OF COURSE!

You guys know me.... if it isn't one thing it is another. I enjoyed the last few days of things going well and feeling great that my blood work looked good. But, you know I am God's private joke!

The last couple of days I have experienced a couple of sharp pains in my wonderful parotid gland but they left as fast as they came (happened when I took my meds with juice). Well... today I ate a breakfast bar and wouldn't ya know it.... MY GLAND POPPED OUT! Just like before.

This just means that it is time for SOUR candies and maybe the steroids again. I am not even going to call the doctor until it starts happening every time I eat. I do NOT want him to do the procedure again unless I am desperate!!!

So, since I am getting the "radiation" pill (low dose for the scan) and that is what the docs feel caused this then I am a bit concerned. It really is painful and I feel so bad if any of you ever experience this!!!!

That is it.....

GO MOMO!!!!!!!!!!

(seriously..... so ready to MOVE ON!!!)

WE HAVE A DATE!!!

I just got a call that my whole body scan is scheduled for THURSDAY, January 26th! That is the day we will see if I GLOW or not! I cannot wait to get this over with and get on with it!

That is what the machine looks like, I just lay there for about 25 minutes and typically fall asleep.

Although I really enjoyed my month "off" in December I haven't enjoyed the delay in hearing YOU ARE CURED! :-) Coming soon I am sure!

I want that SURVIVOR T-SHIRT! We all have goals! :-)

GO MOMO!!

QUICK UPDATE - Good news!!

The endo nazi called me today (since I have readers from Beijing to Mexico I hope she doesn't read this too - "hi" Linda & San!! HAHA!!) to discuss a patient over in Iran and she said, "well since I have you on the phone I might as well tell you that I got your lab results back from the other day".

Here is what she said:

My blood work showed that my thyroid tissue or the cancer cells are STARTING TO BE SUPPRESSED!! That means the protein hormone that was being produced at a significant amount (causes the cancer) is slowing down!! She even stated she might start lowering my dose! WHAT!!! I have been giggling all afternoon!

Remember that the last test showed that I had residual thyroid tissue and so the blood work showed that it was producing a significant amount of the protein hormone (something like that) which meant my thyroid "stem" that they left in was working like a full thyroid OR the protein was being produced by the cancer cells meaning since there was a significant amount then they were sure the cancer was growing rapidly.

SO, what this means is that what ever way it is (I will know for sure in a few weeks) it is calming down!! Makes sense, I have been feeling SO great and maybe, just maybe the radiation worked slower than we anticipated (was supposed to stop working in Oct) and IT IS KILLING THE CANCER!!

Now... I don't know this, it is just a possibility. But it doesn't matter, just this tid bit of good news has me on cloud 9! I want to keep feeling this good and living my ol' full life! I REFUSE TO GET SICK AGAIN! I am too happy now and Madge has just got to move on!

Love ya'll!!

GO MOMO (she is scared now!!!)

HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!

HAPPY THYROID AWARENESS MONTH!!!

Take a moment and thank your darn thyroid because trust me, you don't want to be with out that little sucker!! HA!

First, thank you all for allowing me to "check out" during the month of December while I enjoyed a blissful month of NO DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS (the 12/30 one didn't really count - HA).

I must say, I feel so great lately and I was dreading going to the doctor this morning and just having to hear the word CANCER again. It was so great to feel normal again in Dec that I just didn't want to hear anyone say I was "sick" again. But I had such a great day (thanks in big part to my best friend coming to see me for lunch) that I feel ready now!!!! Thanks Gingee for ALWAYS being there for me!!!

Ok... without further adieu here is what happened today:

• I went to my endo doctor at 8am and first was seen by the resident, they always just go over every little thing I have been through....


• The doctor came in and went over it again and then did a thorough exam (again, always wear your best ladies!!) of all the lymph nodes and my throat and she also said she could feel the scar tissue in my throat that has been giving me some issues here and there (feels like someone is pressing on my throat about 50% of my day).


• I had some blood test to check all my levels

She then gave me the game plan... she stated she needed 5 consecutive days that everyone will be available so we chose January 26th to start this:

MONDAY - Shot of Thygen (sp?) which means I DON'T HAVE TO GET OFF MY SYNTHROID - best possible news I could have heard! That was my BIGGEST fear because that would mean off my meds I would feel really horrible again! YEA!!!! BIG PRAYER ANSWERED!! THANKS!

TUESDAY - Shot of Thygen

WEDNESDAY - take the low dose of radiation - they will tell me to come in on Thurs or Fri

THURSDAY OR FRIDAY - will return to the nuclear medicine department to have the FULL BODY uptake I-131 scan to see if I am "glowing" in any areas (I can see the screen as soon as it is done). It will glow if where ever there is cancer.

