Lymph node biopsy - February 1, 2001

The day has come for yet another fine needle biopsy. The first one, while wasn't..."bad" it wasn't any fun either. At least for this one, I have a clue as to what is coming. Last time, I could read all I wanted but you know, until you actually experence something, you REALLY don't have a context for what you've read.

This time is different, go in, lie down, little numbing shot, ultrasound prob rubbed around on the neck, then the long thin needle inserted where it's needed to be, needle comes out and, if it's just one sample, done. If there are more then one, then they repeat the long thin needle parts until all the samples that are desired are taken. Couple of bandaides applied and we're done.

January 25, 2011 Check-Up

Saw Dr. Blevins today. My TSH levels were 0.2. Yea!!! So we are sticking with the 112mcg Synthroid for another 3 months and will check again for my April appointment.

I do have to admit that in the last 3 -4 weeks my motivational energy has greatly improved. The bad part is that there is SO much to catch up on I can't do it all. And my ADDness can get in my way. I need to stick to a "Flylady" schedule of 15 minutes here...15 minutes there. Eventually I know, that if I get back into it all (now that I am feeling better) everything will work out. The house and everything did not become a wreck overnight, I can't expect to fix it over night either. No matter how much I want to. LOL

I redid my ultrasound on January 24 so that it would be ready for my appointment on the 25th. He still didn't like it, and even though I'm due in April for my first yearly scan, he fully felt that it needed to be biopsied. So I will be doing that on February 1, 2011.

So cross your fingers and hope for the best!

The Synthoid Path

These cute peach colored pills are the 200 mcg.

And these adorable, Hello Kitty pinkies are the 112mcg.

6th month post surgical ultrasound and labs

November 1, 2010

Well things are rocking right along. Had my first post surgical ultrasound and saw Ellen, the nurse prac for my follow up. My TSH levels are at 2.5 so they are bumping my Synthroid up again from 200mcg to 225mcg or actually taking 2 112mcg tablets.

She said the ultrasound looked good, except that there was a lymph node that was noticeable. She didn't think it looked bad but only that it was noticeable, which could mean anything and not to worry too much about it.

We made a few changes to my other meds. Other wise, all looked good.

Ellen called me the next day, in reviewing my ultrasound with Dr. Blevins he didn't like it, so he wants to have it redone in 3 months. So on January 24th I'll be having another one. I have an appointment with Dr. Blevins the next day, so we shall see...

3 month post surgical follow up with endo

Boy am I behind on my blog, but nows a good time to catch up...so let's work backwards.



I had my three month post surgical follow up with Dr. Blevins (the endo) today. My thyroglobulins were perfect (his words). My TSH not so perfect it was 12. Should be somewhere between 0.3-5.1. Before surgery I was always in the 2's, after surgery I had to be above 30 to do my radioactive iodine, so I guess it's a good thing it has come down, but that's still to high. Which explains why I'm really tired in the afternoons and have some to really depend way too much on 5-hour energy shots (even though I only take part of it at a time). So his is bumping my Synthroid up from 150mcg to 200mcg. We will see how that does over the next three months. What sucks is I just refilled my meds. Mom says it's not a bad thing to have some extras around but 80 something pills is a bit more than a few. LOL oh well.



So we will check levels again in three months and he also wants to do an ultrasound again in three months. He said things are still healing, but it was all looking good. I'm still frustrated by the swelling and puffiness of my face and neck which are all normal common features to Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism. But it sucks that people who weigh 2-3 times more than I do can have perfect beautiful faces and skinny necks and I have the beach ball for a head. Forget the neck, I know it's in there somewhere, but who knows where. :) He said that generally takes about six months to start reducing so I guess once we get the meds to the right levels that should correct itself. (crosses fingers)



So I have appointments set for three months out and for six months out. So we shall see what they bring.



So let's see what all has happened since I posted last....



I returned to work full time. I went back full days from the get go, many really questioned my doing so. And believe me, there have been days that I questioned it too. But as Dr. Kriesel put it "you won't know where your limits are if you don't get back into your normal life." Normal life? Life has been far from normal since....May 2005. And what's normal? Cause what's "normal" for Jeff and I is hoodlum-ville for most. LOL

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Wow...and I thought I was behind before. Guess I never posted this one. Well, I'll get that posted now and start the 6th months one. I know you all have been waiting way too long for it. LOL!!!! More to follow!
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Second follow up with surgeon

May 6, 2010

Had my second follow up with Dr. Kriesel today. He said that I was healing extremely quickly. Which honestly is very unusual for me. I a normally the slowest healer and major scarrer. But not in this case. So, that has me wondering, if my body was battling against my thyroid as a foreign body has this always caused me to be a slow healer because the white cells, and antibodies and what-nots that handle the healing process have been busy fighting something that was suppose to be there? And now that that battle is "over" they can do what they are really needed to do? Just a thought....

He said I had some swelling in the throat. I'll need to remember to take my ice pack with me to work. We discussed my feeling tired in the afternoons/evenings (boy wish I'd known how bad it would be in the early evening...OMG! to the point of tears!) Since I it has only been two weeks since I'd been on Synthroid he said to watch it for two more weeks and if things don't improve to let him know and he'd take it from there. So we will wait and see.

We discussed the radioactive iodine and he agreed that the usually down play it's affects on a person. So again, realize that I've put my body through a lot in a month. (Gee...where have I heard that...oh yeah. Jeff!)

I asked what they did to my arm during surgery and explained to him the pains and issues I'd been having with it. I figured it may have been hyper extended but unlike other surgeries where my arms are stretched out he said they were down at my side. So I'm wondering if something didn't happen during the transfer from the OR table to the recovery bed or something. It is my left arm and that would have been the side that I would have been moved too. So who knows. He agreed that it would be good to have my chiro and massage therapist have a look and go at it.

He also agreed that adding my chiro back into my care routine is needed. I haven't been able to schedule an appt with them since the end of July before I left for New Mexico. I have SO needed it and have missed my appts and massages as well as that who office crew! I even missed out on their big "We've Moved" office warming party. Which sucked cause it was the day before my surgery and I was a wee bit busy. So I need to get that all figured out.

So what's the take...call him is things don't improve, get back in with my chiro, and keep on keepin' on! Oh and he and Jeff can't wait for the World Cup. Hummm...I have been missing my daily futball and/or rugby matches. LOL!!! That part of returning to work sucks!

Return to the salt mine...

Well, nothing like jumping in with both feet and cement socks.

What a week. Computer system changes and problems left and right, add a few phone issues. At least I have not had any nasty callers mine have all for the most part been very understanding our uncontrollable issues.

Each night I have gone home more tired than the night before. The last few nights exhausted to the point of tears. I've very glad that the weekend is here. Not sure what I'm going to do with it, but glad it's here none the less.