is...My God is always going to be." (Aaron Shust)
Again, I do not want to push anyone into my beliefs and faith... I am not that person...but again..
What or who do you run to in those desperate times? Really? I want to know...
I, seriously....seriously could not have made it without firmly knowing that I had the Ultimate support team with me every step of the way...from the first day of being diagnosed with Vertigo and all the way to my RAI-131 treatment....
Every second of the day...I had someone right there with me.
Ok...so I didn't feel all "giddy" and amazing everyday...believe me, I am a girl...and I need good crying moments sometimes. Always been that way....
There were nights that I found myself losing my vision and feeling hopeless...when there was no answer for months...I would cry and lay in bed thinking, why me? Why me, Lord?
Then I thought about a high school friend who lost his mother to cancer and I remember hearing her say...
Why NOT me? ...................................Who am I that I think I shouldn't have to go through something crazy? so selfish of me, right? So from this realization and on....if I felt like I was NEVER going to find relief, I would think to my self....
Why NOT me? Maybe one day, someone can find strength through my struggles...and that's how I had to live each day.
It was God and me....(along with my support team...that had multiplied so much...) I know I shouldn't rely on worldly support (i.e. family, friends...N.G....etc)...but they were praying to God just as I was to find answers.
"But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not faint." Isaiah 41:17
"they will not grow weary...they will walk..." wow....God is amazing. Isn't he?
Even through everything...every struggle, every night I went to bed crying, every day my stress from work would increase, every day I felt like... I am going to have to settle with this and deal with this for the rest of my life....yes, I am 24-25 years old...but I guess this is it...
WRONG....
"Haven't I commanded you; be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
What a MIGHTY God we serve.....
In conclusion...whatever struggle you are going through...cancer, drugs, other diseases, alcoholism, anything...remember, even at your weakest moments, you are NEVER...ever...ever...alone.
"The Lord's unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him." Psalm 32:10
rewind a second...
So, I started this talking about my search for an answer for this ongoing Vertigo problem...
Like I said, it was an everyday PROBLEM. I couldn't enjoy a night out with friends, walking through a mall or grocery store, going on a nice evening dinner with my boyfriend....in fear that I would become extremely dizzy and need to leave IMMEDIATELY!
it was horrible...and I needed an answer.
My primary physician became concerned with me being on such heavy meds for the Vertigo that he wanted me off completely! (I agreed in my heart...but...) I needed them in a different way that someone who abuses drugs. I needed them to make it through each and every work day. I was thinking, if you're taking me off, you have to do something else.
This was all pre-thyroid surgeries...
I was sent to a psychiatrist to see if it all linked to anxiety...the dizziness, that is. My psychiatrist tells me that many people with extreme dizziness may have problems with the thyroid and it NOT show up in blood work.
Ok, go on....
I tell him about the "finding" on my thyroid during my initial ultrasound of the parotid gland mass behind my ear....He is interested.
Still no permanent answers...or relief.
He gives me anxiety meds to help with the anxiety of all of the medical issues. He says it is very common for those with on-going medical issues to develop a different kind of anxiety than those battling it for years.
More medicine? ahhhhhhh! Ok...I will try anything at this point.
The meds did not work...I still had to take the "anxiety"meds with Xanex (not 3 times a day, but maybe once).
This all led up to the May 2011 ultrasound and biopsy of my thyroid and the suspicion of thyroid cancer....which is discussed in yesterday's blog.
I stayed on the anxiety meds hoping for a change...it takes a while for it to get in your system and try to work it's magic....Didn't really feel any difference, though...even after a month or two.
The relief came with the 1st thyroid surgery...and then final relief came with the total thyroid lobectomy.
The Vertigo was gone....GONE!...along with my thyroid!
I felt like I lost a hated enemy that I couldn't shake for over a year...
It was never stated by any doctors (other than the psychiatrist) that my thyroid cancer had anything to do with the Vertigo battle...but I look at it all as a sign from God.
First...Vertigo
Second...this mass thing behind my ear...
Third..Finding an atypical nodule on my thyroid...
Fourth...suspicion for papillary carcinoma..
Fifth and Sixth...losing my thyroid completely...
SEVENTH....no Vertigo...
7 was the lucky number, I guess...
