My latest freak out issue is what if I need to go through surgery again? I don't want to do that again. Or, what if I have to have surgery and RAI every year?

Got a call from my ENDO's office. She said both my ENDO & ENT agree that I need a follow-up ultrasound. Right, it has already been scheduled for Jan 27.

Last year's blood work

I finally found my lab report from last November - I thought I lost it! To review, last November (2009), at my annual check up, my PCP noticed that the left side of my thyroid was larger that it should be. Included in my blood work were my TSH, Free T4, and Total T3. My ENDO has not requested a Total T3 yet, so I have no idea what my current numbers are for that, but below are the results from last year and my current levels for TSH and FT4:

Blood work 11/09
TSH 2.25 (range .34 - 4.82)
FT4 .72 (range .55 - 1.20)
TT3 124 (range (60-181)

So, my levels look great, don't they? But we all know now that there was something really wrong going on with my thyroid. I remember being told that my levels were within range, and this is probably why my ENDO thought, earlier this year, that it was probably benign, and he'd just have to watch it to make sure it didn't grow, or turn malignant. So keep in mind that even if your thyroid levels look fine, there could be something really wrong going on with it.

Blood work 12/10
TSH .01 (range .35 - 5.5)
FT4 1.9 (range .7 - 1.5)

My ENDO wants my TSH below 1.0, which I still think is way too high. Everything I have read and everyone on the ThyCa listserv and in my support group meetings have all been told that it needs to be below .5, to be safe; less than .01 is too low. My FT4 is still too high; to bring it down, T4 dosage (Levoxyl, Synthroid, Armour, etc.) is usually reduced. However, lowering my Levoxyl dosage still has not lowered my FT4 level. I am at 125mcg right now. I'm suffering from really bad Thyroid brain fog right now, but not sure what is causing it yet.

How does my neck look? 12/26/10

It's been too long since my last scar post. I did manage to take a few shots of my scar since the last post, but just never got around to uploading and commenting on it. This one it taken from a lower angle than usual. I seem to use more photos of my scar that are taken looking down on the scar as opposed to looking straight on, or from a lower angle. I've been trying to find a good one that shows the redder tone of my scar, but it never seems to look that red in any of the photos. I saw some photos from May, when my sisters were in town after my first surgery. Wow - it was very prominent, dark, and looked thicker. It is amazing how much better it looks seven months later. How did people not see it before? I wasn't hiding out at home the whole time, and I most definitely did not cover it up! Interesting. Anyway, how does my neck look?

Merry Christmas!

Back in May, when I was going through my surgeries and the realization that I had not one, but two kinds of thyroid cancer, Christmas seemed so far away. It was the last thing on my mind. Now that is it Christmas, it is still the last thing on my mind. But I have to pause and remember how blessed I am. No matter what kind of a year you have had (I bet you can't top mine this year!!!), remember to enjoy the holidays, your family, and your health.

Not much of a run this evening. Still don't like the way the Nike Lunar shoes feel on my feet. I like the Lunar Trainers I own, but these other ones not so much

Financial relief: My 401k hardship withdrawal was approved! I can pay off my last two medical bills tomorrow. Another thing I can now put behind me for this yr.