Thyroid Cancer, Anyone?

[kenzi26]

Oh hun I hope your second scan tomorrow goes well. I really hope it didn't spread. Do you know what type of thyroid cancer you have? My fingers and toes are crossed for you!!

I'm coping alright, I just really want to get back to normal and forget all of this is happening. I'm so happy my girls are home. My 4 year old is such a sweetie; she knows mommy has been sick and that I was in the hospital because I had to take medicine, so she got out her toy doctor kit and has been taking very good care of me since she came home . She also needs things to go back to normal. She has had to deal with so many changes in the past year.

Good luck again with tomorrow's scan! You are in my thoughts.

 

[MrsDuck]

Thanks kenzi, your daughter sounds so cute I bet she is pleased to have you back x

I'm hoping they just got a bad image or something and need to redo the scans or something, I suppose I'll know more on Tuesday x

 

[Whisper]

Hi everyone,

Sorry i haven't been about things have been pretty manic here (in a good way).

Sorry things are not going so well Mrs Duck, how are you now? and how did the scan go?

Kenzi - How are you? Have you settled back in with your family now all living together?

You have both been in my thoughts so while i have the chance i thought i would see how you are both doing.

x

 

[MrsDuck]

Hi whisper thanks for checking up on us I hope you are well and I hope your voice is continuing to improve.

My scan went ok it doesn't look like the cancer has spread but my nodes are enlarged so they could be cancerous too so they are coming out at the same time as the remainder of my thyroid but to get to the affected nodes I need more cuts so they will enlarge the existing cut which has healed fantastically it's just a very fine line of slightly red scar so am a bit gutted it has to be opened up again and it will be enlarged so that it runs across the whole of the front of my neck and then a second one just under my jaw.

To get to another one they have to pull my nerve that controls the side of my face so unfortunately because it will get stretched the side of my face will drop a bit looking like I've had a stroke but the consultant said it should spring back but he doesn't know how long it will take.

So all this will happen this Friday but I'll need drains this time do I'll be in hospital for 2-3 days.

So my news could be better but it could be so much worse too.

I'll keep you posted

Kenzi how are you doing?

Lots of hugs to you both, take care

Xxx

 

[Whisper]

Mrs duck you are having a real tough time, i'm really sorry you have to go through it all again and then some.... fingers crossed your new scars heal just as quickly as this one did and the nerve repairs really fast.

Do you have any idea how long you will be signed off work for?

Truly best of luck for tomorrow i will be thinking of you x

My voice is miles better almost came back over night i was quite amazed, just having some bloods done tomorrow because i'm not feeling too great but nothing major.

xx

 

[MrsDuck]

I'm glad your voice is better whisper and I hope you are feeling better soon and your blood tests all come back as normal x

I don't know how long I'll be off for, it took me 2 weeks to be able to drive after my first op and I need to be able to drive for work but if it takes a few weeks then it might be getting close for the RAI treatment so don't know x

I'll let you know how everything goes tomorrow and pls keep us posted on how you are xx

 

[CanadianMaple]

I just saw this post and wanted to tell you my brother-in-law's story. He was diagnosed with it about 2 years ago. He had the biopsy, then the surgery and did the radioactive iodine a few weeks later. He was in isolation for 2 or 3 days and then had to stay home for another week. He gets checked yearly, but they don't expect it to come back.

He said the hardest part was when he had to go hypothyroid, but it was so quick, 2 years later he says it is just a fuzzy memory now.

Good luck to all of you. I hope this goes quickly for you and it can just be a distant memory.

 

[wamommy]

CanadianMaple, it's funny that your brother said that. Going off of thyroid meds for a month (cytomel and then nothing) was the toughest part for me too. It was only once a year for scans, but still... I was in school/college, so it wiped me out completely. It kind of felt like always being half asleep, or in a fog. I'd also gain some weight and my hair would start to fall out BUT it was how I found out the cancer wasn't back, so I was more than willing to do it!

 

[Whisper]

Hi Mrs Duck, i keep checking to see if you have updated. Hope everything went ok. xx

 

[MrsDuck]

Thanks for checking up on me whisper x

I went into hospital at 8am Friday went into surgery about 10.30am and woke up at 3.30pm. I was cut across my throat and they continued up each side until behind my ears then I've been stapled back together again, I look like Frankenstein minus the bolts!

The consultant thought he had put my body through enough on this visit so there are 2 suspect nodes which I need to have tested for possible cancer which he hasn't removed as they were very difficult to get to and he didn't think they looked cancerous as they were plump and fatty on the scan so I've got a bit more of a waiting game.

Also this time I had to have 2 drains in my neck which hurt like hell when they pulled them back out again a couple of days later.

I came back home on Monday and I have to go back to hospital Tuesday to get the staples taken out and I think the fine needle aspiration done on the 2 remaining nodes.

I hope I am now on the road to recovery and the biopsy on the nodes will come back normal and it's just the RAI treatment to go.

I hope you are well xxx

 

[Whisper]

oh my goodness you poor thing, you sound so calm about it all but it must be terrifying. You must have a really good support system at home.

