Ready...set...raw vegan

My mom recently returned from a 10-day cleanse program, and she has come back as a raw vegan. Depending on who you talk to, diet is a cancer survivors best friend. The theory / belief is that what you eat can either keep cancer away, or give it a place to continue to grow and spread to the rest of your body.

I read it in several books about fighting cancer, including the one general cancer book I bought right after my surgeries in 2010. My good friend, KT, had also mentioned to me that her friend that is a nutritionist recommended that I change my diet, which to me sounded a bit extreme because I wasn't ready to cut out certain meats and all sugars, including those from fruit - I love fruit! The major point, from all the resources I had, was to remove the enemy: all processed foods.

When I posed the question to my Endo two years ago, his reply was along the lines of 'no, cutting out sugar might be good for other health reasons, but not for preventing cancer from coming back.' First thing to run through my head was, 'great, point to the fact that I am still overweight, regardless of all the weight I lost via WeightWatchers before my cancer diagnosis, plus all the weight I lost recovering from my surgeries and that god-awful Low Iodine Diet (LID) before getting RAI.' But his answer was good enough for me, so I went on my merry way.

Fast forward to this year/month, and what I did not have the balls to do myself, my mom does. To me, a thyroid cancer survivor, depriving myself from the food I love and enjoy today for a cancer tumor that may not show up until 20 years from now seemed rather pointless when so much life can be lived in 20 years. But to a lung cancer survivor that has been told that she has the highest chance of recurrence in the first year, and that chemo is not an option if she does have recurrence, those odds of living another 20 years, cancer free, are not so good - why take any chances at all? Going vegan means removing all meats and dairy from your diet. There are plenty of proteins that come from plant sources. The raw part means that nothing is cooked, so you get as many nutrients as possible from your food.

My aunt, who worked as a cancer nurse for many years, was the one that encouraged my mom to go to the program and to go vegan. The raw part is from the program itself. I think it is a good thing, not only for my mom, but for me as well, as I can see other benefits from eating like her, like not having to worry about diabetes, high blood pressure, or weight gain. But mostly, I don't want to find out 20 years from now that I've had a nasty thryoid cancer tumor growing inside me all the while. I want to know 20 years from now, when I see my Endo for my semi-annual appt that my TSH and T4 are fine, my Tg is still undetectable, and I am still cancer free.

I support my mom in her efforts to fight cancer with her fork.

Stress....

It can manifest itself in many different ways. Some believe it is the root of our diseases, such as cancer. I have been dealing with a wide variety of stress for the past month. The normal things like work, health, and finances. But also the one-offs lime my niece swimming in the Olympics, or the family member or friend that seems to be crying for help.

I think this person has been crying for help for a long time. Regardless of how much me and several others have repeatedly tried to give support and suggestions, it falls on deaf ears. This time, though, I think is the last straw. This stupid decision will change everything for this person, and not in a good way. Sure this person seeks out drama. And yes, this person is very insecure. But I am tired of giving a damn. I have way too many other things to worry about.

Follow-up DCR appt - 8/16/12

Today might be the day the tube is removed from my left eye. I had green discharge this morning, something I have not had in a while. In the evenings, I have been dabbling my left eye less over the last week or so, so I hope that removing the tube will do the trick. Crossing my fingers.

Catching up....has it really been two months since my last post?

The last couple of months have been....well, crazy. I got lost in things. My mom's radiation treatments. Projects and conflicts at work. Nagging right arm pain. I was not making time for me. But I am slowly getting back to the business of taking care of me.

The good news:
1. My mom made it through her radiation treatments, and so far is recovering nicely.
2. One of my nieces made the US Olympic swim team. So proud of her!
3. My work issue has been resolved.
4. I do not have a rotator cuff tear.
5. I got a new phone! - the EVO 4G LTE


The bad news:
1. I have been putting on the weight. All that stress from the past couple of months - all the eating and never getting around to exercising is finally coming back to haunt me.
2. My awesome dog, Frankie, was put down this past weekend. He was the best dog in the world. RIP, buddy. I miss you every day.
3. In order to be able to climb again, I have a lot of work ahead of me - I need to get a trainer to help me strengthen my shoulder girdles, take care of the weight problem, and correct my posture. If I continue to injure my right shoulder, then it might be time for me to hang up the climbing shoes.
4. I am still dabbing my left eye, post DCR surgery. Hopefully the tube will be removed next month, and the dabbing will finally stop.

Thyroid issues. Other than the weight gain, that weird, tingling feeling along my scar has been bothering me again. And, I can't stand the way my seat belt hits me in that area when I drive. But I am happy to report that I have not missed a single afternoon T3 dose in the past two weeks.

