Cancer Free?

October 2007

I had by big appt with my Thyroid Specialist this morning. She is the one that makes all the final decisions when it comes to my treatments. So on October the 16th I have to go to the hospital and have a CT-Scan with contrast done so they can see more into the right lymph node. As long as it comes back that all the cancer cells are 100% dead then I should be in the clear. If they can't tell with this scan I will have to have another surgery so they can look at the lymph node under a microscope. *sigh*

So I had a good 15 minute cry in my car before I left the parking lot. It really shocks your brain to get news your not expecting.

I'm staying positive and I keep telling myself  I'M CANCER FREE!!!!!

I've gone Nuclear

September 18th, 2007

I went in to my Nuclear Medicine Doctor today to have another Nuclear Imaging body scan. I had one right after I did the radio active iodine treatment in Aug. He finally told me when I got in the room today as to why I had to have a second scan. He saw cancer in my right lymphoid but assured me the cancer cells are PROBABLY all dead. I hate when a Dr can't tell you yes or no, geezzz. I know they have to cover their asses. So we looked at my pictures he took today and you can still see a faint glow but the iodine is almost all out of my system.

Thursday I see my Thyroid Specialist and she will tell me what course of action she will want me to take. I might have to be given a small dose of the iodine again and be scanned again so they can see if that area is still holding cancer cells. If they believe there are some still active and heaven forbid they are not all dead right now. I will have to have another big radio active iodine dose again. *sigh*

I hope and think for now they will just monitor my blood work and if my numbers stay good then that would mean the cancer is gone. The Dr said He may have to scan me a year from now too. So this may be something I will be going through a lot longer then I had hoped.


I hope this made some sense.

Radiation

August 18th, 2007

I'm into my 6th week of no thyroid hormone. I have had to be taken off of it to prep my body for the radio active pills. So I feel really crappy right now, hardly any energy, always drained and exhausted.

I get my radio active dose Monday the 20th of Aug and I can't be around other humans for 6 days. They say I shouldn't get real sick from it. but I'm just worried about my body rejecting the pills. They have to give me a very high dose. They said a big risk is the PT throwing it up.

So please pray that my body does not reject the medication.

This treatment/test is a way to make sure they killed and or removed all the cancer cells. I will have to go into my nuclear Dr after and have a series of special pictures taken of my whole body to see if anything is glowing. God forbid they see something it will mean I still have active cancer cells somewhere. But at least it will show them where they are located.


I'm hoping and praying that this is almost over.

It has been almost a year since the cancer was discovered.

I have been keeping positive through this hard journey. I know the power of prayers from others has helped keep me mentally stable. Emotional, now that is another question. I swear it is worse then being pregnant. If you can believe that.

Round Two

May 14th, 2007

I arrived at the hospital at 6:30am to check in and get ready for my surgery. So I get to the surgery waiting room and I end up having to wait almost 2 hours before they took me in to get me ready for surgery. *sigh* It is sooo hard waiting for something you are dreading. My nerves were already shot and the waiting was very hard.

Around 8am they finally called for me. So I enter this room where there are 5 beds all lined up for patients to get ready. So I get a bed at one end and I changed into my gown, booties, and cap. It is very stylish, haha! Then I lay on hte bed and I get a signed a nurse that preps me. She goes over some final paperwork and then starts my IV. I hate that part! Then one by one, first the surgeon came to have a quick chat. Then the attending Dr and finally the Anesthesiaologist came in to go over more details. 

It was funny because I had all the same staff the second time around. I couldn't have asked for a better staff to take care of me. I was very happy about that.

Soon after that my nurse started an antibiotic through my IV and a 3 part cocktail for nausea and finally my light sedative. That never kicks in when I want it to. *sigh*

Then about 9:45am my OR nurse comes and rolls me into my OR. The most scariest place I have EVER been. I have to move myself over on the operating bed. Then they put my arms straight out and strap them down lightly. Then the Anesthesia Dr puts an oxygen mask on me and tells me to breath some nice deep breaths and at the same time he is injecting the meds into my IV to knock me out. And boy does he do it quick, no counting bs or anything I was OUT! =)

About 12:30pm I roll out of the OR and into recovery where I will be observed for the next hour. As I came to I had a ton of pain and couldn't believe how bad it was this time. So they gave me the max amount of morphine and it didn't work AT ALL! My body was shaking probably from the pain. I kept feeling like I couldn't breath. But my nurse assured me I was 100% okay. My vitals are all good. So of all times I was having a huge panic attack. But they wouldn't give me my med for my panic because they didn't want me to end up throwing it up. So finally after remembering my calm breathing techniques and deep breathing I was able to get it some what under control. It was hard under the circumstances.

