Doctor Appointment and Check Up

Today was the day I’ve been waiting for.  Ever since I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in March, I’ve waited for this day.  It’s progress report day…or lack of progress report.  I’ve been waiting and wondering which it will be.

Last month I was in a saw my surgeon who took out my thyroid.  He explained that this time when I came they’d be doing an ultra sound to check to make sure there was no spreading of cancer to the surrounding lymph nodes and that my tumor marker had gone down.

Previously my tumor marker was at 2.1.  Over two means there’s a more likely chance that cancer can reoccur…under 2 means less likely to reoccur.  If it was at 10 she would have me repeat the radio active iodine treatment.  It’s a number that we’ll be watching for the rest of my life…that and my thyroid levels now that I no longer have a thyroid.

This week I’ve been working on sewing a few string blocks for my Blue Skies quilt.  I thought I could pull the papers off while we were traveling to Lacrosse.  Ripping papers is really relaxing which is exactly what I needed.

So here’s what we found out at the doctor’s appointment.

ALL GOOD NEWS!!  My cancer marker is listed as undetectable.  The ultrasound came back clean.  No cancer is in my nymph nodes.  This is the very best report I could have ever had.  We were so happy…so VERY happy.

From here we move on to March.  At that point I have to redo some of the tests.  Remember when I had to eat the low-iodine diet and had to have a whole body scan?  Well I’ll have to do that again.  Last time along with doing the low iodine diet I had the option to go off my thyroid medication or to take shots.  Taking the shots meant several extra trips to Lacrosse and a couple more days off of work.  I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone so I opted to go off my meds.  That was completely miserable for me.  This time, I am opting to take the shots.  I don’t want to go hyperthyroid.

So, even though I’m in the clear for a bit here I won’t get the very best clean bill of health until I can pass through that set of tests too.  If I can, then I only have to go back yearly…that’s the hope.

While I’m doing an update here, I can tell you I’m walking 95% of the time now.  My surgery site doesn’t hurt a bit…the rest of my foot is still somewhat tight and uncomfortable.  The swelling is still a bit of an issue too.  I’ve graduated up and can now where two pair of my shoes.  Both are tennis shoes so I’m definitely not stylish, but at this point…I’ll take any shoe that fits.  Little by little it gets better.  I’ve been toying with going to the chiropractor this week to see if she can help with some of the discomfort in my foot…we’ll see.

As we were driving home from Lacrosse Kalissa called and said-Hey let’s celebrate your health!  I was up for that..so my day was the best day…good news at the doctor and a little Grandma time.

Looking at him and realizing that I have more time with him in my life was the best…the very best….Happy news all around!

Thanks to everyone who thought happy thoughts or said a prayer for me through all of the this.  I really appreciate it.