Like I said, it was an everyday PROBLEM. I couldn't enjoy a night out with friends, walking through a mall or grocery store, going on a nice evening dinner with my boyfriend....in fear that I would become extremely dizzy and need to leave IMMEDIATELY!
it was horrible...and I needed an answer.
My primary physician became concerned with me being on such heavy meds for the Vertigo that he wanted me off completely! (I agreed in my heart...but...) I needed them in a different way that someone who abuses drugs. I needed them to make it through each and every work day. I was thinking, if you're taking me off, you have to do something else.
This was all pre-thyroid surgeries...
I was sent to a psychiatrist to see if it all linked to anxiety...the dizziness, that is. My psychiatrist tells me that many people with extreme dizziness may have problems with the thyroid and it NOT show up in blood work.
Ok, go on....
I tell him about the "finding" on my thyroid during my initial ultrasound of the parotid gland mass behind my ear....He is interested.
Still no permanent answers...or relief.
He gives me anxiety meds to help with the anxiety of all of the medical issues. He says it is very common for those with on-going medical issues to develop a different kind of anxiety than those battling it for years.
More medicine? ahhhhhhh! Ok...I will try anything at this point.
The meds did not work...I still had to take the "anxiety"meds with Xanex (not 3 times a day, but maybe once).
This all led up to the May 2011 ultrasound and biopsy of my thyroid and the suspicion of thyroid cancer....which is discussed in yesterday's blog.
I stayed on the anxiety meds hoping for a change...it takes a while for it to get in your system and try to work it's magic....Didn't really feel any difference, though...even after a month or two.
The relief came with the 1st thyroid surgery...and then final relief came with the total thyroid lobectomy.
The Vertigo was gone....GONE!...along with my thyroid!
I felt like I lost a hated enemy that I couldn't shake for over a year...
It was never stated by any doctors (other than the psychiatrist) that my thyroid cancer had anything to do with the Vertigo battle...but I look at it all as a sign from God.
First...Vertigo
Second...this mass thing behind my ear...
Third..Finding an atypical nodule on my thyroid...
Fourth...suspicion for papillary carcinoma..
Fifth and Sixth...losing my thyroid completely...
SEVENTH....no Vertigo...
7 was the lucky number, I guess...
Friday, October 28, 2011
entering the next phase...
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
So, my entire thyroid is gone... still facing thyroid cancer treatment.
Still have an amazing support team...
I am on Cytomel 50mcg to "replace" my missing thyroid. (I started out in Synthroid 75 mcg and was changed to Cytomel, per my ENT's orders.)
I get a call telling me that my new best friend (endocrinologist) will be calling me with my new patient consultation appointment...
Not a day later, I get the call and have my appointment set up. I have the paperwork sent to me; I fill it out; and I wait for my appointment.
I begin reading about thyroid cancer (all levels and treatment...etc). A high school friend's mother went through this years before and recommended www.thyca.org. GREAT website for support and answers!
1. I learn more about the RAI-131 treatment (radioactive iodine).
2. I learn that I will probably be on a low-iodine diet before and after the treatment.
3. I learn the diet will stink....
Okay, this will seem fast, but...
October 4, 2011 rolls around and I meet Dr. Brennan, my endocrinologist. My dad comes with me to hear it for himself...(haha, have to know my dad).
Anyway, Dr. Brennan has me go through the entire story from the beginning and takes notes. He is in awe of how young I am to go through 3 major surgeries in less than a year!
He explains that he will need to view all of my ultrasound and CT scan pics before receiving my treatment.
Treatment: Because the 1st surgery came back as malignant, I will undergo what is referred to as RAI-131 (radioactive iodine treatment-131 is the dosage). It is specifically for those with thyroid cancer. Your thyroid "soaks" up iodine entered into your body and, basically, this "therapy" will kill any left over thyroid cells in my body. This will allow better monitoring, since I will be on thyroid meds for the rest of my life. It will also help monitor if anything comes back. (not really sure how thyroid cancer comes back when there isn't a thyroid...but anyway...)
He also bases a lot of his decisions on peer-reviewed and evidence-based research! :) :) :) :) :) :) This makes me happy.
