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.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
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.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
ENDO appt - 4/18/12
All clear. No changes to my neck (ultrasound results), undetectable Tg levels, TSH and FT4 are fine.
Said the only other option, for meds is Armour, but didn't think we needed to go there yet. Now, I was surprised he is Ok to prescribe it because most Endo's won't.
I did mention my weight gain issue. I said I am having a hard time getting exercise in - no running, no climbing, no yoga or pilates. He said weight gain is a hard one, because there could be so many other factors like the exercise routine issue I have. I guess that means if I am still having problems even after I start working out regularly again, then he might try the dosage change.
He renewed my Levoxyl prescription and said to come back in 6 months. No ultrasound for that one (keep that as an annual check), but have blood work done before that appt. Cool.
I also asked if he could tell me the results of my MRI. He said they found a (or was that a couple of) small tears in my rotator cuff, nothing PT can't fix, he says. I also mentioned being sick a lot lately, and my eye thing this past weekend. How did it happen, he asked. I guess just the constant eye dabbing and doing so with dirty hands. He said it looked like it cleared up.
Ok. Not too bad of an appt. Didn't feel like anything was being overlooked. He still seemed a butt rushed, but I didn't have any pressing questions, so I am Ok with it this time.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Neck ultrasound - 4/10/12
Not so sure I am satisfied with my neck ultrasound this afternoon. First of all, I requested that the same person that did my last two do it this time - that didn't happen.
Then, this tech's idea of an ultrasound was placing the wand thing at three different places along the base of my neck. And she was going to stop there! Holy smokes. So I said to her, "Aren't you going to get the back and sides?" as she was starting to wipe up my neck. She replied, "Oh sure, if you want." "Yes, please, since that is how it was done the last two times."So once again, she put the wand thing below my ears on each side. Whatever. At least she did more than she had planned to do. I kept on thinking to myself, 'I think I want to ask my primary doc to order a full/careful neck ultrasound because I am not happy with the one done today', or 'I wonder if my second opinion Endo does her own neck ultrasounds, and if so, would she do one for me?'
Well, at least the tech was personable.
Monday, April 9, 2012
This will be a busy week
The only day I don't have an afternoon appt this coming week is tomorrow, 4/9/12. I managed to get everything scheduled for this week without having to cancel a single appt for overlap. All these appts could not come at a better time as I have not been feeling.....right lately.
Tuesday afternoon I have my annual mammogram and neck ultrasound. I missed my mammogram last year. My primary care doc said I should get it done annually, not that she thinks I have anything to worry about, but I might as well since it is covered by my insurance, but most of all, early detection is the way to go. Not too worried about my neck ultrasound since I have not felt anything in my neck, and I have not had the weird feeling along my scar in the past month.
Wednesday afternoon is my MRI. Finally. Just a little concerned that they will only look at my shoulder and not at my arm, where the pain is coming from. Hopefully I get at least one climbing session in before the MRI so I can irritate whatever it is that is injured so it will show up nice and clear. Well, I'm sure that isn't how these things work, but to me at least, I hope they find something good to explain the pain I've been having. Honestly, I don't think it is a labral (labrum) tear because that is not the type of pain I feel in my arm. If it is, then I have to have surgery to correct it. If it isn't, then I don't know. But my copay is around $103, so it better be good. Need to remember to get my labs done for my ENDO appt next week. If anything is of concern for my ThyCa, this is where it will show up.
Thursday afternoon I get my permanent bridge installed. Every now and then my temporary bridge feels like it is coming off. I remember how sensitive my gums where in that area when it came off the day of my mom's surgery, so I really hope it stays intact until this appt.
Friday afternoon, finally, is my acupuncture appt. I have managed to not get a regular exercise routine going, so not only have I gained back more weight, I also still feel really sluggish. I spent this entire weekend almost exclusively in my pj's and eating while watching TV. I am a mess. I did manage to get at least seven hours of sleep each night, well, after going to sleep between 3-4am. I need her to give me needles for relaxation, appetite control, and energy. Or, then again, maybe my period is coming.
Anyway, at least it is a week when I don't have to take my mom to one of her appts. It will just be a week that I have to deal with my own.
Tuesday afternoon I have my annual mammogram and neck ultrasound. I missed my mammogram last year. My primary care doc said I should get it done annually, not that she thinks I have anything to worry about, but I might as well since it is covered by my insurance, but most of all, early detection is the way to go. Not too worried about my neck ultrasound since I have not felt anything in my neck, and I have not had the weird feeling along my scar in the past month.
Wednesday afternoon is my MRI. Finally. Just a little concerned that they will only look at my shoulder and not at my arm, where the pain is coming from. Hopefully I get at least one climbing session in before the MRI so I can irritate whatever it is that is injured so it will show up nice and clear. Well, I'm sure that isn't how these things work, but to me at least, I hope they find something good to explain the pain I've been having. Honestly, I don't think it is a labral (labrum) tear because that is not the type of pain I feel in my arm. If it is, then I have to have surgery to correct it. If it isn't, then I don't know. But my copay is around $103, so it better be good. Need to remember to get my labs done for my ENDO appt next week. If anything is of concern for my ThyCa, this is where it will show up.