Then we will know the NEXT step. Here is the deal, if it is glowing that means the cancer is still there and having a good ol' time. If I am not glowing it still means that since my last blood test showed a significant amount of protein being secreted by that "stem" they left in there that it is inevitable the cancer will return. So, either way she said it most likely means surgery but hey..... you just never know!!

I am just SO happy that I do not have to get off my medication! That is a HUGE relief!!!!

Here is some info on how the uptake scan is done (what I did before):

The person is asked to either drink a liquid or take a pill that contains radioactive iodine. The radioactive iodine goes into the thyroid gland over the next several hours. About four hours after taking the iodine, the person is asked to lie down on a table below a special camera that can detect the radioactive material. While the person lies very still, the camera takes pictures of the thyroid gland. It takes about 30 to 60 minutes to take all the required pictures. Usually, the person is asked to come back 24 hours later to have a second set of pictures taken, which only takes about 5 minutes.

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:

And there you have it! No matter what happens I know it won't be last time since I am already used to my medication - SHE SAID SHE WAS INCREASING IT AGAIN TODAY!!!! I never did increase it like I was supposed to and she didn't yell at me! I was scared to tell the endo nazi!

I told my boss today what was happening and I was so touched by his response! He told me he had cancer 7 years ago and all he was concerned about was if I was ok. It was a nice bonding moment! He said to just do what ever I have to do to make sure I am ok. That was a big relief.

I have had a taste now of feeling good and not having to deal with this for a month that I want it again SO BAD!! PERMANENTLY!!! I am going to fight this time much harder! I have some great goals for 2009 and they are already in full force so that keeps me very motivated to get this OVER with and move on!

SO GO MOMO ONE LAST TIME!!!

Good news to report.... the antibiotics are WORKING! The bumps are almost GONE! YEA!

Love you all and thank you again for allowing me to be "free" in December!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! & Face Mystery SOLVED!

Well.... although I had one of my best years despite the circumstances I am still glad to see 2008 go. I know 2009 is going to be full of even more wonderful blessings and happenings! I have some goals for this new year that have me rather excited so stay tuned.....

Ok, so I went to the dermatologist yesterday for my 6wk check up to check the status of my face! Well... I left his office feeling rather strange. This doctor gives me the CREEPS and he just doesn't seem to be on the ball. So, as I was leaving the building there was this GORGEOUS derm clinic and no one was in the waiting room. I heard a voice in my head say "take charge of your health Brandy" so I went in and asked if I could be seen. The receptionist was so sweet and said they could see me in just a few minutes! So, I filled out all of the paperwork and then saw a Dr. Tyler. Both him and the nurse listened to my story about how my hormones were all out of whack due to my thyroidectomy and he sat there and explained WHY my face reacted!!!! It felt so good to have someone understand!!!

My current problem has been so strange, the acne is gone but I have had these rash like bumps all over my face. He said that the acne was due to the hormone inbalance and the bumps that came afterwards were a result from the antibiotic they put me on. See, the antibiotic got rid of too much of the good bacteria and therefore my face compensated with yeast growth (I know sounds so icky). GOOD NEWS is there is a simple cure, now on top of the other 2 medications I will be taking another pill to balance out my bacteria/yeast issue and another topical cream. Unfortunately I have to be on all 4 of these meds until my hormones are balanced. He was just so COOL and then he gave me $560 worth of samples (one of the meds the other doc has me on costs me $60 a month and he gave me a ton of free ones).

He also did a full body skin cancer check (good thing I was prepared - HAHA!!) and said everything looked great!!

I am just so relieved that he explained why my face has done this and I am so happy to move on.

NEXT STEP:

BIG appointment on 1/8/09 to get the plan from the endo doc about the next steps

I hope that you all have an incredibly blessed 2009 and thank you for sticking this out with me and I know this coming year is going to be INCREDIBLE!!!

GO MOMO!!!

Just a reminder to everyone that I am taking the month of December "off" from MOMO! I just need a sanity break. I feel great and I just want to have the life I did before Madge. The holidays are always such a joyous occasion and therefore I want to ENJOY them! :-)

So far it has been GREAT! I feel incredibly healthy (no side effects except the face issues which are better with the daily antibiotics but it is still gross). The new job is GREAT and it feels great to be so active again. It took about a week for my brain to be on my "A-Game" again but I feel almost back to normal. Well.... most of you know I have never really been normal! HAHA!

Love you all and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas! As always, thank you for your prayers and daily encouragement!!!

NEXT STEP:

Doctor appt on 12/30/08 with dermatologist to see if the pills are helping, I have doubled up on them so we will see.

Doctor appt on 1/8/09 with the endocrinologist to get the "plan". The uptake scan will be scheduled, blood work to see if my "thyroid" is still producing massive amounts of proteins, etc...