It sounds very very painful and you'll be off work for some time i can remember it hurt me to move my neck with my small incision but with your neck dissection (is that what they call it?) must be a lot worse. x

Do they have to test everything they removed? really hope they got everything they needed to and after your RAI treatment you are on a fast road to recovery.

Staples sound painful, why didn't they glue it? or was it too big an incision?

I'm sure they are monitoring your calcium levels etc and you probably know that tingly/numb hands feet is a sign its dropping. Do you have to see someone about going onto thyroxin now?

You sound very positive and calm about it all which is great, keep us updated on your progress. xx

regards me my voice is almost back to normal i can shout again so im very pleased about that! lol

 

[MrsDuck]

Thanks whisper, I'm sure you are glad you have got your voice back now, my voice this time gets tired and croaky by the end of the day.

It's been a week now since the op and I still feel worse and am in more pain than the day after my first op! But I suppose it was a much bigger op. not sure how long I'm off work for but I can't move my neck hardly at all so I'd say ive still got a couple of weeks to go.

Yes they test everything that was removed and they still have to remove some cells from the 2 nodes they didn't remove just to confirm that they aren't cancerous before the RAI treatment.

The incision was too big for glue so it was stitching or staples and apparently as well as being quicker the staples leave less of a scar so I have some stitches but mainly staples.

I'm getting a sort of electric shock feeling every so often on the staples so not sure what that means?

I'm getting my calcium levels checked regularly and I've got to take supplements as I was getting tingling fingers.

I'm trying to be as positive as possible and my family are great so I'm getting through it fine, you've just got to go with the flow haven't you?

I will keep you posted, and thanks again for checking up on me xx

 

[kenzi26]

So sorry I have been MIA for a while. I am so sorry you are going through all of this MrsDuck, I hope you feel better soon. When will you be doing the RAI?

 

[MrsDuck]

Hi kenzi how are you?

I don't know I have to go back to see the consultant on Tuesday so see how I'm healing so hopefully I'll find out then, he said 4-6 weeks after my op so not too far away x

 

[Whisper]

Hi Mrs Duck and Kenzi

How are you feeling now Mrs Duck, is the pain slowly becoming less and less?

Did you speak with the doctor about TTC, do they know how long you have to wait after your RAI?

You must be completely fed up with doctors and hospitals already, but by christmas you will be all done and the scar will probably hardly be noticeable and if it is then wearing scarves is perfectly acceptable in winter, its tough trying to cover up in the hot weather we've had.

When do you get to have your staples out? Hope you are doing well in your recovery and not getting any terrible side effects.

x

Kenzi - How are you doing after your RAI, have you seen the endocrinologist to sort your tablets out or do you need to wait more? x

 

[MrsDuck]

Hi whisper,

The staples came yesterday and the pain is finally starting to reduce thankfully, although it is still slightly bruised and swollen. The scar looks very neat so hopefully will fade nicely.

I should have the RAI treatment in 4-6 weeks time then I have to wait 6 months before ttc. It can't come quick enough.

The only side effects I seem to be having is that I am constantly hot and I'm weeing all of the time so the consultant will adjust my thyroxine until those side effects go.

I can't wait to have the RAI just so that I can start to get on with my life, at the moment it just seems to be on hold.

Xxx

 

[kenzi26]

Hi Whisper!

MrsDuck~ Glad to hear you are feeling a bit better! Waiting to ttc sounds rough; hopefully the time passes quickly for you! Have you gotten the test results back from your lymph nodes they took out? Do you have a date for the RAI treatment yet?

I have a follow up appointment on Friday. I don't exactly know what to expect, but I'm going to write a list of questions down this time. Hopefully my husband is able to come with me.

 

[MrsDuck]

Hi kenzi I hope your hubby can make it I found it was great to have mine with me as you don't take it all in when everything is being explained to you and having a second pair of ears is great. I hope all goes well at your appointment x

Only one other node that they took out was found to be cancerous so it hadn't spread too far luckily x
I still don't know when I'll have the RAI treatment but I have another appointment today with the consultant so hopefully I'll find out today x

 

[kenzi26]

How did your appointment go?

I had my follow-up today. DH couldn't come along because he had to work. I'm very frustrated by that. I actually got to meet with one of the leading specialists in thyroid cancer in my area by chance today. He is retiring soon though. Basically, they drew blood to check my thyroid hormone levels and will adjust my medication if need be. They also checked my calcium levels. I will be monitored for the next few months until everything is regulated. Then, in 6 months/1 year, they will do another scan using a small does of RAI to see if I have any remaining thyroid tissue. The doctor said that the RAI takes time to work, so thats why they wait so long. I'm curious to see if my thyroid levels are ok, because my hair has been falling out like crazy. So we'll see I guess.

 

[MrsDuck]

My appointment was very quick just a check of my calcium levels which were good. I'm still waiting on dates for my RAI treatment

How long do you have to wait for your results?

I hope I don't lose too much hair, my hair is only fine to begin with, I'll be bald haha.