Thursday afternoon I get my permanent bridge installed. Every now and then my temporary bridge feels like it is coming off. I remember how sensitive my gums where in that area when it came off the day of my mom's surgery, so I really hope it stays intact until this appt.
Friday afternoon, finally, is my acupuncture appt. I have managed to not get a regular exercise routine going, so not only have I gained back more weight, I also still feel really sluggish. I spent this entire weekend almost exclusively in my pj's and eating while watching TV. I am a mess. I did manage to get at least seven hours of sleep each night, well, after going to sleep between 3-4am. I need her to give me needles for relaxation, appetite control, and energy. Or, then again, maybe my period is coming.
Anyway, at least it is a week when I don't have to take my mom to one of her appts. It will just be a week that I have to deal with my own.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Rough week for parts of my head
Lots of stuff going on, but this week in particular has been really bad for my head.
Monday, I went to my dentist because of considerable pain in my upper right jaw the week before, and I had noticed last weekend that the tooth that was causing all the pain was loose. First my dentist says, "Ok, I need to replace the crown on that tooth as well as the one next to it." The right side of my mouth is numbed. About 15 minutes later the drilling starts. Next thing I know, he is telling me, "I am sorry, Florida, one of the roots of that tooth is broken....I will have to extract it." Ugh. Then he says, "I need to put a bridge in." Huh?!? The only thing I could say in reply was, "I don't think I've had one of those before, what does that mean?" "No, you have not. Let me show you...." So I have a lovely temporary bridge in there now, and an appt in two weeks to have the bridge set. And why is this all happening? Because my teeth are shifting. Why are my teeth shifting? Because I still grind, but probably more so whenever I take a nap and I don't have my night guard in. Crud.
Thursday, I had an appt with the eye doc I saw earlier this month about my teary left eye. All the doc said at that appt was "I need to go in and find out where the blockages are in both of your eyes." I'm thinking to myself, "Sure, that's what the guy I was referred to last January did, so this should be a breeze." But when I left his PA gave me a sheet of paper titled "Eye Surgery". So, I was a bit confused what was going to happen because the only other thing he said was "Yes, you can drive yourself home, although there might be a little discomfort after the procedure." Hmph. So Thursday, they called me back 45 minutes after my appt time - he was doing the same procedure on someone else right before me. Anyway, I am sitting there in this bigger than usual exam chair, and the PA hands me the consent form for a '4 lid punctoplasty'. Didn't even know this thing had a name, but now this is starting to sound serious. She leans the chair back and starts to explain that my eyes will be closed the whole time, she'll swab on an anesthetic, then he'll inject more and start the procedure. Before he starts, my eye doc tells me I might have bruising at the areas where he injected the anesthetic - Yes, I do have that today, and now the green goo coming out of my left eye today is starting to cloud my vision.
The results were, my cannicula on the left side are clear, however my left tear duct is completely blocked. The right side is completely clear, but if there were any kind of blockage, he just cleared it out for me. Super. The recommendation, of course, is to have a DCR done, same procedure the eye doc last year recommended. But this eye doc at least explained it a little less violently: "I will drill a hole in the bone on the left side of your nose close to the inner corner of your left eye...a passage way will be made so your tears will be re-routed...a tube will be left in there for three months...a string will keep the opening open at the top...I will use stitches that dissolve to cover the area where the incision in your nose bone is made." Ok, not happy he also breaks the bone and doesn't go through the nose. So I ask if there are any problems with this tube that will be stuck in my nose for three months. "No, it will not be visible (in my nostril?), but it needs to stay there so the new opening will not heal itself closed." "Will I be able to feel it?, like will it be itchy?" "No, most people can feel it for the first week, but not so much after that. I did have one case where it made the patient sneeze all the time, so it had to be removed a few weeks earlier." Interesting. "Am I going to look like I was punched in my left eye for two weeks?" "No, most people look fine the following week when they come back for their post-op appt., and the procedure is done on a Thursday, so you have the whole weekend to relax, and you could work from home the next day." The surgery takes 40 minutes!, and is done as an outpatient procedure. I will need someone to drive me home afterward, and I should not do anything too strenuous the rest of that day. I will be able to wear my glasses and contacts - the pads from my eyeglasses won't hit that area (not sure if he is accounting for the Asian nose or not), and the string in the inner corner of my eye will not be bothered by my contact lenses. "You can think about it and let us know." Are you kidding me? "No need to, I'll take your first open date, I want this thing fixed already. I am so tired of having to blot my left, teary, eye." So my appt is on May 10. Oddly enough, that date is the week between my two thyroid surgery two years ago.
Now we start the weekend before my mom's lung surgery. The mass on her left lung is almost 100% cancer based on the CT and PET scans. Luckily, the two lymph nodes involved can be removed with the upper left lobe. My mom seems to be at peace with all of this. She too understands that things happen for a reason, something I had to accept myself when I found out that my FNA had what looked like hurthle cells. I was hoping I would never have to accept a member of my own family into my 'cancer club', but I am no longer alone in this club of certain unpleasantness. I at least know what she is going through - the feelings, the anxiety, all the 'what ifs' that go through your mind every single day because I have been there. So the rough week for parts of my head is to be followed by a rough week for my heart as I have to see my mom begin her own cancer journey on Monday morning.