I shall give you an update after my next doctor's appointment!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and thank you all so much for putting up with me while I have had many ups and downs and sticking with me through my emotional roller coaster!

GO MOMO!!!

GOOD UPDATE!!!!

Dr. Zhang came to yesterday morning and stated he had a very long talk with Dr. Maillard (the one who wants to scrape out my entire neck) and he actually said that what he explained made complete sense. So, a couple of hours later Dr. Maillard called me to his office (luckily it is just a few floors up from me).

This is what he said:

1. He stated that the best course of action is to FIRST do the uptake scan of the entire body to see if the cancer has metastasized - this was already planned to take place in January.

2. If my scan "glows" and shows any cancer then he thinks we should first nuke it again with radiation and then do another uptake scan 6 weeks after that to ensure it has been "killed". If it was not killed then I need surgery and radiation again. I am sure it will glow since it did before. He said nuking it is much easier on me and worth trying first to save me from surgery if it works.

3. If the scan does NOT glow then he said they will have to go in surgically to find it because sometimes with this particular type of cancer the tumors do not intake the radiation(remember that 21%). He said they are sure the cancer is there so we actually WANT the scan to glow to guide them to exactly where it is.

4. He wanted to make sure that before my uptake scan the doctor does NOT take me off my thyroid medication for 5 weeks like I was told would happen. He said these days there is a new technique where they give you a certain hormone and therefore you don't have to suffer - I WILL TAKE IT!! That was my biggest fear was after taking 5 months to get the medication regulated only to have to get off and start over. I did not want to feel that way again and he said there is NO reason to do that! YEAH! That just made me over the moon happy!!!!

He warned that surgery is the last resort because my complication risks are very high since I have already had surgery, they include partial or complete vocal cord damage and/or damaging the para-thyroids which will cause a calcium issues which are very dangerous.

I mentioned to him that I have been having an increasingly difficult time swallowing and my voice is also having some issues. He said that made complete sense after looking at my CT and then he showed me the CT and explained everything in great detail. This is what he said:

1. My esophagus was shifted over about 3/4" to my right due to the surgery and there is scar tissue pressing into it causing the swallowing issues. The good news is my trachea is completely open and not affected. We just have to hope that the scar tissue doesn't keep growing and then have to have it taken out.

2. He pointed out a "very large" area of concern, it is to the left of the trachea which he states is either a very large tumor or a large growth of scar tissue. To me it just looked like a big blob! Since my ultrasound in July showed a "suspicious" lymph node in the area he pretty much thinks it is a tumor but he said we will know for sure when I have that uptake scan because it should "glow".

3. He also pointed out the residual thyroid tissue. He explained that when they "clipped" the thyroid off they basically left the "stem". He said it usually is "killed" be the radiation and does not work but of course you know my body has never given me the easy route! :-)

So, at this point I can just sit back and relax and enjoy NO DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS until 12/30 & 1/8/09. Those are the next 2 and we will know the specific plan after the 1/8/09 appt.

I am not sure at this point if I will go to the doctor at Methodist since these 2 doctors seem to be on the same page now and it seems pretty clear cut to me. I just have to make sure to get that hormone from my endo, she might have a different mindset.

So at this point I am all for going through the radiation again FIRST to try to kill it and avoid another surgery which will be more risky. Not that the risks are really that bad (I am sure certain people would mind me losing my voice permanently - HAHA!!) but looks like we could get Madge with just some more radiation - YEAH!!!

The radiation was not difficult except all the contamination rules and the cramping and saliva gland issues. That is SMALL beans my friends!

I just feel rejuvenated and excited. I woke up full of energy and life! Just to know that it could be an easier journey and that I don't have to think about it until JANUARY! I am looking forward to taking a break from all the appointments and daily changes in the plan! :-) I am going to do my best to ignore Madge and just maybe she will get pissed off and want to leave this next time! :-)

GO MOMO!!!!

** I just want to thank you again for always giving me such encouraging words of support and I feel like such a "sham" sometimes because people always tell me how positive and inspiring I am but most people don't get to see me crying in the shower, having days where I just ask God to take me home, etc..... I GET ALL MY STRENGTH FROM GOD AND MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY who are always there for me! You guys keep me going and because I know He is using me it gets me out of bed every day!

WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT YOU WOULD STILL BE READING THIS BLOG 7 MONTHS LATER!

QUICK SYMPTOM UPDATE:

* Acne is really clearing up now! So HAPPY!

* I had 5 periods in 8 weeks - hormones are a b*itch!! So was I - HAHA!!!

* The dizziness is back just when I stand up but I think that was due to me accidentally missing a dose or 2 of my medication and then adding the steroids and massive antibiotics, my body just probably needs time to adjust (sounds good)

* Hair is extremely brittle - this is from the thyroid med

* Weight is still holding steady at 142lbs

* I have to eat a snack around 9-10am or I get really nauseous (I am sure from the morning meds)

OK, you are ALL caught up on the latest! This was a LONG one so it should hold you over until my next update which I HOPE is not until JANUARY! :-)

LOVE YOU ALL!

