dana's Cancer Blog
May 13, 2008
| May 13, 2008 continued... | Views: 245 |
We moved from the Seattle area to Texas in 1996. My doctor in Washington would always check my neck for anything unusual. When we moved to Texas I found a doctor but didn’t insist she check my neck for bumps. I just had the blood test each year. I didn’t even think to ask her why she wasn’t checking my neck out too.
The sonogram showed a nodule that was 3 cm in size on the left side of my thyroid and the right had several “worrisome nodules.” My regular doctor referred me to an endocrinologist and scheduled a nuclear thyroid uptake. In order to have accurate test results the nuclear doctor told me I would have to be taken off of my thyroid medicine for 6 weeks. The endocrinologist said we couldn’t wait six weeks let alone what that would do to me to be off of thyroid med.’s for that period of time. So the decision was made to have a fine needle biopsy in my endocrinologist’s office. Prior to the fine needle biopsy they give you a cream to put on your neck. I left work driving and applying cream at the same time. Not smart move – then add a cell phone. I pulled over until I finished the call and applying the cream. When I walked in the room I found myself looking at a row 8 needles all lined up in a row. She gave me a shot that numbed the area as well. I looked over to see if one of the 8 needles was used for the numbing shot…nope all 8 were still there. With the help of an ultrasound she used all 8 needles to withdraw cells from each side of my thyroid. It didn’t hurt too much, but it did hurt.
Fast forward a week later and I’m back in her office listening to her read the pathologist’s findings on the biopsy. And of course, I Googled everything and anything regarding thyroid cancer. But you never are really prepared for the word cancer in relation to yourself – but there it was, “probable papillary cancer.†My father passed away from chronic lymphatic leukemia and my father-in-law from lymphoma. Let’s just say my family is a little hypersensitive to cancer. Everyone tells me they know someone who has had this type of cancer and is doing just great and if you’re going to get cancer it’s the best kind to have! Best kind? I dunno, it’s still scary. I hope by writing about my journey I can help someone else…
My endocrinologist referred me to a surgeon in order to have my thyroid removed. I immediately liked my surgeon, Dr. Gonzalez. He tells like it is – he said based on the pathologists report he was going to remove all of the left side of my thyroid as that’s where the biggest nodule was located. He would then remove a piece of the right and give it to the pathologist on hand during the surgery. If the pathologist determined the right side was malignant he would remove all of the right side too. He said he would like to leave a little of the right as your thyroid is connected to your Para-thyroid. Your Para-thyroid controls the calcium level in your body. If he removed all of it I would have to take calcium supplements for the rest of my life.
My surgery was last Thursday. The surgery itself took 2 ½ hours. The weirdest part was being wheeled into surgery and looking over at a doctor and recognizing his face! It was a friend of my oldest son’s – I had to laugh and told him I would tell KC I saw him in the operating room. A nurse mentioned I wouldn’t remember seeing him, but I did. They removed all of the left side and went after the right. The pathologist determined the right side was malignant too. My husband of 25 years was in the waiting room with my 2 best friends. The nurse called him and told him the surgery was going great but they did find cancer on both sides. Kevin told me the phone call really worried him as they didn’t tell him anything other than it was cancer on both sides.
I woke up in recovery with all kinds of lines hooked up to me and I heard the nurse say we are taking her to ICU. In my fuzzy brain I tried to reason why I would need to go to ICU? When I got to ICU they let Kevin, Melanie and Shelley into the room too and they told me it’s because they needed to monitor my calcium level. I had a drainage tube in my neck and I felt like I couldn’t move without tugging on something that was hooked up and making an alarm sound. Kevin told me the surgeon had found Papillary cancer in both sides of my thyroid. I was relieved and I know he was too. This is the type of cancer that can be cured with a dose of iodine. Papillary cancer loves iodine and when iodine is ingested any remaining cells will ingest the iodine and be killed. I only had to spend one night in ICU and was released to go home Friday. My incision sight is sore but it doesn’t look too bad.
I had an appointment with the endocrinologist yesterday and she gave us a copy of the pathologists report from surgery. What I didn’t know was the surgeon took 3 lymph nodes out as well. The report stated the cancer had metastasized in one of the 3 lymph nodes. She said the surgeon may not have known there was cancer in the lymph nodes just by looking…? It is small…
What’s next? I’m waiting to schedule a full body scan to see if the cancer is anywhere else in my body. And hopefully, one dose of radioactive iodine and I’ll be O.K. Today I feel like I’ve got the flu and I’m achy all over – they took blood yesterday and will let me know if the reason I’m feeling this way is due to a calcium level decline. I have a prescription for calcium and have been instructed to take six pills a day.
Thanks for reading and I’m headed for my regular doctor this morning for a blood pressure check…that’s another story…have a wonderful rest of your day!
06.22.08 - 
Thanks for your support -
Dana – Thanks for telling your story. I think it helps so many people. I am impressed by your courage and strength.
Welcome to the family. we are here to support all those that have come. It is great that you share your story. There are those that have the same kind of Cancer. You may help them to understand what is to come.
Keep us updated on how are thing are going .
Hug Sherri
Your story caught my eye when I read Texas as that is where I am. You are very brave and tough. I have had those needle biopsies in the neck and they hurt more than a little. It sounds like your on the correct road. I have studied continually about all kinds of cancer as my doctor told me I would be dead in six months, in 2004. Remarkable things occur when you have faith. Peace