cancerrecovery

Last week, you saw me update my thoughts daily regarding my scan to check for any reoccurrence of #ThyroidCancer .

And I have good news! All clear!!

This set of tests was particularly stressful this year because I actually got the all clear a few months ago, but a different doctor (my specialist) saw the ultrasound and felt it needed the more intensive test as she saw some larger spots in my neck. That could have meant a few things, one of those being I may have been fighting a cold or infection and my lymph nodes inflamed, or I was growing another tumor.

Fortunately, we now believe it was the first as there is no evidence of disease anywhere in my body.

I am so thankful to be alive and well today. And that's what matters.

#talkingaboutit #Cancer #livingwithcancer #cancerrecovery

I'm done!!!!!!! Yessssss.

Now all I need to do is wait for the test results in a few days.

Whichhhhh is still pretty #Anxiety -inducing. But knowing that this process is now behind me for at least another year is a relief.

Now to go home and celebrate with some much needed rest. <3

#Cancer #ThyroidCancer #cancerrecovery #MentalHealth

If you'd like to follow along, you can see the previous post in this series here: https://themighty.com/content/5bbf9fa923a27700ac5b446c/

I can just feel the clock today. Tick, tick, tick. My scan growing ever closer.

It's funny, after 3 years since the diagnosis of cancer I continue to approach these with so much apprehension. It should be decreasing right? After 3 years of getting an 'all clear' you'd think you'd slowly start to fear it less.

Unfortunately, you don't.

What's so scary about cancer is how traumatic the experience is. Not only is your body physically strained from going through surgeries and treatments, but your mind has to process everything too. It's scary, and the treatment can last for a long time.

Last time, the physician was able to tell me immediately a snapshot of what the results looked like. This is a different hospital, but I'm hoping for that as well. Good or bad, it's better to know.

#Cancer #cancerrecovery #ThyroidCancer #rai #RadioactiveIodine #MentalHealth #ChronicIllness #nuclearimaging

To follow along, you can view the previous post here: https://themighty.com/content/5bbe7b22e6bd8100acfc747a/

Honestly the worst thing so far? I'm hungry and can't eat yet!

I had to fast 2 hours ahead of RAI and 1 hour after and now I'm starving. Why did my appointment have to fall 2 hours after lunchtime?????

Mostly I'm feeling tired right now. I know the nausea from this is going to come, and I'm dreading that symptom. Otherwise, I'm doing OK and just trying to keep myself in a good headspace.

#ThyroidCancer #Cancer #cancerrecovery #rai #RadioactiveIodine #MySymptoms
To follow along, click here for my previous post: https://themighty.com/content/5bbe2b61773a5900ac27b147/

Unfortunately, I can't get superpowers from this type of radiation.

Radioactive Iodine or RAI is exactly what it sounds like. It's a radioactive iodine isotope. You can look up I-123 if you'd like to know more about the science of this treatment.

But basically, the two injections blasted the thyroid hormone called TSH into my system. TSH is only absorbed by thyroid tissue, however a scan can't see that hormone. Fortunately, Iodine is ONLY absorbed by thyroid tissue. So by giving me a Radioactive form of it, they can pick up any presence of the Iodine/TSH in my body through nuclear imaging.

Since I had a total thyroidectomy, I shouldn't have any thyroid tissue left in my body. Ideally the TSH and the RAI are just going to flush themselves out & my scan will look pretty boring. However, if it does light up, it means the presence of new thyroid tissue, which could mean a reoccurrence of cancer.

I still have a few hours until I head to the hospital to receive RAI, and I can't tell if I'm more nervous about the treatment or just visiting the hospital.

#Cancer #ThyroidCancer #cancerrecovery #rai #RadioactiveIodine #Thyroidectomy #MentalHealth #ChronicIllness

See my previous post in this series to follow along: https://themighty.com/content/5bbd1436332c8000ad17ee9c/

This Thought will be short, but man my head is swimming.

I'm somewhere between hungry and nauseous, feel like I'm mildly dissociating, and my headache and brain fog feel like a weird combo monster sitting on my head. Oh yeah, and I still can't really stand for long or walk without slightly limping.

On the upside, I'm halfway through. And I need to keep remembering that every hour and every day I'm much closer to putting this behind me for another year.

#ThyroidCancer #Cancer #cancerrecovery #BrainFog #Dissociation

I woke up this morning already nauseous. I hadn't even gone in for my second injection and was already feeling off. Not only that I had nausea upon waking, but since I have to sit on the injection site, I felt pain for my entire drive.

This second injection felt like pure fire. I couldn't even sit for a few minutes afterwards because it stung so bad. Then immediately had to get labs drawn.

Driving back I felt so fatigued already. Today was on my right side and it made driving hard. I kept counting down, only 10 more minutes, 5 more minutes, 2 more minutes until I arrived at my destination. My nausea also increased which isn't helping.

Right now I'm trying to not let myself get bummed out by how I feel right now, but it's so draining. Who ever said you only had to fight cancer physically?

#ThyroidCancer #Cancer #cancerrecovery #ChronicIllness

See my previous post in this series to follow along:
https://themighty.com/content/5bbbac514361e100ac5dbb0b/

It's now lunchtime and the nausea hit me like a wall. Keeping it to bland foods today, but mixed with the fatigue starting to hit my body, it's a bit of #SensoryOverload . I also had so much weakness in my left leg that I needed to take a break halfway through my one block walk with my dog.

#Cancer #ThyroidCancer #whatcancerisreallylike #cancerrecovery

See my previous post in this series to follow along: https://themighty.com/content/5bbb91bb4361e100ac5b2cbc/

Today I'm beginning the process that is all too familiar for those of us who have or are in recovery for #ThyroidCancer .

I plan on using this post and the following as a snapshot of what these couple of days look like for me; how I'm feeling, what procedure or test is being done that day, etc. I want this to be a truthful understanding of #Cancer and #cancerrecovery can look like.
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This morning I received the first of two injections. God these suck. They basically have to blast me with thyroid hormones over 2 days. The alternative is for me to go 6 weeks without my daily medication, which overall sucks way more than this process.

BUT THE SYMPTOMS ARE THE WORST.

With these injections comes injection site pain and weakness (which since these injections have to go in the buttocks, mean that my entire left leg is week today), fatigue, nausea, and potentially a few other symptoms if I'm really lucky.

This is all in preparation for a scan on Thursday to check for any thyroid tissue. Since I had a total thyroidectomy due to cancer, the presence of any tissue can be an indication of a recurrence of cancer.

I'll check back in later today if anything changes in how I'm feeling. Right now, I'm already a bit fatigued and walking my pup was really difficult with the muscle weakness. I'm feeling a lot of #Anxiety about the rest of the week, as I always do when it comes to scans.

It's waking up every morning and the first thing you do is take #Medication that you now NEED due to your cancer, and dealing with the emotional impact of reliving that #Trauma every day.

#Cancer #ThyroidCancer #cancerrecovery #MentalHealth