TWO Updates Today!

Just wanted to tell you that I went to the dermatologist and he said that due to the "extent" of the hormonal acne that he is first going to put me on a long term antibiotic (every day for 2 months to start with) since I had a good result with my current antibiotics. However, he changed it to the same thing I was on last month (Doxycycline) that made my esophagus inflame. That is ok though, I just know I need to take it way before bed time so it doesn't sit in my throat and irritate it. He said that should work but since I am going through so much then if it doesn't he will put me on Accutane.. that is some GREAT stuff, cures acne PERMANENTLY!!! We will see.....

He also gave me a topical cream that costs $60 WITH insurance! Better work! HAHA!!

I had a GREAT day, I feel good and since my face cleared up quite a bit I felt normal again!

This is a VERY active week for me since it is my LAST week with neurosurgery. Lots of fun parties, etc.... I am still very sad to leave my wonderful doctor but I know we will still be there for each other!!

Hopefully I can tell you tomorrow when my appointment is with Dr. Robbins! YEA!!

I am actually going to go WORK OUT!! Yes.... I feel THAT great!

GO MOMO!!!

Just wanted to give you a quick update!

1. Dr. Richard Robbins (National Comprehensive Cancer Network Panel Member on Thyroid Cancer– went to Yale and Cornell) has agreed to see me after a couple of phone conversations with Dr. Zhang who I work for. Dr. Zhang was told he is the best Thyroid Cancer specialist in Houston and so we will give him a go. I called the liaison back to schedule the appt and am now just waiting for their return call.

2. Over the past 3 or 4 days it is getting increasingly more difficult to swallow. I have a call into my endo doctor, they will probably do an ultrasound – since the last one they only scanned my salivary glands.

3. I have an appointment today with the dermatologist, but I woke up today and my face is 70% better! WHEW!! I guess 8 antibiotics a day does the trick!! :-)

4. I felt kind of icky for a couple of days but I had accidentally forgotten to take my medication. I feel great today and am FULL of energy! I think just the fact that my face is clearing up is lifting my spirits!!

Ok, I just wanted to share the news about getting approved to see Dr. Robbins (he only takes doctor to doctor referrals so Dr. Zhang came through for me!!).

Had 2nd Opinon - TIME FOR A 3RD!!

I went to the doctor on Friday who is treating my saliva gland issues. When I showed him pictures of how my glands swell up (I knew they would decide not to cooperate and pop out before my appointment regardless of all the sour candy I crammed in my mouth) he was quite surprised since he had only seen one of the glands swollen and not both. I was explaining to him how my endocrinologist was a bit worried that since she stated I will have to have radiation again that this will further damage the saliva glands and cause me more pain in the future.

He asked why I needed more surgery and radiation. I told him that the last blood test showed that my thyroid was apparently still very active and she said there was probably about 10% of the tissue still there and I have 2 new "suspicious" nodules. He grabbed my shoulders and looked me square in the eyes and said, "you do know I am a thyroid cancer specialist right?". I SAID NO!!!! I had NO idea!! He took me to his office and showed me all of the diplomas and certifications for thyroid specialist and neck surgery, etc..... Then he showed me two papers he just wrote that are about to be published in medical journals on.... HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY OPERATE ON THYROID CANCER!!! I just knew the Lord had me right there for a reason! HELLO!!!!

So, we sat down again and he had me explain in GREAT detail every test, procedure, result, etc..... He placed his head in his hands and just shook his head. Then he looked at me and said, "I am so sorry but this is pretty bad, they really mistreated you and it has now caused you to face some very difficult treatment and I am so sorry but this is what I do and I know what I am talking about".

He then went on to explain what they did wrong:

1. They did not take out all lymph nodes and nodules (he said they just "cherry picked")

2. They did not give me a certain shot after surgery so I would not go into hyperthyroidism

3. They gave me my radiation 3 1/2 weeks after surgery and did not wait the MINIMUM of 6 weeks

4. They did not test me for a certain cell that 21% of people have with my specific cancer that does not allow for the uptake of the radioactive iodine.

Here is what he states he would do for me at this point:

1. First get the uptake scan to ensure the cancer has not metastasized into my lungs or bones since it has now had time in my body to run around and have fun

2. Then the surgery he states is now necessary is to make an incision from one side of my neck to the other (yes... half my head) and peel back my entire neck to take out every lymph node and every nodule.

He said that I could have these surgeries multiple times if I have that certain cell (sorry... I was so surprised I didn't write it down).

