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
Monday, June 25, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
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
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
Friday, June 15, 2012
Cancer- A deal Breaker?
My recent diagnosis of thyroid cancer has come as quite a shock. I was honestly expecting the doctor to say my incision was healing great, all results came back benign and now lets start replacement hormone. However he actually had the guts to say, "It was cancerous." How dare he!?!?!
I have papillary thyroid cancer. Which is the kind you want to have. :) I don't know if you can actually "want to have" it, but if you have to have the big C word. This is a good one to get. It was caught early through a yearly doctor visit, hasn't spread and is very treatable! That is great news. So the deal is, I get all the life lessons that come along with having cancer, but not all the total scariness. Yes, a bit scary to think about but it really could be so much worse.
One of the things that worried me was that we would not be eligible to adopt now that we had a cancer diagnosis. After I realized my prognosis was very good that thought really gave me the worst feeling.
I called our case worker and broke the bad news to her. Waiting to hear what she had to say, I was hoping for the best but ready for the worst. She is really so nice, worried about me, how is the family, how am I feeling. Ya, Ya, Ya..... I was thinking. Is it a deal breaker?
She said that our timing was perfect (we all know that is God's perfect timing). Not so very long ago all cancer diagnosis would immediatly make a family ineligible until there was 10 years of remission. However, now there is one that they look at on a case by case basis. What is the ONE, you ask? Yes, it is mine. Thyroid Cancer. It is the one kind a potential adoptive parent can get and not be immediatly thrown out of the program. Praise the Lord!!
After all my radiation we have to have the doctors fill out some papers and write some letters, and as long as I have a clean bill of health and a good prognosis, things should be fine. We are blessed that we are not super close to the top of the waiting list because we couldn't get a referral until all treatment was done and all paperwork complete. I got this at the best time, we should have no trouble having all this done before it is our turn to know which little girl is ours.
Thanks for prayers; they are already working in regard to our adoption. I am feeling good. I just am getting low on energy because I have no thyroid hormones at the moment. So that's exciting......get to gain weight and have not energy. Yuck! :( Hoping by beginning of August to be totally cancer free, get on replacement hormone, shed a few pounds and have enough energy to chase my kiddos around.
I have papillary thyroid cancer. Which is the kind you want to have. :) I don't know if you can actually "want to have" it, but if you have to have the big C word. This is a good one to get. It was caught early through a yearly doctor visit, hasn't spread and is very treatable! That is great news. So the deal is, I get all the life lessons that come along with having cancer, but not all the total scariness. Yes, a bit scary to think about but it really could be so much worse.
One of the things that worried me was that we would not be eligible to adopt now that we had a cancer diagnosis. After I realized my prognosis was very good that thought really gave me the worst feeling.
I called our case worker and broke the bad news to her. Waiting to hear what she had to say, I was hoping for the best but ready for the worst. She is really so nice, worried about me, how is the family, how am I feeling. Ya, Ya, Ya..... I was thinking. Is it a deal breaker?
She said that our timing was perfect (we all know that is God's perfect timing). Not so very long ago all cancer diagnosis would immediatly make a family ineligible until there was 10 years of remission. However, now there is one that they look at on a case by case basis. What is the ONE, you ask? Yes, it is mine. Thyroid Cancer. It is the one kind a potential adoptive parent can get and not be immediatly thrown out of the program. Praise the Lord!!
After all my radiation we have to have the doctors fill out some papers and write some letters, and as long as I have a clean bill of health and a good prognosis, things should be fine. We are blessed that we are not super close to the top of the waiting list because we couldn't get a referral until all treatment was done and all paperwork complete. I got this at the best time, we should have no trouble having all this done before it is our turn to know which little girl is ours.
Thanks for prayers; they are already working in regard to our adoption. I am feeling good. I just am getting low on energy because I have no thyroid hormones at the moment. So that's exciting......get to gain weight and have not energy. Yuck! :( Hoping by beginning of August to be totally cancer free, get on replacement hormone, shed a few pounds and have enough energy to chase my kiddos around.
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