He tells me that RAI-131 is a very high dose of radiation and there is research that shows that giving a dose of 131 will have the same effect as giving a lower dose..AND excrete less radiation into our world! Not even 3-5 years ago, doctors were still giving RAI-131 to all patients with thyroid cancer, but research started saying..."hey, you can give a lower dose, and it do what it needs to do."
Trusting the new best friend here...and research....and God.
Ok...so this is October 4, 2011 (not really...but the appointment was)...
In 7 days, I stop my Cytomel (thyroid meds).
In 14 days, I start my low-iodine diet.
In 16 days, I get blood work to see if my body is ready for the treatment.
In 17 days, I see Dr. Brennan again.
This brings us to October 21, 2011...4 days before treatment...day 4 of low-iodine diet.
Diet tips later...I am sleepy.
Pictures after first thyroid surgery....
Sutures and drain tube are removed.....not bad?
higher than I thought...but again. not bad!
6 months later....
May 2010 rolls around....still battling VERTIGO daily...crazy right?
So, now it is time to go back in and do the ultra sound of my thyroid again to see if the nodule is gone, still there, bigger, etc. The moment the tech begins, she says "Oh yeah, it is there." She continues her scan and goes on saying, "We will be doing another guided biopsy."
I am thinking..."Great." The doctor comes in and begins numbing the area he will be going in to get samples. He used 7...SEVEN...needles to numb the area. I should be completely numb right? WRONG. He begins the biopsy of the nodule and BAM! I can feel it! Ouch! This was very uncomfortable, but I knew I had to get it finished! Luckily, I knew God was there right with me, holding my hand...and so was the ultrasound tech. (She felt so bad...) He gets what he needs and gets the needles out. The pathologist looks at the slides and says...we need MORE! WHAT?!?! So, the doctor goes back in...with needles (me still feeling some of them) and gets what he can. Finally I am finished.
I recover for about 45 minutes and leave the office. The very next week, I go back to see my best friend (ENT...) and he says, "Well, it still has atypical cells. And...it is suspicious for papillary carcinoma." I am thinking papillary what?!?! Luckily, he explains that papillary carcinoma is a type of thyroid cancer...a very common thyroid cancer. He explains how many people have it and don't even know. There are simply no symptoms.
Ok...I still have dizziness and feel off balance EVERYWHERE I go. I am now on Xanex 2-3 times a day to help me make it through teaching. I HATE being on medicine, but this is all that helped.
So...suspicious for this papillary carcinoma? What do we do about it? I have two options:
1. You can wait 3 more months and go in for another guided biopsy to see if it is still suspicious or if it has become cancer.
2. You can undergo surgery to have half of your thyroid removed, along with the nodule. (You can live with half of your thyroid and be ok)....
So what do I do? Pray....I've found that the ONE and ONLY thing that has gotten me through this year or craziness is prayer. My faith grew stronger within the past year because sometimes I felt like there would NEVER be an answer.
Ok...decision time!
I talk with my parents, who have been so supportive...I talk with my boyfriend...who has been through ALL of this with me (and stuck around :) ). I talk with my friends and finally decide:
I'm going to have surgery....again. This time on my thyroid!
June 29, 2011 was the date. I had just finished my first year of teaching (yes, I am 25...very rare to find thyroid cancer in someone so young). I had the summer off and was ready to tackle this.
I go in, have the surgery, come home with ANOTHER drainage tube and VERY sick from anesthesia. Luckily, a doctor was on-call and called in some phenergan. What a difference! So, I get out of the hospital on a Friday and go into the office to get my drainage tube removed the following Monday. My ENT was not there so another ENT comes in and takes my tube out...OUCH! It was a horrible feeling. The tube was very long and was hard on the inside...
Ok...I can leave and come back Thursday for suture removal...WRONG! My pathology reports came back sooner that anticipated. The physician, not my primary ENT, thought I had already heard...but no...
I hear, "It came back as positive for PAPILLARY CARCINOMA..."
WHAT?!?!?!
I thought it was just suspicious and the surgery was a precautionary procedure?!?
How did it go from suspicious to malignant in a MONTH?!?!
Talk about a HUGE shock....
The attending physician was not the kindest of ENTs, so I walked away thinking...the worse.