He did reassure me that my life expectancy has not changed - ya'll aren't getting rid of me that easy! HAHA!! This of course is if it hasn't spread further than the lymph nodes.

So, this was a lot to take in on Friday. I couldn't even text or call anyone about it. I finally allowed myself to think about it and after laying in bed for an hour and then getting the encouragement I needed from a dear friend I told my sisters. Of course this is a lot to take in at this point since like myself I am sure you probably thought this would ALL be over soon!

I am so sorry, you are just going to have to keep reading this darn blog! :-) There are just 2 things that are bothering me about all of this.

1. I gave my notice on Friday morning at my job to start a new one on 12/1 and I heard all of this that very afternoon! How ironic huh???

2. Of course you all know by now that I want this over but you also know I can handle it, what I cannot handle is knowing I am the cause of sadness for those I love.

SO PLEASE JUST STAY POSITIVE AND WE CAN FIGHT MADGE TOGETHER!!!

The good thing is I know now what made me so sick the first time and so this next time I will be ready!!

One other great thing to report.... I HAVE FELT GREAT FOR 13 STRAIGHT DAYS!!!! I can handle the saliva stone pain!! Not a single side effect! I am on steroids now (yes... I started working out again the other day, might as well take advantage- HAHA!!). Also my face is so broken out I am taking medication to control it (we are not talking about a few blemishes here and there, it is a full on mountain range!!!). I must confess, I swear I haven't really thought of myself as a vain person (ya'll know I love camping and my dream is to work in a refugee camp - that is not glamorous!!!) but this face issue made me realize how I took my clear face for granted!!!!!

I learned that I also took feeling good for granted! 13 great days in a row.... it is like a slice of Heaven each day that I wake up and don't have to lay in bed for 20 minutes trying to stop the room from spinning, stop myself from running to the toilet to puke, or keep myself from passing out! A GREAT 13 DAYS!!!!

Love your health!

NEXT STEPS:

1. Tomorrow I will call Dr. Maillard's office to set up our "meeting" to get his full plan (he was not prepared to discuss my cancer so he wants to set a time aside this week to explain everything. I will write stuff down to report back.

2. I am supposed to call the Endo doc's office to set up the next phase of treatment for early Jan, I will still do this just in case.

3. One of my docs is going to start the process for me to get into MD Anderson. This is a highly specialized cancer hospital with the best experts, I just really didn't think I would need it.

I know, big update today! Trust me, it took all weekend to sink in.

I feel there are some very big changes coming up for my life. Just know that I am at peace with it all, again, I have accomplished that one thing in life I wanted to do so everything from this point on is the sprinkle on top! :-) I jsut wanted that darn SURVIVOR shirt sooner! HAHA!!!

Please feel free to e-mail me any questions @ brandykc72@yahoo.com

LOVE YOU ALL!

GO MOMO!!!!!!!!!!

BIG UPDATE!!

Is that not the cutest little pink monster you have ever seen???

My dear friends and family....... you all know how I love to throw a party and love to play hostess?? Well... apparently MADGE (aka my cancer) has decided that I am just too good of a hostess and she doesn't want to leave! I cannot say that I blame her, for the most part I have not complained too much about her stay here and I have found that she has actually been very useful for those around me. However, as much as I hate to be mean it is time once and for all that I give Madge her eviction notice!!!!

HERE IS THE LATEST:

My doctor called me Friday morning (Halloween) as I was getting started with my day and preparing to see 25 patients. She said that one of the recent tests (thyroid globulin) showed that I was still producing a significant amount of protein from my THYROID. Yes, she went on to explain that they probably took out about 90% of my thyroid and there was still tissue in there and that is not a good thing. This means the cancer causing tissue is still there and then she went on to explain that the 2 "suspicious lymph nodes" were probably a result from this left over tissue (the cancer is still there growing).

So, here is the latest plan (just got to keep you guys on your toes):

1. I will go to the OTO doc this week to see if they want to take out the saliva glands. Since it was the radiation that caused this problem then I need to talk to him about the next dose of radiation and what I can do to prevent this happening again with my glands (if they don't take them out).

2. I will see my ENDO doc the first week of January to do an "uptake" test which is a small amount of radiation and then do a FULL body scan to see if the cancer has spread. To do this I will have to stop my thyroid medication for I think 5 weeks prior. So, that means I might get very lethargic and not feel so well for a while. A necessary evil I guess.

3. She said she thinks at this point since the test showed such a significant amount of protein secretion then she is pretty sure I will have another surgery on my neck to scrape out the rest of the tissue and what has grown. Then another dose of radiation. Basically just a repeat of what I have already done.

After I hung up with her I did burst into tears. I am just ready to get on with my life and not talk about it any more. But then I realized that so many wonderful things happened over the last 6 months because of this that I just might be in store for some more wonderful and positive things so after feeling sorry for myself for about 20 minutes I held my head up and am focused on the positive!!!!!