I leave you with a photo of my buddy, Frankie:

How does my neck look? - 5/11/2012

Two years ago today, at my post surgery follow-up appt, I was given the bad news, "Sorry, it is cancer". I don't remember the exact words my ENT told me, or the exact words I said in reply. I do remember him telling me I could get a second opinion on the pathology. I didn't need it. I knew going into the surgery that if it was hurthle cell carcinoma, the rest of my thyroid had to be removed. I just wanted to know how soon the second surgery could be done, and I wanted it done ASAP. Luckily, he had someone cancel that following Monday, so I took it.

I think in the back of my mind I already knew I had it. And it is probably best that it was my ENT who told me the results of my FNA instead of my Endo because I don't think I could have handled that kind of information knowing that I would not have my ENT consult for another month. Part of me was hoping it wasn't cancer, especially when my mom told me that when my ENT spoke with her after my surgery, he told her he felt positive it was not, but that the surgery right before mine was. He was wrong on both, but that doesn't matter because there was more cancer to be found on my right lobe after the second surgery.

It also meant I would need to take more time off from work. I remember telling my boss that I didn't want to share the reason for my 2 week absence with the rest of the team. But, since I was going in for another surgery, I knew I had to say something. It took a while to compose my email, but I wanted it to be informative, not a "woe is me" announcement. At this point, I also decided to tell my closest friends. That too was another difficult email to compose. I was so far away from all of them, and when they hear from me it is to tell them that I have cancer. Great.

I have come a long way since hearing those three words no one wants to hear ("it is cancer"). So two years after I was told I have thyroid cancer, how does my neck look?

  

Now, fast forward two years later and I am dealing with the one side effect I had from my RAI treatment, a blocked tear duct. Left nasolacrimal duct obstruction. The treatment, left dacryocystorhinostomy, or a DCR. It was done yesterday. My left eye is still puffy. My surgeon called this morning to check up on me. He said I could take off the bandage, and that "I would continue to have some tearing for about two weeks, that I'd get some draining through my nose or the back of my throat, but it would not affect my brain." LoL - where do all my doctors get their humor from? So anyway, how does my left eye look?

  

2 years later...

Two years ago, my left thyroid lobe was removed. In the back of my mind, I knew I was going to be fine regardless of whether or not cancer was found in that lobe, I just wasn't sure what it was going to take to feel 'normal' again, or rather what my new 'normal' was going to feel like.

I had done enough reading and research on hurthle cell carcinoma to know that if that is what was in my left lobe, the right side also had to be removed, that I would be given RAI, that I would be on thyroid meds for the rest of my life, and that it could come back 20 years down the line. I was afraid of the daily requirement for medication - how on earth was I going to get used to taking a little pill every morning, at the same time every day, 30-60 minutes before I ate breakfast, the same breakfast for the rest of my life? I don't even wake up at the same time on a daily basis, let alone be able to wait 30-60 minutes before eating when I wake up ready to eat every morning. But I have gotten used to it. I had to.

The first eight months were the worst for me. I was always waiting to hear my Endo tell me that my Tg levels were off the charts and I'd need another surgery, or that I would feel a bulge in my neck area that was a lymph node that needed to be removed. I was constantly worried that they did not get it all, not with the surgeries, not with the RAI. Didn't help that my first ultrasound post surgery was abnormal. Didn't help that I was having thyroid brain fog in the afternoons.

I have been on 88mcg Levoxyl and 10mcg T3 (5mcg, twice daily) for over a year now. I forget to take my afternoon T3 dose at least once a month. Luckily that has not affected my Tg or TSH levels. So far the only issue I have is weight gain. I feel fine most of the time, so my meds are probably fine where they are. I guess I can say that I am pretty close to feeling normal again. I say 'pretty close' because I am not free and clear from recurrence, none of us ThyCans are, so it is a rather fragile normal.

So what do I worry about now? Well, my left tear duct started to show signs of blockage six months after RAI, so I constantly have to dab my left eye. I learned quickly that I could not use low-end tissues otherwise my left eye would get even more irritated, and I've had two bouts of Conjunctivitus over the last two years. But I am happy to say that I am finally getting it fixed next week! Otherwise, I have come to the conclusion that I should only worry about it if my blood work ever comes back with detectable Tg or my TSH is over 1.0, and either continues to trend upwards.

So two years later, things are going well.

Radiation, of another kind

Today is my mom's first external beam radiation treatment for her lung cancer. A bit scary. It only takes 10 minutes or so. They are running late today, so that didn't help her nervousness.

I remember waiting for my RAI pill. That took forever too. Didn't help that the doc had to explain everything and answer all of my questions before it could he administered. At least she will not be radioactive like I was. I hear there is pain involved with this type though. Just hoping this therapy gets all the cancer.

And I still wonder, why my mom, why now? Sure, way bettter technology these days, but wasn't me having cancer enough for my family to have to go through? So prayer. Prayer for grace and peace in what she has to go through. It will be Ok, mom. Just something more to help you kick cancer's ass.