Thursday rolls around and I see my BEST FRIEND again...my ENT. He explains everything in a better light and calms my nerves. He explains that there are many opinions as to taking the other side of my thyroid out, but his advice would be to remove the rest of my thyroid...cancer or not. Okay....another surgery. (
side note: First things first, I will have a CT scan to look for any suspicious lymph nodes...done...and nothing came up...THANKFULLY!)
"When? School starts in a month! I teach individuals with significant disabilities! They need me! Can we wait? Please?"
No...We can't wait. The ENT will be going into the same incision to try and keep it small and eventually unnoticeable. Okay...when? September 7, 2011. Okay...I can lesson plan, find a good sub, and my students will be okay, right?
It has to be right...the surgery was scheduled. I would have a thyroid lobectomy/thyroid completion surgery on September 7, 2011.
School rolls around...the news spreads. I am overwhelmed with the support and prayers that I receive from past friends, my home church, my family, current friends, my family, and my loving boyfriend. (He has really stuck around?).... :)
I try to be strong for myself and for my students. I want to give them 100% while I can...
September 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6......7th.
I go through surgery (at a different hospital) and receive a fabulous experience. From the admissions to nurses to anesthesiologists to my best friend (ENT) to everyone I came in contact with in the hospital.
"I am going to be okay. God has everything under control...and has from the beginning."
Recovery was so much better. I had the drain tube removed before coming home, which was a relief. My mom was here again during and after this surgery/recovery. What an incredible relief!
I go back to the ENT a week later and get my sutures removed. The pathology report came back from the left side thyroid removal...and all I see is BENIGN, BENIGN, BENIGN.....Praise the Lord!
(Two of my parathyroid glands were removed during surgery-not planned but I still had one working parathyroid...so I am okay!)
Next? I discuss radioactive iodine treatment and being referred to a new best friend, my endocrinologist.
Good news..actually GREAT NEWS....since my thyroid completion surgery...the VERTIGO was gone..completely. Really? Could this be it? I was on NO drugs for dizziness or being off balance. Another time to Praise the LORD! :)
keep reading...you will make it! :)
So, now it is time to go back in and do the ultra sound of my thyroid again to see if the nodule is gone, still there, bigger, etc. The moment the tech begins, she says "Oh yeah, it is there." She continues her scan and goes on saying, "We will be doing another guided biopsy."
I am thinking..."Great." The doctor comes in and begins numbing the area he will be going in to get samples. He used 7...SEVEN...needles to numb the area. I should be completely numb right? WRONG. He begins the biopsy of the nodule and BAM! I can feel it! Ouch! This was very uncomfortable, but I knew I had to get it finished! Luckily, I knew God was there right with me, holding my hand...and so was the ultrasound tech. (She felt so bad...) He gets what he needs and gets the needles out. The pathologist looks at the slides and says...we need MORE! WHAT?!?! So, the doctor goes back in...with needles (me still feeling some of them) and gets what he can. Finally I am finished.
I recover for about 45 minutes and leave the office. The very next week, I go back to see my best friend (ENT...) and he says, "Well, it still has atypical cells. And...it is suspicious for papillary carcinoma." I am thinking papillary what?!?! Luckily, he explains that papillary carcinoma is a type of thyroid cancer...a very common thyroid cancer. He explains how many people have it and don't even know. There are simply no symptoms.
Ok...I still have dizziness and feel off balance EVERYWHERE I go. I am now on Xanex 2-3 times a day to help me make it through teaching. I HATE being on medicine, but this is all that helped.
So...suspicious for this papillary carcinoma? What do we do about it? I have two options:
1. You can wait 3 more months and go in for another guided biopsy to see if it is still suspicious or if it has become cancer.
2. You can undergo surgery to have half of your thyroid removed, along with the nodule. (You can live with half of your thyroid and be ok)....
So what do I do? Pray....I've found that the ONE and ONLY thing that has gotten me through this year or craziness is prayer. My faith grew stronger within the past year because sometimes I felt like there would NEVER be an answer.
Ok...decision time!
I talk with my parents, who have been so supportive...I talk with my boyfriend...who has been through ALL of this with me (and stuck around :) ). I talk with my friends and finally decide:
I'm going to have surgery....again. This time on my thyroid!