I have felt SO great this entire past week and so I am ready to keep fighting and not give up. Now, over the past month with that saliva gland infection I was so sick and I did ask the Lord to take me home a few times. I know he healed me and got me back up to par so I could take on this next round.

I am a little disappointed that I cannot say I beat cancer in 2 months like I really wanted to but hey.... at least I KNOW I am going to beat it! :-)

I am still going to survive and carry on! The only thing is that we do not want this to have spread to the lungs or bones. So, when I have that body scan in January we want a CLEAR AND CLEAN scan! NO GLOWING areas (it is the same two I had before)!!!!

Everything is still going to turn out great, just going to take a little longer! The other thing that I am a bit sad about is that if I do have to have another surgery then I cannot be deemed "cancer free" until a year after that date. Again, at least I will have beat it!!! :-)

You all know that I am too soft hearted and do not like confrontation. Well, I feel really bad but I am just going to have to start getting really mean and pack Madge's bags for her!!! HAHA!!

I cannot even begin to express how much your love and support has gotten me through all of this and it feels so good to know that I have the best people lifting me up every single day.

I love you all!

GO MOMO!!!!

I leave you with the PERFECT bible verse from today's sermon (yes... it was intended just for me today!!)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ~ II Cor 4:16-18

AMEN!!

Another Gland!!

I was so happy today that I felt so good! I was even bragging to Mama G & Grammy through e-mail that I was much better and feeling good! Well, around 5:30pm I popped another lemon candy in my mouth (to keep that saliva flowing) and I had the most excruciating pain under my right ear. It happened on and off and then around 7:00pm it got so bad all I could do was hold my face and cry. I thought about going to the emergency room the pain was so bad. This went on for about 30 minutes and the side of my face swelled up pretty bad. I even took a picture for the doctor - you know how you go and everything looks fine... I wanted to prove it!! Sometimes I think I sound like a hyperchondriac!!

This pain is about 10 times worse than the other gland so I am very discouraged this evening thinking I will have to have this surgery now. I know... I will go see the OTO doc tomorrow and I will report back to ya'll.

I am adding a picture so you can see that the first 2 weeks has been the submandibular gland that was swelling and had the stones. That swelled up today but it is no where near the pain of this new one which is the parotid gland.

HERE IS SOMETHING TO EXPLAIN IT THAT I FOUND ON THE WEB:

The most likely cause for this appears to be a blockage of the flow of the saliva out of the glands caused by a narrowing of the ducts. This narrowing is the result of scarring due to inflammation caused by the radiation. Thus, as one begins to eat, the volume of saliva increases but cannot pass through the narrowed duct into the volume of saliva increases but cannot pass through the narrowed duct into the mouth. The gland then rapidly swells, which can be painful. In some people, discomfort can result simply by looking at appetizing food.

The good thing about all of this is that I am learning so much about what different parts of the body does. I am now well versed on thyroids, lymph nodes, and now saliva glands! :-)

Also, we take our bodies for granted each day when we are feeling good. Once you have a "problem" like this and you learn what an amazing masterpiece the body is and how intricate it is.... how can you not believe in the almighty Creator???

I really didn't think I would have so many updates!! Goodness! Just keeping ya'll entertained. I have been joking this week that I am God's own private joke! HAHA!!

Spirits are still up and my energy is great! Just hard to talk sometimes and that excruciating pain but still doing GREAT!! Don't feel bad for me, I really can handle the pain, I am just still so thankful I am not dizzy any more!!! :-)


Hang in there with me... this is going to be very interesting!!!

GO MOMO (I am coming after you!!)

QUICK THING

Well... the antibiotic caused my esophagus to inflame and now I cannot drink, eat, laugh, or breathe deep without severe pain. I tell ya....... HOWEVER, I am still strong and encouraged today! I am looking forward to the weekend!

I just have to be careful right now because they said it could easily rupture. So, I am coating it with yummy things like Mylanta! I know...... don't be jealous now! :-) HAHA!! The dizziness and nausea did not bother me today so I can function with pain, that is the easy part for me. So... it was a GOOD day! :-)

I am really looking forward to this wonderful weekend! The weather is amazing right now!

Oh What A Week!

My bro-in-law Mike is somewhere in that picture running the race!! What an accomplishment - I am so proud and honored that he ran it as a charity runner for the American Cancer Society! That is love!!!

