It’s that Time, AGAIN!

I’ve had my three month reprieve.  It’s time to head back to Lacrosse and get my cancer rechecks.

It amazes me how easy it is for me to slip into life as I live it and completely ignore that I had cancer or that it’s trying to sneak back into my life.

If you’ve been a reader since December of 2015, you know that I’ve had thyroid cancer.  Mine was initially found during a routine annual physical.  I had absolutely nothing going on in my life that would have lead anyone to believe that I would have it.  The nurse practitioner who I see was feeling along my throat and felt it was enlarged in that area so she sent me on to have an ultrasound….and so it went to the removal of my thyroid and then I had Radioactive Iodine Treatment.

From there I thought I was good…but slowly we’re afraid it’s creeping back.  Well, I have a blood test done that’s called a Thyroglobulin Tumor Marker.  My number is supposed to stay below 2…but it hasn’t.  If the number goes above 2, then it’s a sign that the cancer is returning and I’ll have to go through treatment again.  They can’t treat me unless they find where the cancer is so…we look.  That has meant PET scan and full body scan and chest CT scans.  To date, we have found nothing.  So they have moved me up to a three month check rather than every six months.

It between testing…I live a normal life.  I honestly can even forget all about it…but then an appointment reminder comes up and there I am back wondering what life is going to throw my way.

The last time I did this series of testing it was the beginning of May.  Kramer was in the hospital.  He was so worried both of us would be in the middle of treatment.  I didn’t know how…but somehow either way, I knew we’d figure it out.  We always figured things out.  I’ll never forget the joy on his face when I told him my scan came back clear.  At the time, my only prayer was that if it was going to come back, that it could wait until Kramer got better…well we know how that played out.  Kramer didn’t get better and passed away in early June.

So Thursday I was in the clinic and had the blood draw.  Monday I go back to Lacrosse.  I had a chest CT and then I talk to my doctor about what’s next.  They have started doing a chest CT because if thyroid cancer spreads, the lungs is the usual place it goes….So say a prayer, cross your fingers or send a happy thought my way.  I could use one.

My kiddos are a little upset that I’m going myself.  I told them and told them that I’ve been doing this so long that I now know what to expect.  The only thing that has happened for me as of late is being told we don’t need to worry…and frankly, I think I could handle that.  Whatever they decided to do with me, I’ve already done so I’m okay to go alone.  Kelli is doing childcare and Kalissa…well Kalissa was going to go with me but she has somewhere more important she has to be.

….remember Gannon’s belly issues???  Yep that happened this spring too and with that, we never really found out any answers.

For those of you who need an update on that…here it is….Shortly after Gannon was born his stomach was weird.  He screamed.  It was an issue.

Kalissa went to Mayo Clinic…was not happy…then went to Iowa City instead.  Nothing was ever figured out.  At Mayo they dismissed her and told her it was a milk allergy, she needed to quit nursing and everything would be fine.  At Iowa City, they said no but couldn’t exactly explain it either.  I think they were all waiting for him to settle into himself and see if this was colicy baby or what.

Well recently Gannon ruptured an ear drum and had puss coming out his ear.  He went on meds for ear infection.  His ear continued to drain…Kalissa made another appointment over a week later and Gannon was put on another round of meds.  A week after that he went in for an ear check.

They were seeing his regular doctor and in the middle of his appointment the doc said, “You know, his belly still isn’t right, is it?”  Well, no it isn’t.  It never has been “RIGHT”.  We’ve all just learned to live with it and Gannon is the MOST content baby…rarely fusses unless he’s hungry….so we, although bothered by it, have started to wonder if we were over reacting to think something was really wrong…after all he’s so content.

The doc recommended she go back to Iowa City.  Of course the open appointment is the same day as my appointment.  Kalissa tried to get a different appointment but it would have shoved him out into the very end of September.  I wouldn’t let her so…Gannon is going south.  I’m going east.

For the curious minds…here’s a couple pictures of Gannon’s belly.

This is a normal day for Gannon….

This is too.  This is how if looks if he tries to sit up.

The current thought is that there’s an issue with lack of abdominal muscles..but who knows.  That’s the opinion of a specialist…so, hopefully we can get to the bottom of this as well.

I hope to have something to report to you on Tuesday about both Gannon and I….That is probably wishful thinking of me.  Time will tell.

Thanks for hanging in there with our family.  I know this is suppose to be a quilting blog and I know very little quilting gets done anymore.