June 29, 2011 was the date. I had just finished my first year of teaching (yes, I am 25...very rare to find thyroid cancer in someone so young). I had the summer off and was ready to tackle this.
I go in, have the surgery, come home with ANOTHER drainage tube and VERY sick from anesthesia. Luckily, a doctor was on-call and called in some phenergan. What a difference! So, I get out of the hospital on a Friday and go into the office to get my drainage tube removed the following Monday. My ENT was not there so another ENT comes in and takes my tube out...OUCH! It was a horrible feeling. The tube was very long and was hard on the inside...
Ok...I can leave and come back Thursday for suture removal...WRONG! My pathology reports came back sooner that anticipated. The physician, not my primary ENT, thought I had already heard...but no...
I hear, "It came back as positive for PAPILLARY CARCINOMA..."
WHAT?!?!?!
I thought it was just suspicious and the surgery was a precautionary procedure?!?
How did it go from suspicious to malignant in a MONTH?!?!
Talk about a HUGE shock....
The attending physician was not the kindest of ENTs, so I walked away thinking...the worse.
Thursday rolls around and I see my BEST FRIEND again...my ENT. He explains everything in a better light and calms my nerves. He explains that there are many opinions as to taking the other side of my thyroid out, but his advice would be to remove the rest of my thyroid...cancer or not. Okay....another surgery. (
side note: First things first, I will have a CT scan to look for any suspicious lymph nodes...done...and nothing came up...THANKFULLY!)
"When? School starts in a month! I teach individuals with significant disabilities! They need me! Can we wait? Please?"
No...We can't wait. The ENT will be going into the same incision to try and keep it small and eventually unnoticeable. Okay...when? September 7, 2011. Okay...I can lesson plan, find a good sub, and my students will be okay, right?
It has to be right...the surgery was scheduled. I would have a thyroid lobectomy/thyroid completion surgery on September 7, 2011.
School rolls around...the news spreads. I am overwhelmed with the support and prayers that I receive from past friends, my home church, my family, current friends, my family, and my loving boyfriend. (He has really stuck around?).... :)
I try to be strong for myself and for my students. I want to give them 100% while I can...
September 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6......7th.
I go through surgery (at a different hospital) and receive a fabulous experience. From the admissions to nurses to anesthesiologists to my best friend (ENT) to everyone I came in contact with in the hospital.
"I am going to be okay. God has everything under control...and has from the beginning."
Recovery was so much better. I had the drain tube removed before coming home, which was a relief. My mom was here again during and after this surgery/recovery. What an incredible relief!
I go back to the ENT a week later and get my sutures removed. The pathology report came back from the left side thyroid removal...and all I see is BENIGN, BENIGN, BENIGN.....Praise the Lord!
(Two of my parathyroid glands were removed during surgery-not planned but I still had one working parathyroid...so I am okay!)
Next? I discuss radioactive iodine treatment and being referred to a new best friend, my endocrinologist.
Good news..actually GREAT NEWS....since my thyroid completion surgery...the VERTIGO was gone..completely. Really? Could this be it? I was on NO drugs for dizziness or being off balance. Another time to Praise the LORD! :)
keep reading...you will make it! :)
Beginning of this journey....
So, this blog is mainly for those struggling with thyroid cancer and ALL that comes with it...symptoms, going to specialist after specialist, finding some answers, surgery, diagnosis, another surgery, RAI-131 treatment, and the worst....LOW IODINE DIET! :)
My journey started the summer of 2010. I was diagnosed with Vertigo. I couldn't lay down, stand up, sit up, walk, run, etc. without feeling a sense of dizziness or being off-balance. It came and went away after about 3 weeks....Then after a week of "relief" it came back worse than before. I couldn't do ANYTHING without feeling like I was going to fall down. I was unsteady on my feet standing for any length of time. I couldn't walk/run without feeling like I was going to pass out. I couldn't sit up without resting my head on something. And to make it worse, the anti-Vert that I took before DIDN'T work!
I started going to my new primary physician (with no insurance... I was in transition from parents' insurance to my own...which started in September 2010) who, right away ordered an EKG and had me going home with a 48 hour heart monitor. Luckily, the EKG and heart monitor came back with no problems.
