Friday, July 23, 2010

Quack!!

Quack!!! I am a sitting duck…or at least that is what I feel like. I met with the surgeon today. He looked at my vocal cords and voice box. He believes that they are fine and the abnormalities are a residual from the radiation and chemo. However – that still leaves the left thyroid that is showing “high levels of activity (cancer)”. He didn’t have the PET scan in front of him but said that there is no way they can remove the thyroid this close to post treatments. I said “but, the high levels of activity…I just want it gone” – but they are unable to do that. Don't get me wrong - I am very happy that the surgeon feels the abnormalities of the vocal chords and voice box are not cancerous.  I'm very grateful that it is not spreading. 

I have a call into Mona – a physician’s assistant at Andrews & Patel. I just need to talk to someone. I don’t like not knowing and have always been an “I want it yesterday” kind of person. I knew from the beginning that the doctors most likely wouldn’t do any action off of the first PET scan – they told me that…but I also didn’t think the scan would come back with the results it did.

You see – when I was getting chemo and radiation, I was “doing something” to fight the cancer. Just “living my life” (doctors advice) post scan results is hard. I want to be “doing something” to fight this high activity level of cancer activity in my thyroid area!!! What the hell doc’s – please – I feel helpless.

So anyway – when Mona calls I will talk to her about how to live my life normally knowing the information I know, when the next PET scan will be, and if it is safe to book my Ireland trip for October. More info to some as I get it.

As always thank you all so much for your support, love, prayers, and thoughts!!

2 comments:

Tara Karper said...

Oh girlie,I bet that's 'beyond words' difficult to be in limbo. Are there two thyroids that you're saying the left one?? Don't let this stop your fight. I'm sure your physician can help w/ ways to 'get thru' this time of wait (for lack of any better words, I apologize). We will continue to pray for you!! On another note...a trip to Ireland in the works, that sounds like an incredible experience, I wish I could go w/ you :) Much love, Renee!!

Anonymous said...

Hey Tara - thank you so much!!! Yes - there are two thyroids - the right and the left. I had the right one removed in December. Yeah - Doug & I wanted to go to Ireland last year but put a roof on the house instead. This year is our 10 year wedding anniversary and we thought it would be perfect.