I had my appointment with the endocrinologist today. He was an older doctor....I know what is "older" these days? :) . Probably in his mid sixties and seemed very nice. He spent a lot of time going over things with me and didn't rush me through the visit. I'll try to give you a snap shot of what he suggested. If you want more details, although now reading again here I've pretty much written a book, I'd be glad to explain further. He did give me some options of more conservative ways to go but felt it would be a good idea to have the radioactive iodine treatment, or RAI. Because the tumor was not large, and it was encapsulated, and I am not that old, he felt that my long term outlook for a cure was above 95%. I'll be around for several more years to be a PIA to all around me. Yay! So this is the process:
What the RAI treatment does is kill off any remaining thyroid tissues/cells that are remaining from the surgery, and thus improving the chances that no stray cancer cells are remaining. Even in an ideal surgery, the surgeon is never able to remove everything completely. Because thyroid tissue is distinctly able to draw in iodine so well it is used as the trojan horse for the radioactivity. In order for the iodine to be most effective I must go on a low iodine diet for a while and also become very hypothyroid. This will raise my TSH level from my pituitary as it tries to encourage the thyroid which is now gone, to do its job. As my T3, T4 levels drop and my TSH rise they will do weekly blood draws till I am at a level that will be the most effective at making those now hungry cells suck up some incoming iodine.
Unfortunately this does mean that I will most likely have a few bad symptoms like no energy, mood problems, memory, constipation...So....pretty much normal anyway, haha, but worse. As I was already low before surgery and no thyroid after surgery this process is already underway and he felt it won't be more than a few weeks, 6 weeks tops, but I hope 2 to 4. As soon as my lab values are where he wants them I will be given a quick first class reservation for the presidential suite at the Charleston hospital which can handle the RAI. They put me in a special isolation room which has lead lined walls and coverings over most surfaces to contain my glowing personality. (so right now the isolation chamber scene from RocketMan is flowing through my head "John Jacob jingle heimer Schmidt")
They give me a pill from a lead chalice and leave me to cocoon for 24 to 48 hours while my super powers develop. Reading material suggestions anyone? Every so often they will check my Geiger count levels. (I know...haha....seriously!) He will start me on replacement thyroid medicine right away in the hospital so I can start to feel normal (whatever that is) as soon as possible again. Hoping my new super powers are cool ones and not lame like being able to do math equations in my head or something.
As soon as I drop below a safe level, I will get to go home. I will still have quite a bit of residual to shed so I have to be careful at home and stay away from people for a week, wash everything really well, use disposable utensils, double flush, not do any heavy necking with hubby, etc. At 10 or 11 days my "glow" will be faded enough that they can do a full body scan. The remaining activity will show them if the cancer cells have spread anywhere else on the body and give a good view of what was left in my neck. (No jokes about checking to see if I have a brain left.) After that it just takes time for the targeted cells to die off. It may take up to 6 months before they will check again and see if it did its job. There is no rush to do another treatment. He likes to give it time to work and not to do anything to expose me to more unnecessarily.
The treatment doesn't hurt, or make your hair fall out or make you sick, although some people do get a little nausea for a bit that's all. It will probably be just this one time, it works very well, and I am overall a healthy person, so really the only other issue will be getting my replacement thyroid medicine adjusted to a good level. This is a slow process and adjustments are counted in months, not days or weeks.
One more other thing to watch is my scar healing. There was a small section that looks like it might not heal as flat as it could. If not, Dr. White will make a quick snip and repair which is just a ten minute office visit. Hoping he might be talked into a little turkey gobbler tuck at the same time. I'm kicking myself for not asking about it when I had the first and second one done. Just kidding.
Thank you everyone for the love, support, prayers, words of concern, dinners, flowers, cards. I feel very spoiled and can't wait to start paying it forward. I'm feeling pretty good at this point except for the low energy. It gives me an excuse to not vacuum and sit on Twitter all day. Seriously that thing is so addicting!
