My Thyroid Cancer story begins on November 12. I saw my doctor for my annual routine physical. As he was checking me out, one of the first things he noticed was my swollen Thyroid. He immediately wanted me to get bloodwork and an ultrasound. And so the process begins.
A week later I had my ultrasound and bloodwork and was seeing my new ENT doctor to get the results. I had nodules ranging from 1-3 cm and he wanted a biopsy done. So, the ball keeps rolling.
A week later, I was at the hospital getting a biopsy done on my Thyroid. I would consider this the first major part of this whole process. The results from the biopsy would tell us the next step - surgery. I was going to have a full Thyroidectomy. This was now scheduled for December 12th. My first surgery!
The surgery was very successful according to my ENT. He removed the entire Thyroid as well as 12 lymph nodes. He wound up removing the parathyroid gland but put it back in as it was alright. I survived my first surgery but had a new scar as a result. Uggh!
On December 19th, I had my post-operation with my ENT. They removed my bandage and stitching. He said it was a perfect stitch. Yay! However, the next day, I would be seeing the Oncologist to discuss the lab results.
Entering the Cancer Care Center for the first time was an eye-opener. Very different than entering the hospital. The modern facility with TV's and fireplaces was very inviting. Dr. Myoung was a down-to earth and knowledgable doctor. He discussed my results and remained very positive. He even laughed at my jokes. In short, I have stage 3 Thyroid cancer at age 41. My age is a good thing, supposedly.
The next step is Radio-Iodine Treatment (RAI). It is very effective! Before I can do the treatment, though, I must be on a low-iodine diet for 3 weeks. I will also do a full body scan before the treatment as well as after. Then I will have my next scan 6 months later. Once I am done with the treatment I will also be put on Thyroid medication. Finally! Dr. Myoung told me the worst part about the treatment is not being on the meds. The fatigue is supposed to be pretty bad. As of today, I am not really noticing too much fatigue.
So, that brings us up to date. I am trying to remain optimistic, especially through the diet.
You will find all my diet information on those pages in my blog.