SOME WORDS OF WISDOM FROM HIM:

"One step in front of the other, before too long, you will be amazed at how far you have come
the distance yet to be traveled will be filled with old and new friends"

Ok... I finally have a big update! So much has happened this week!! I started writing this blog on Monday but so much was happening that I didn't get to finish! I am going to post what I wrote and then you can get the latest at the end. :-)

I unfortunately had a little issue last Wednesday and ended up in the ER due to having certain symptoms my doctors were concerned about. Since I had shortness of breath, extreme dizziness, and that lymph node was swelling to the size of a golf ball they were concerned. So, I went and had a CT in the ER and the doctor I work for brought his own team down there to get their advice (it really does pay to work for doctors!!!). After much consulting and investigating they came to the conclusion that my saliva gland was infected which was causing the other symptoms as well. So, I was placed on antibiotics and anti-vertigo medicine (not taking that one) and sent on my merry way.

I went to my endocrinologist the next day and explained everything to her as well as how icky I have been feeling. She did say it could be because the iodine radiation does come out the saliva glands (remember the lemon candies I had to suck on after radiation and that this month is when they said it would “come out”). Well, that pesky radiation has decided to not slip out quietly.

Here are the other things that happened during my visit:

1. She stated that my T4 was still not suppressed enough and she wanted to RAISE my dose, now all the docs in the ER and the docs I work with seem to think my dose is extraordinarily high and I have been advised to seek a second opinion.

2. She stated that the last scan I had did show residual thyroid tissue, this just means that the cancer can grow back since the cancer causing tissue is still there. So, when they took the thyroid and scraped my trachea they just didn’t get it all.

3. I had an ultrasound today to check the lymph node and nodules, this should tell us a lot about what is going on – the biggest being if my lymph node needs to be treated and if the thyroid tissue is still there.

4. I will be given a very small dose of radiation in 4 to 6 months and then they will do another scan to see if there is ANY cancer. If not then I will be deemed CANCER FREE!!!

5. She told me to stop taking ALL vitamins because they are interfering with the absorption of my Synthroid medication.

Thursday afternoon I went to an ENT doctor because my Endo doctor wanted to ensure that my saliva gland was not in danger due to the radiation. Well, I did go see one and he just agreed with everyone else and said that my saliva gland was infected and to take the antibiotics. He said that if it was not better in a week then they might consider taking it out.

It is now Monday, I have taken my antibiotics and have done everything I was told to do. I actually only swelled up once this weekend and other than that I felt GREAT!!! I dare say I almost felt NORMAL!! I know… very exciting.

I think my doctor could have been right and it was probably the infection making me feel so darn bad. The extreme dizziness is better and that “overall” sick feeling is almost completely gone! I had the GREATEST weekend!

Oh… I also have started really watching my iodine intake and I think that will definitely help. Since my tongue is secreting a salty taste constantly (the iodine radiation) then I know my body does not need any more so I am tyring to be good – I ACTUALLY DID NOT GET MY FAVORITE SHRIMP ROLL YESTERDAY! Boo hoo!

NEXT STEP:
We need the ultrasound results – that should be tomorrow

NOW FOR THE LATEST:

It is now Thursday and unfortunately my feeling great ended on Tuesday, yes, you read that right! The day after I typed how great I was feeling it went down hill again. I went to an Otolaryngologist today and he told me there was just one thing he could do to try to keep me from having surgery. He kept telling me to hang in there and then he decided to do some medieval procedure that reminded me of a SAW movie! I won’t go into the details but all I can say is at one point he shoved a long wire into my gland and kept jamming it in there trying to unblock the obstruction (stones). It hurt so bad I literally went into shock and couldn't’t move when he was done. He kept telling me it was all over and I could go but I just couldn't’t move! OUCH!!!!

I am now to put lemon juice in my mouth to keep the saliva going and to “milk” my own gland! HAHA! Yes… I have to rub it to keep the saliva going.

HERE IS THE LOW DOWN:

The radiation was passing out of my body through the saliva gland and it somehow caused some sort of damage where the saliva got caught up and then an obstruction happened and then STONES formed in my gland. He was able to get 4 out but could not get 1 other one out. So, he stated to keep on my antibiotics and then if it isn’t better in 2 weeks I will have a minor surgery to get it out.

I tell ya… I sure wasn’t expecting an issue with my saliva gland from all of this. It threw me for a loop and being so sick from the infection really did get me down and frustrated. But, I was reading some e-mails that a friend wrote to me a couple of months ago about how my positive attitude through all of this has changed their life and it was a nice reminder to me to get my act together, pick my head back up and keep moving forward! There are people out there dealing with much worse, I can’t let this get to me! I had my moments in bed and on the couch sulking. I am done with that and it is time to show MADGE who is boss again!

She won this last round but the next one is ALL MINE!!!

I am going in for the KNOCK OUT once and for all!!