Finally an hour later I get my own room. I felt a bit better. The nurse gave me a working pain med. =) So I was able to better relax myself. I was sick to my stomach for the next 6 hours. Oh the joy of anesthesia! YUCK!

The Results

March 3rd, 2007

I went to my post-op appt today. The surgeon removed my stitches and then told me I have cancer! They found tiny cancer cells. So I have to go back to the OR immediately to remove the left side of my thyroid, para thyroids, and surrounding nodes. I will also have to take a radioactive iodine pill and be in isolation for 8 days to kill any micro cancer cells.

Stubborn Tumor?

When they did my surgery and as soon as they had my tumor out of my body they sent it straight to the lab for a frozen biopsy. Can you believe they couldn't tell what it is? So they closed me up and decided to send the tumor out to another lab to do the test again.

So I called the surgeon yesterday and the results are......THEY STILL DON'T KNOW! Aaaahhhhhhh! So they said they are going to stain the tumor and then they should know if it is cancer or not. If it is cancer I will have to go back to surgery and have the rest of my thyroid removed. I just can't believe all of this that is happening. Why is it so hard to figure out what my little tumor is? This waiting is breaking my spirit. I'm sad all the time and most of all scared and worried. I'm trying so hard to think positive. God please give me strength......

On a good note I'm recovering wonderfully. little to no pain now. I don't have to wear a bandage across my neck, woohoo. The tape made me itch, so I'm glad it is gone. So my post-op is on wed (05.02.07) and they will give me the results.

Surgery

 I went yesterday (04.19.07) for my pre-op appointment. I Was scheduled for 9:45am I had to wait about 20 mins to get called back to the exam room and them waited another HOUR for the Dr to come in to start my pre-op exam.

So after she listen to a few things and asked me a gazillion questions that I already answered at the consultation a month ago. Then she sent me to the hospital to have a chest x-ray, EKG, and bloodwork. So My dad and I traveled over to the hospital and it took an hour for each thing. We didn't get out of there until 3:00pm. I was exhausted...... or should I say drained.....

Anyway, I got a call this afternoon from the Anesthesia spokes person, lol! Asking more questions. So I get to be the lucky one, I'm the first surgery of the day. So I have to be at the hospital at 5:30am to get admitted. My surgery should be two hours long.

Just thought I would share my new info with you.

Biopsy Results

January 11th, 2007

I went back to my thyroid specialist today for the results of my biopsy. She said that are A suspicious cells and they need to take out my thyroid and while I'm on the table they will cut it open to see if there is cancer in it. If cancer is in my thyroid they will have to remove my other thyroid. 

Tomorrow I have to go in and give more blood so the Dr can make her refferal to a surgeon. Then I will meet with a surgeon and he/she will tell me how it will all go down.

I had a really bad headache while in the dr's office today. When I got home I started throwing up. Maybe my body was in shock?

I'm alright now I took a long nap. But I'm pooped again from calling my whole family to tell them. Geezzz.. Exhausting I tell ya!

Thyroid Biopsy

December 29th, 2006

 About a month ago my Dr found a 2cm cyst on my right thyroid. I had blood work done and an ultrasound. The ultrasound said the cyst was hydrogenous which means two different textures. So the radiologist recommended a biopsy. Btw, my blood work was normal.

 I went to see a thyroid specialist yesterday. So she could decide if she wanted a biopsy. I had 4 Dr's examine my thyriod. I felt like a freak show, Haha! Anywho, Since it was after the holidays and she didn't have another appt for a while she decided to do the biopsy right then. I was like, OK. Just wanted to get it over with. I hate needles as it is and this was NOT going to be easy for me.

So they don't numb you or anything. She went in 5 times with a needle and moved it back and forth when the needle is in my thyroid. I guess it helps suck out the cells. But OMG after the first needle entry I was in tears! My entire right side of my neck started to ache soooooo bad! So I fought back the tears and did my best to relax. But after each time the Dr went in with the needle the nurse has to apply pressure so I didn't get a blood clot. That hurt soooo bad I wanted to hit her hand off my neck. OUCH!!

So now I have to once again play the waiting game. 2 weeks to find out if I have thyroid cancer. Oh yippy!

Still very sore.....