Having my kid in class

I grew up in a small rural town and ended up having my aunt as a 6th grade teacher and my mom in Jr. High and High School. It seemed very normal to me. Sometimes there were some negatives I could have lived without, but for the most part it was fine. Never would I have imagined that I would be teaching my own son one day.

I teach 5th grade math, 2nd grade math, and also run the after school program. It is a great job, part time, in my home town with great kids. This year Grady is in 2nd grade, so for an hour each day he comes to my class for math. He is a great student and loves math, so I didn't think it would be too tough. I started out the year just acting totally normally. Didn't matter at all that my kid was in the class. Of course, he called me mom and a few of his friends call me Jana, but other than that is business as usual.

Recently a couple funny things have happend that I just need to share. Yesterday we were playing a math fact game, and Grady was the first to answer correctly. When he realized this, he took advantage of his back row seat and started doing a tame version of the sprinkler dance. I looked at him from the front of the room, and said, with a smile looking at my crazy kid, "Really Grady? Please stop." His response, "Yes, Mother" in the most angelic voice with the cheesiest little grin on his face. Everyone laughed including me and we got back to the game.

The day before as class was starting one boy said something little that hurt another boy's feelings and of course the second tattled to tell me how his feelings were hurt. I then told the offender, "If what you are going to say might hurt the other's feelings, don't say it." I then started on a little soap box of mine talking to the entire class.  My speech went something like, "More than anything in school and life it is important to be kind. Before you talk, think about what you are going to say, and if there is even the smallest chance that it could hurt the other's feelings or they might think you are being mean, don't say anything. We should say things that make others feel better, that help them have a good day, all other talk should be left unsaid." As I stopped and looked around the room, they were understanding what I was saying. Then my son says, from the back row, loudly and proudly "Ephesians 4:29."

(Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful in building others up. Can you imagine if people tried living by this principle?).

I just smiled and said, "yes you can tell we have talked about this at our house a lot."

My heart smiled in both of these little moments, flashes of time that most parents do not get to see. All kids are great and every kid has cute moments where they make their friends and teacher laugh, making school fun. Moments that pass so quickly they are hard to remember at the end of the day, but we are thankful to have them in the moment. As a teacher I get to see that everyday in other people's kids, but I feel extra blessed to get to see it in my own child.

I know I am in the right spot right now, and I am thankful.

After a summer of working on killing the cancer inside of me, I found out today, that we were successful. I say "we" because it took many people: doctors, nurses, family and friends that prayed and helped, and most of all the good Lord.

My scan results showed that there were only cancer cells around my "thyroid bed" which is what they hope for. No lymph nodes, no lungs, no bones, no spots any place else. :) The radiation attached to what it was supposed to and things are looking good.

A couple things to take away from this experience:

1) Go get your yearly physicals. I was having no problems, no symptoms, no issues. My doc just felt that my thyroid was a bit too large and had me do an ultrasound. It was just during a yearly physical that this was discovered. It was caught early, treated aggressively and more than likely I will not die of thyroid cancer. Go visit your doctor once a year- it's not so bad. It may save your life!

2)Cancer research is an awesome thing. Now I realize how much a $20 donation to Relay or any cancer charity can make a difference. It is not my one, $20, but all of our $20 that change what we are able to do in treating cancer. If there had not been research and people putting forth an effort to stop cancer, I may not have the great prognosis I have.  Still there are people dying of cancers each day. More research is needed to stop this awful disease. Don't forget that your small donation makes a difference in the big picture.

I praise God that my life can continue on normally (whatever that is around here). My energy is slowly coming back now that I am on thyroid replacement hormone, and in a month or so I should be back to regular energy level. That will be great.

Thank you all for your prayers, positive thoughts, concern and help. I truly appreciate all of you more than you know!

Jana

Doctor Update

A week ago today I took my fancy radiation pill and was quarantined from people, especially my kiddos until Saturday. I felt fine, a bit strange in the stomach but that has been life without thyroid hormone, so not much different than the last 2 months.

Today I went in for a fancy scan that shows all my "Highlighted" areas. Thankfully I am not claustrophobic, but still chose to keep my eyes closed most of the time rather than look at this camera thing 1 inch from my nose. Whole thing took a bit more than a half an hour. The techs were great, played soft music, gave me a warm blanket and checked on me often. Nice job Sky Lakes Nuclear Medicine! At the start they were telling me that sometimes you may have to come back for a follow up scan because they will want to watch the movement of some of the "highlighted" places. Movement, by the way, is a good thing. It just means all that iodine/radiation stuff has not worked its way out of my system. When the highlighter doesn't move, is when there is more cause for concern. I was thinking to myself, "I hope there are no highlighted areas in strange parts of my body, it has all worked its way out, and I am done with this stuff." Well..........no such luck. Back for another scan on Friday. In the meantime I am going to be drinking tons of water and eating every high fiber thing I can find. Making sure I help it move on out.

We are praying that, in fact, the extra highlighted areas are just iodine/radiation that have not moved their way through. We do not want them to be extra spots of cancer (usually they are not). I would appreciate all prayers and thank you in advance for interceding on my behalf to our Lord.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord our God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9.

Radiation time

The time has finally come to do my treatment, and I am ready. I have been home from vacation, off thyroid medicine, on the special diet and my blood test numbers say I am ready to take my radiation/iodine pill. So, Monday at noon I will meet up with the Haz Mat:) Nuclear Medicine people and start to kill all the yucky cancer stuff left inside of me.