NEXT STEPS:

— My endo doc called today and said she was still waiting for some results to come back and she will call me when they do to give me the next step
— My ultrasound just revealed my lymph node on the right was larger – the tech didn’t get the whole neck
— I have to wait and see if the doctor was successful today and the stones are gone, if not then I might need surgery to remove what is left
— I am still going to get a 2nd opinion with an Endo doc just to make sure I am on the right track with the medication – it is something I have to be on for the rest of my life and I want to make sure it is right! I want to find my right levels soon, I just want to feel normal again!

Okay…. I will give you an update as soon as something happens. I tried to get this one out to you quickly but I was feeling so bad.

Love you all ~

Lessons Learned!!!

I really do apologize for not writing on here for so long! I wish I could say it was because I was off on some fabulous vacation or that I have just been out having so much fun and feeling so great that I forgot to do it! Well.... it has been quite the opposite lately.

I don't even know where to begin. It seem that since hurricane IKE hit I have been feeling worse and worse. First it was just every few days and now it has gotten to the point where about 60-70% of my day I am feeling very poorly. Yesterday I stayed home all day and had quite the "breakdown" and just cried and cried due to being so frustrated that I can fix certain symptoms with pain medication or eating less iodine but there are certain things I cannot control and quite frankly I have had it.

So, today I called my doctor and I explained that I felt they had me on to high of a dose of my thyroid medication. Just a couple hours later I was eating lunch and I felt this strange sensation below my jaw on the right side and then a sharp pain and you would NOT believe (I have witnesses) that a large bump popped out the size of a golf ball! Everyone panicked at the table and once again I was calling my doctor. It hurt to talk, eat, swallow, etc...... I have not been feeling like I was getting a cold or flu so I didn't know why my glad had blown up like that.

I waited and waited for the endo doctor to call me back so I called my internal medicine doctor's office (my actual doctor is on maternity leave). I explained all these symptoms that I have been having as well:

• Chest pain


• Hard to breathe sometimes (either heavy chest or sometimes it feels like something is in my throat)


• Increased migraines


• Headaches about 50% of the day


• Extreme dizziness


• Motion sickness


• I have developed severe acne on my face, scalp, etc.....


• I have a salt taste in my mouth quite often


• Feeling flush quite frequently


• Hard to focus

So, I see the internist tomorrow who thinks I have some sort of infection. Then on the way home my endocrinologist called me and asked me all sorts of questions and she thinks it could be a saliva gland stone (I explained it was not that gland that blew up but she couldn't explain it).

Here is the GREAT news...... SHE SAID THAT I WAS DUE TO COME SEE HER IN 4 WEEKS BUT SEEING ME THIS WEEK WON'T HURT ANY SO I GET A BIG UPDATE THIS WEEK!!! YEAH!!!

I feel great tonight and I contribute it all to having a sense of relief in sight! I just want to get to the doc and explain everything and have her FIX IT! I know, I know... this is not a quick fix but I do feel so much better when I know something might change soon.

Now, on to the "Lesson Learned" part. As most of you know Gene's 33 year old brother passed away last year and ever since we have called our insurance agent a couple of times saying we wanted to double our life insurance (mind you if you are buried you are looking at a minimum of $7,000 - without a service!!!). The reality just hit home and we started thinking about how much we would need to pay off the house and live comfortably with out any worries ,etc...... So, you know how it goes when you get busy with work, etc...etc.... As of a couple of weeks ago we STILL hadn't changed our insurance!!!

So, I called our agent again and he asked me if we were still healthy. You know me.... I couldn't say otherwise so I told him I had thyroid cancer. First he said his "sorries" then he said, "well, I hate to tell you this but you are UNINSURABLE". He said even though thyroid cancer is not going to kill me that just the WORD cancer is an "insurance killer" so he is going to check into adding another 5 year term policy to my current one in a few years after my "remission".

PLEASE LEARN FROM THIS THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT UP ON YOUR LIFE INSURANCE!!! Do it before it is too late and you are stuck with a policy that will only get your spouse a Corvette and not the Ferrari! HAHA!!! Oh, and make sure you have your short term and long term insurance!!! I have had both since I started working 20 years ago and wouldn't you know MY COMPANY made a mistake and it dropped off... I noticed it and called my HR department and she said I just needed to fill out a form. WELL I SAT ON IT AND A MONTH LATER I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER!!!!!! I went without a paycheck for 6 weeks, if it would have been a "worse" cancer I would have been out with out pay for MONTHS!

Please learn from my laziness and take the necessary action

TODAY if you need to!!! :-)

I will give you an update after my doctor's appointments. I cannot wait to see what kind of testing I will have done soon (remember my Nov 24th appt was a BIGGIE and now I get to have it THIS WEEK!!!).

Again, my apologies for the delay.... this is one of those moments I can blame MADGE!!! She does come in handy once in a great while! HAHA!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!

GO MOMO!!!!

* My great bro-in-law also ran the marathon this past weekend in Chicago! I am hoping to have an update on that and some pictures!!