Next up, neurologist. I meet my neurologist, who I am sure was almost 100 years old. He liked to get up close when talking/listening and liked explaining the history of the brain. Great! Right? no... He does an in-office eval and comes up with... "you have abnormal reflexes." Okay? Next... I go in for a brain MRI the very next day. I hear nothing from the scan, thinking I am fine. There must be a brain up there somewhere. :)
A week or so later, I am referred to my new best friend...my ENT (ear, nose, and throat specialist). I say best friend because we spent a lot of time together! I go in thinking this is the next step in the process, but find out the brain MRI was not 100% ok. Well my brain was ok, but they found a mass attached to the right parotid gland (1 of the main salivary glands). I'm thinking...MASS?...Tumor?...CANCER??
Well...my ENT was VERY knowledgeable and very helpful in understanding what this thing is. It is common place for masses to be found, usually BENIGN, and can be removed or left in. Okay...
Next step? I go in for an ultrasound/guided biopsy of my neck, focusing on this mass thing attached to my right parotid gland. During the ultrasound, the tech found a nodule on my thyroid...hmmmm???
The doctor comes in ready for the guided biopsy and gets permission to biopsy this nodule on my thyroid. Imagine...getting stuck several times in your neck..a very sensitive place! So...results come back and the mass behind my ear is BENIGN...yes! The nodule on my thyroid has atypical cells and will be reviewed again in 6 months. GREAT...another experience with the needle in my neck.
So...my ENT and I decide that I will have surgery and have this mass removed from my parotid gland and be done with each other...until the 6-month biopsy in May 2011. Surgery went great...recovery..so-so. I came home on Christmas Eve 2010 with a drain tube coming out of my neck and a cut that resembled a candy cane. :) A great Christmas present!
Next up...6 months later....
My journey started the summer of 2010. I was diagnosed with Vertigo. I couldn't lay down, stand up, sit up, walk, run, etc. without feeling a sense of dizziness or being off-balance. It came and went away after about 3 weeks....Then after a week of "relief" it came back worse than before. I couldn't do ANYTHING without feeling like I was going to fall down. I was unsteady on my feet standing for any length of time. I couldn't walk/run without feeling like I was going to pass out. I couldn't sit up without resting my head on something. And to make it worse, the anti-Vert that I took before DIDN'T work!
I started going to my new primary physician (with no insurance... I was in transition from parents' insurance to my own...which started in September 2010) who, right away ordered an EKG and had me going home with a 48 hour heart monitor. Luckily, the EKG and heart monitor came back with no problems.
Next up, neurologist. I meet my neurologist, who I am sure was almost 100 years old. He liked to get up close when talking/listening and liked explaining the history of the brain. Great! Right? no... He does an in-office eval and comes up with... "you have abnormal reflexes." Okay? Next... I go in for a brain MRI the very next day. I hear nothing from the scan, thinking I am fine. There must be a brain up there somewhere. :)
A week or so later, I am referred to my new best friend...my ENT (ear, nose, and throat specialist). I say best friend because we spent a lot of time together! I go in thinking this is the next step in the process, but find out the brain MRI was not 100% ok. Well my brain was ok, but they found a mass attached to the right parotid gland (1 of the main salivary glands). I'm thinking...MASS?...Tumor?...CANCER??
Well...my ENT was VERY knowledgeable and very helpful in understanding what this thing is. It is common place for masses to be found, usually BENIGN, and can be removed or left in. Okay...
Next step? I go in for an ultrasound/guided biopsy of my neck, focusing on this mass thing attached to my right parotid gland. During the ultrasound, the tech found a nodule on my thyroid...hmmmm???
The doctor comes in ready for the guided biopsy and gets permission to biopsy this nodule on my thyroid. Imagine...getting stuck several times in your neck..a very sensitive place! So...results come back and the mass behind my ear is BENIGN...yes! The nodule on my thyroid has atypical cells and will be reviewed again in 6 months. GREAT...another experience with the needle in my neck.
So...my ENT and I decide that I will have surgery and have this mass removed from my parotid gland and be done with each other...until the 6-month biopsy in May 2011. Surgery went great...recovery..so-so. I came home on Christmas Eve 2010 with a drain tube coming out of my neck and a cut that resembled a candy cane. :) A great Christmas present!
Next up...6 months later....
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