Monday, I went to my dentist because of considerable pain in my upper right jaw the week before, and I had noticed last weekend that the tooth that was causing all the pain was loose. First my dentist says, "Ok, I need to replace the crown on that tooth as well as the one next to it." The right side of my mouth is numbed. About 15 minutes later the drilling starts. Next thing I know, he is telling me, "I am sorry, Florida, one of the roots of that tooth is broken....I will have to extract it." Ugh. Then he says, "I need to put a bridge in." Huh?!? The only thing I could say in reply was, "I don't think I've had one of those before, what does that mean?" "No, you have not. Let me show you...." So I have a lovely temporary bridge in there now, and an appt in two weeks to have the bridge set. And why is this all happening? Because my teeth are shifting. Why are my teeth shifting? Because I still grind, but probably more so whenever I take a nap and I don't have my night guard in. Crud.
Thursday, I had an appt with the eye doc I saw earlier this month about my teary left eye. All the doc said at that appt was "I need to go in and find out where the blockages are in both of your eyes." I'm thinking to myself, "Sure, that's what the guy I was referred to last January did, so this should be a breeze." But when I left his PA gave me a sheet of paper titled "Eye Surgery". So, I was a bit confused what was going to happen because the only other thing he said was "Yes, you can drive yourself home, although there might be a little discomfort after the procedure." Hmph. So Thursday, they called me back 45 minutes after my appt time - he was doing the same procedure on someone else right before me. Anyway, I am sitting there in this bigger than usual exam chair, and the PA hands me the consent form for a '4 lid punctoplasty'. Didn't even know this thing had a name, but now this is starting to sound serious. She leans the chair back and starts to explain that my eyes will be closed the whole time, she'll swab on an anesthetic, then he'll inject more and start the procedure. Before he starts, my eye doc tells me I might have bruising at the areas where he injected the anesthetic - Yes, I do have that today, and now the green goo coming out of my left eye today is starting to cloud my vision.
The results were, my cannicula on the left side are clear, however my left tear duct is completely blocked. The right side is completely clear, but if there were any kind of blockage, he just cleared it out for me. Super. The recommendation, of course, is to have a DCR done, same procedure the eye doc last year recommended. But this eye doc at least explained it a little less violently: "I will drill a hole in the bone on the left side of your nose close to the inner corner of your left eye...a passage way will be made so your tears will be re-routed...a tube will be left in there for three months...a string will keep the opening open at the top...I will use stitches that dissolve to cover the area where the incision in your nose bone is made." Ok, not happy he also breaks the bone and doesn't go through the nose. So I ask if there are any problems with this tube that will be stuck in my nose for three months. "No, it will not be visible (in my nostril?), but it needs to stay there so the new opening will not heal itself closed." "Will I be able to feel it?, like will it be itchy?" "No, most people can feel it for the first week, but not so much after that. I did have one case where it made the patient sneeze all the time, so it had to be removed a few weeks earlier." Interesting. "Am I going to look like I was punched in my left eye for two weeks?" "No, most people look fine the following week when they come back for their post-op appt., and the procedure is done on a Thursday, so you have the whole weekend to relax, and you could work from home the next day." The surgery takes 40 minutes!, and is done as an outpatient procedure. I will need someone to drive me home afterward, and I should not do anything too strenuous the rest of that day. I will be able to wear my glasses and contacts - the pads from my eyeglasses won't hit that area (not sure if he is accounting for the Asian nose or not), and the string in the inner corner of my eye will not be bothered by my contact lenses. "You can think about it and let us know." Are you kidding me? "No need to, I'll take your first open date, I want this thing fixed already. I am so tired of having to blot my left, teary, eye." So my appt is on May 10. Oddly enough, that date is the week between my two thyroid surgery two years ago.
Now we start the weekend before my mom's lung surgery. The mass on her left lung is almost 100% cancer based on the CT and PET scans. Luckily, the two lymph nodes involved can be removed with the upper left lobe. My mom seems to be at peace with all of this. She too understands that things happen for a reason, something I had to accept myself when I found out that my FNA had what looked like hurthle cells. I was hoping I would never have to accept a member of my own family into my 'cancer club', but I am no longer alone in this club of certain unpleasantness. I at least know what she is going through - the feelings, the anxiety, all the 'what ifs' that go through your mind every single day because I have been there. So the rough week for parts of my head is to be followed by a rough week for my heart as I have to see my mom begin her own cancer journey on Monday morning.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Thyroid plays a part in episode of 'New Girl' 3/6/12
I like watching the Fox tv series 'New Girl', so I was pleasantly surprised to see the episode that aired this evening covers a thyroid issue of one of the characters. Funny thing is he is at an OB doc who points out the lump on his neck, and a lot of ThyCans are at their Gyn doc when their nodule is discovered.
Here is a review of the episode:
http://m.tvfanatic.com/2012/03/new-girl-review-skinny-dipping-and-nick-millers-sad-song/
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