Time Line

This morning we met with the radiation oncologist for a consult and now we have a working time line for the first test to find straggling thyroid cells.

So I will continue to take my Cytomel (thyroid replacement hormone with short half-life) until the 20th of October (it's a Tuesday)... which means I have just under a month of feeling relatively well-- yay!

The Tuesday after that (the 27th) I get some lab work done and stop eating certain things and taking certain drugs (nothing I regularly consume was on those lists-- i.e. Slim-fast shakes).

On Monday the 2nd of November I do more blood work.

Then the next day (the third) I go to the center to take my little dose of radioactive iodine.

This allows us to do the scan on the 5th and review it with the oncologist. They say about 80% of patients still have thyroid cells on their first scan so I'm guessing I will too. If I do we will schedule a time when I can come back and get my big dose of radioactive iodine. They used to be able to give the big dose on the same day as the scan if needed but there is a shortage of radioactive iodine so I must wait until they have a pill for me. (they say it takes about a week)

After I take the big dose and live secluded for a few days I may start hormone replacements again-- yay!

So now you are updated! Thanks for reading.

New Update

We got back from the doctor's office with some news with which I am quite happy-- although not that much has changed.

First we have an appointment to see the radiation oncologist Wednesday morning (the very next happening Wednesday-- yay) and will find out more info about that process (how long will I be radioactive? will I leave something like a radioactive snail trail behind me? and important things like that)

Second and more exciting is that I got a prescription for a temporary hormone replacement. Here's the cool thing that I learned today:

Thyroid hormones have a pretty long half-life so it takes quite a while for them to naturally dissipate (about six weeks) taking the thyroid-less person on a slow gradual decline into a pit of despair. Where as this version of thyroid replacement has a short half-life so it dissipates roughly twice as fast as the stuff my thyroid left behind. So this is roughly how I think of it. This has no scientific bearing... it's just my current understanding.

The x axis is time in Weeks, the y axis is how I'm feeling (very measurable).
The red line is my perceived progression with taking the temporary hormone replacement, the blue line is my perceived natural progression.
The aqua shaded parfait illustrates bonus better feeling time, the brighter the better.

Hormone Dissipation: Feeling vs. Time

(channeling my father here)

So now I'm feeling just fine! It's nice to know that I can somewhat rely on feeling fine for a given time but there is still a lot that we'll just have to wait and see.

Park Lake... or is it Lake Park?

Feeling the need to update. The last post seems too serious... especially for hanging out on top of the list. We see the doctor tomorrow... would you like to add to my list of questions so I can be sure to answer them for you? I'll check the comments tomorrow morning and add anything to my list.

Earlier in the month was our ward picnic and afterward we went for a bike ride around the lake-- technically around the lake... more like the on the streets that surround the lake. which is why I didn't even know there was a lake there (mostly private). Then we walked one of the trails around the park and here are some things that we saw.

pretty marshland

little froggies
(I guess it's pretty obvious how we like to see little frogs and toads)

and deer... little ones!

with spots!
how can you not be happy and see little deer with spots?

Pathology Report-- and the Envelope Please...

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cancer

You know it's a bad sign when it's the day you're supposed hear back, it's 5:45 pm, the phone rings and it's not a nurse, it's your surgeon.


Cancer on both sides so it's good we took the whole thing out. Only one lesion was on the surface, the rest were safely tucked within the thyroid tissue. We have an appointment on Friday and will schedule a meeting with a radiation oncologist who will oversee my radioactive iodine treatments. It will be probably about six weeks before the first treatment because right now I still have thyroid hormones inside and they have to be completely gone before we send radioactive iodine after any rogue thyroid cells. And in a very brief description of the feeling of getting the thyroid hormone to zero my doctor said, "you'll be pretty miserable."


I'm going to ask for clarification on that.


It's been just under a month since Dennis and I celebrated our one year anniversary. I cannot help but liken this situation to when someone buys a new car or washing machine... as soon as the warranty expires ::poof:: the thing falls apart and you're just out of luck. Sorry Honey. And I bet it's even worse when you're still making payments! I told him that he should have gotten the extended warranty.


Even though we knew that the thyroid could contain cancer and the cancer has already been removed I'm surprised by how it feels, relating oneself to having cancer. I think it's a very loaded word, perhaps because it runs in my family it carries a lot of weight with me-- but I think it carries a lot of weight with everyone-- cancer = bad, that's pretty clear.

Then I feel a little betrayed by my own body-- we're supposed to be on the same team-- seems you can't trust anyone, especially your own freaking body, how could she do this to me?

Then I realize that's not very productive and that I just need to process this a bit more and adjust. hmm... I'll be back a little later.

Back from the Hospital

So I just had a total thyroidectomy... and in case I didn't know what it was called before arriving at the hospital I would be sure to know after being there for ten minutes. It was like a quiz with every new person I encountered leading up to the procedure, that and my birthday and how to spell my last name.

I'm fine with them being thorough-- please please be thorough!

So I'm feeling alright. My throat is sore, it hurts to swallow, and the muscles in my neck are stiff. None of this is surprising.

It was scheduled as a outpatient procedure but I was held overnight for observation. I was glad for that little extra time to make sure things were fine before sending me home.

Dennis has been especially sweet. Before heading into the hospital he braided my hair-- into pigtails. I got a couple of blisters on my left hand the day before so did not have the dexterity to do it myself. The braided pigtails were a stroke of genius as they allowed me to be in bed for days without getting into a tangled mess-- so if you ever know anyone with long hair who will be in bed for several days, do them a favor and braid their hair into pigtails! It was nice to have something be comfortable.