I am really ready to feel normal again. Thanks for your prayers and offers for help and assistance. It is greatly appreciated. I will be here at home and the boys will be with family and friends until Friday. It will be very odd to be in my house without them. I am thankful the Olympics are on because I can waste a lot of time watching those. I will read, go for walks and even at the end of the week I can go to the store or pick up some take out. It is really only grade school age and younger children that I can't be in continuous contact with. High level of precaution that the docs say is a bit extra than they think is needed, but better to be safe than sorry.

In a week, Lord willing, I will be cancer free. :)

Little update

I do not have much to report on the thryoid cancer front, but I am amazed at how many people ask how I am doing and say they are praying for me. It is really encouraging to me to know this. I thought I would write today because, this is a good way to keep many people in the loop at the same time.

As some may know, thyroid cancer is treated with a radiation/iodine pill. A very specialized radation specific to thyroid cancer. I was set to do that the beginning of July, but couldn't for various, crazy reasons. The radiation works best if there are no thyroid hormones in the person's body, so I was without thryoid hormone for a month after surgery. When it was discovered that I couldn't have treatment until the beginning of August, the doctor decided to put me on replacement hormone,  so I wasn't miserable for an entire month. (Thank you Dr. Kramer). I have been taking that replacement hormone for 10 days and I am starting to feel a bit more energetic.

I let the boys have friends over yesterday, went to the Lake with the family today, and haven't napped in 3 days. This is very good. I also don't feel quite so weird digestively, but have managed to put on about 10 pounds. Part of that is because I had no metabolism and part is because I think to myself, "Uh, I am going to gain weight anyway, why not have another cookie?" I also had no energy to exercise, but that is changing a bit now too. All of it is so Fun Fun Fun!

At the end of July I will go off of hormone, start a special diet and have treatment in early August. Most days are "normal." Whatever that means in our house!?!?! Still it will be such a relief to get the treatment, see if it has spread, and get on with life after cancer. I am planning on all of this happening in August. It will be a busy, yet great month.

Thanks so much for your prayers. Please pray specifically that it did not spread, and the radiation they give me the first time is enough to get any leftover cells floating around.

I say this to myself often throughout the day and it comforts me:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."           Joshua 1:9

You Must be Kidding me!?!?!?!

Well, here is the latest on my journey with thyroid cancer. I have been on a low iodine diet with plans to take my radiation/iodine pill on July 3.

Kathy, the nice onocology nurse, called and said that apparently they (the nations radation/iodine people) are not making the iodine during the week of 4th of July so I wouldn't be able to start until the 9th.

However, Dr. Cramer, my doctor, is on vacation that week and the doctor filling in doesn't have the right liscensure to give me that pill.

To push things out even a bit further, the next week we are going to Hawaii for a wedding, so I won't do treatment that week. We talked about going to Medford to get the treament, but they can't get me in until this same week that we are in Hawaii.

So the deal is, I have been without thryoid hormone for just about a month and can't have treatment for another month. I have very limitied, if any, options. The best one we have come up with is that Dr. Cramer said "so she doesn't feel like shit" on her vacation, start thyroid hormone so I have some energy while on our trip. Then when I come back go off the thyroid medicine, start the low iodine diet and get treatment the start of August.

That makes my entire summer about cancer in one way or another. I was really looking forward to Hawaii being my celebration trip because I was done with my treatment. In the big picture, what do I have to hang my head about? I could complain that I am going to Hawaii? I could complain that I have a treatment available? In perspective this is just a bump in the road, but not a bump I am thrilled about.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

We all know life is crazy, and I too know that things could be so much worse. So this is an inconvience that I will live with. Still appreciate your prayers. Thankful for all of them thus far.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

Meeting the oncologist

Today was the first time that I met with Dr. Cramer, the radiology oncologist. He is a nice, smart man that I have heard very good things about. (That is always nice, in my opinion).

We reviewed my pathology report and talked about what steps are next. Here is the short of it.

I have papillary thyroid carcinoma in 4 different samples taken from my thyroid. There are also microfollicular variants in a few of the samples. In layman's terms, papillary thyroid cancer is the most common, slowest growing type of thyroid cancer. The follicular type is a bit more aggressive, and because I had some of these type, I will have a higher dosage of radiation.

Now for 10 days I have to be on a low iodine diet, trying to rid my body of any iodine. This is important because the radiation I will have is in pill form. It is basically radized iodine that attacks only thyroid cells because your thyroid needs iodine to work.  Low iodine diet eliminates dairy, some meats, basically I just have to check labels. Lots of fruits and veggies. Not too bad, all in all.

After 10 days, I will go in to nuclear medicine, a man in a haz-mat suit will hand me my pill, I will swallow it and go home. (or somewhere else because I have to stay 3-6 feet away from grade school age children). Then for the next week or so I have to wipe everything down that I touch or sit on, eat off paper, launder my clothing separately and not sit next to anyone for too long of a period of time.

At the end of that fun week, I will get a scan that will show any place that there are remaining thyroid cells. It will show if the cancer has spread to other places in my body and will help them decide if I need another treatment or if one was enough.

So in your prayers, please include that one treatment will get it all and that it is not spread anywhere else.

Thanks so much for praying for me and for my boys. I feel the power in that and believe our Lord hears them and is faithful to act.

Love to you all, Jana