Today was my six month follow up ultrasound appt to check on the mystery tissue that was found on the right side of my thyroid bed last December. My ultrasound tech said she did my ultrasound earlier this year. She asked if I had some blood work done recently. I told her I did yesterday, but had not seen the results online yet, and that the results from my 1-yr scan (clear) and my unsuppressed Tg/TgAB labs (undetectable) probably mean that my mystery tissue is most likely just scar tissue. I asked her if she does a 'careful neck ultrasound', or checks all the levels around my neck and thyroid. She said for normal thryoid studies, no, but if you have a history of thyroid issues like thyroid cancer, then she checks all your lymph nodes. Great, confirmation I needed to hear for myself.
She started by having me turn my head to the left, away from the monitor of the ultrasound machine, so she could look at the right side of my neck. I don't remember having to do this back in January. As she was taking pictures, she asked my about my surgery - when did I have my TT. I said, left lobe on May 3rd of last year, then the right side on May 17th, also of last year. She asked why they didn't get it all the first time. I had to tell her, 'because they found cancer on the left side'. I still have to pause when I say that to people. While she did the left side, I watched the monitor as she selected odd shaped dark areas and put some sort of colorization on the screen or zoomed in on the area, then saved the picture. I think the blue and red colors represent blood flow going either in or out of that area, something like that. I fell asleep during the last part of my ultrasound, when she had me turn my head to the left again. When she was done, I waited in the exam room while the x-ray doc reviewed my ultrasounds. She said everything looked Ok, my ENDO would have the results in the morning, and I was free to go. Sounded good to me.
Yesterday, before my ThyCa meeting, I had my blood draw so my ENDO can decide if my meds still need to be tweaked or not. I think my ENDO said my Total T3 was going to be drawn as well, since I am now on T3 meds, but I didn't see it on the paper work. My phlebotomist is the manager for the lab. I told her about my experience last month, when the tech couldn't seem to find any of my veins for my unsuppressed Tg/TgAB labs. She told me if I ever feel uncomfortable with a tech, it is Ok to tell them that you want someone else to draw your blood. Good to know because I have always waited for the tech to admit they were doing a bad job of making me look like a heroin addict and offer to have someone else poke my veins. Now I know I don't have to suffer longer than necessary. Thank goodness!
Anyway, my lab results still have not been posted online by my ENDO. I think as part of the questions that I will be sending to him for my appt next week, I should ask about my failing energy levels in the afternoons and my speech issues - yes, they are back. I now think one reason why I am exhausted in the afternoons could be from the fact that I increased the number of days I run each week, but I still wonder if being over caffeinated throughout the day during the work week may also have something to do with it.
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