We took some pictures before leaving the house, knowing I'd never be quite the same. Here is one of those pictures (the lack of glasses and the button-up shirt were part of planning ahead):



So naturally when you have a before picture you have to have an after picture. This one was taken this morning almost two days after surgery:



So yeah, no bandage-- I was surprised by that too. I'm stitched on the inside and glued shut. The surgical tape in the center is from when the doctor removed the drainage tube the next morning... but we don't have to talk about that. This is about as high as I can currently lift my head comfortably without feeling any pulling. If your gruesome sense of curiosity is not yet satisfied you may click on the above picture to see it larger.

So I'm off to take another nap but just wanted to let my three readers know that I'm doing fine and I really appreciate all the prayers and well wishes and good thoughts sent my way-- I feel it made a difference-- Thank you!

-- and the free slipper socks are totally worth it!

Last Day

I'm going in for surgery tomorrow... wish me luck!

Not Dead Just Busy

Hello!

Well I had a great month of sculpting at the fair... pictures soon! It was great to see family and friends in the area-- almost made me sad to leave! But there's something about being home and seeing the beau that surprisingly tips the scale.

I do not have a ton of time to write as you see I got home just in time to start canning and as you know tomatoes do not wait for long! About 35 plants made it through our scary wilt that had us both depressed earlier in the summer. For a while it seemed that every day more plants were showing the inexplicable symptoms that promptly leads to death. All it seamed we could do is watch. Toward the end I tried burying the steams of the very newly infected plants so the tomato could make new and hopefully more effective roots. I don't know if this made a difference but most of those plants recovered and the spread stopped-- although that could have been lucky timing.

The wilt claimed just about a dozen tomato plants and decimated our zucchini... but then stopped... and we are grateful. Of course then the counters are covered with impatient tomatoes yelling at me to make decisions and do something yummy with them-- and hurry up about it. It's not too bad and so far I've been able to keep up reasonably well and even can salsa at a friend's house with her tomatoes last week. But I'm just barely keeping up... if I finish my two batches of salsa today I would have cleared the house of harvested tomatoes. .... ... but I know there are more waiting in the garden! Part of me is thinking about how things would be had all of our plants lived-- I doubt I'd be at the computer right now.

In other news I have surgery scheduled for the 15th . I'm getting my thyroid removed. This has been a little while in the making. It started with a routine physical that lead to a thyroid ultrasound to measure the larger bumps thereon. From there it was suggested that the largest bump (or node) on each side be subject to a fine needle aspiration (tiny biopsy). When both sides came back "highly suspicious" for cancer the decision was made to remove said thyroid. Of course a few days of freaking out were included in there too for good measure-- can't skip the freak out!

So I have a lot to do before then... the tomatoes are calling!

We're feeling that it is the best decision given the circumstances.

Puppet Festival-ness

I recently returned from the Puppeteers of America National Festival and had a great time!! A really great time! Perhaps the best time I've ever had at a festival which is saying a lot since I always have a good time... but this time was even better!

I think it helped that at this festival I taught a workshop... a long one. I think it helped to be more involved. The workshop went really well! I had a great group and we had a good energy for all three days-- fantastic!

I made an effort (though it wasn't hard) to be more social this festival... that probably made a difference too. Yay for new friends! and yay for strengthening not-as-new-friends! Yay!

There were great shows a well! (and no painful shows!)

And fore the first time I had items for sale in the Puppetry Store... and did pretty well and it also inadvertently served as a place to display my work. It wasn't uncommon to talk with someone and have it come around to "oh, I saw your masks in the store..."

s w e e t !


I also need to redo and downsize my carry around portfolio-- eventually. It's currently 11x17... a little obnoxious and since now I have a website, oh yes I have a website, I can hone the portfolio to make it more straight froward... 'leave them wanting more' as it were.

Andrew and Katy Got Married!

You may remember when they got engaged-- but now they're hitched! I'm so glad that I got to go back to Sacramento for a week and help out... not that they needed much help.



I did get to take pictures, however, lots of pictures-- more pictures than I've ever taken in one day. Then I got to edit those pictures... I know what you mean Andrea! (although this was child's play compared to what you do!)

I wouldn't call myself a photographer, just a willing friend with a camera. So here's a sneak peak-- I'm mailing off the disks to the happy couple today... I suppose I should ask their permission before posting these...

Each table had a row of vases containing Gerbera Daisies... very pretty!

I couldn't possibly be happier for these two! Two great people making one great couple!

Mushroom Hunting

The season is passed but I thought I'd share a little bit about this fun experience.

I first heard of morels from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle where the authors had morel mushrooms growing on their property and where a prized treasure. So I was exited when I was told that our wonderful park out back also provides a season of Morels (just when I thought it couldn't get any better).

I never thought I would be a mushroom hunter. never. I always pictured short stout fellows with bushy gray beards, dirty clothes, missing teeth, and a hat made of tree bark with moss growing on it. And don't forget the mesh bag.

We did some research online and found that this type of mushroom is pretty safe to gather and eat if you know what to look for (if it looks like a morel-- there are a couple different types-- and it's hollow then you're good).

Here's a closer look at what morels look like:

in the "wild"

in the hand

and on the plate!

Since the park is public there are a lot of other mushroom hunters so we never found a ton of them. It's not exactly easy but it's really fun when you find one-- makes me feel feel very 'hunter/gatherer.'

It seems the general online consensus to prepare morels fried with some sort of coating (other wise they shrivel to nothing). They were pretty tasty... especially for free!