One year sans thyroid

Well, I made it through the first year. Yea!

It wasn't totally bad. And in the grand scheme of cancers, one could have called it a walk in the park. Though that night in the ER was nothing of that sort.

So what is the biggest thing I have noticed. I have less hair. I have about 1/3 the hair I had when I started this. Now, you have to understand, my hair is very important to me. I had been blessed with lots of it and for the majority of my life, have had it long. I still have hair, but, just not as much, and I know it's a vain thing, considering so may other cancer patients loose theirs completely I am still lucky to have what I have. And for the most part, no one really knows but me...and now you. LOL

The other big thing. Taking pills first thing in the morning. I've never been a pill taker. I don't like taking pills. But now, I have not choice. I religiously take my two Hello Kitty pink 112mcg Synthroid pills. I have been on this dosing now for 6 months. I started on the 150mcg, then 3 months later went to 200mcg, then 3 months later to the two 112mcg. My last check-up 3 months ago, my TSH was 0.2. Which is most likely why my hair is falling out. I have another check-up in a few days hopefully things will still be where they should. (Side note - they were TSH was 0.3).

I am starting to feel better. A lot of the cramping in my feet and such seems to have gone. I'm not as tired as I had been. But I think in the over all grand scheme of it all. I do feel better than I think I truly ever have. Having an autoimmune disease and not knowing it, you don't know that the way you feel when you feel "good" isn't truly as good as you could feel. I kind of struggled with that surgery. Now, since my energy levels are better and my back is getting better, I think it's time to start moving back into life.

So what's next, my first year whole body scan.

February 1, 2011 - Biopsy #2

Today is my second biopsy. It's on that lymph node that they have not liked in the last two ultrasounds. So once again, they are sticking needles into my neck. Oh yea.

I have to admit I'm a little nervous. I mean come on, who wouldn't be, right? Well, I guess someone who absolutely knew the future. But I don't, so while I'm not like wringing my hands, I am a little concerned. I'm thinking that because of where it is, and I have a tooth right above it that needs some work that that could possibly cause of the "enlargement" and funkiness of the node. But we will see.

Some doctors do this in an outpatient setting. Some, like mine, are set up to do it in office. Which, is actually kind of nice. You don't have to do all the paperwork and what-nots for another office or facility.

This is the biopsy room and the tray of stuff for the biopsy. I would have taken a better, more up close one, but I knew as soon as I stood up to do it, someone would walk in and catch me being "nosie." LOL!

The procedure went fine. They tested some new image software while they were doing it. They liked their software better and went back to it in the process of it all.

The procedure wasn't as painful as the first time was. That one spot on my thyroid that was so heavily calcified hurt in the attempts to get into it, but this time, it was just a sweet little node, not hurtin' nobody. It gave up the goods with no problem. They slapped on a few band-aids and I was off.

The results.

Just a normal healthy lymph node doing what lymph nodes do. The fluid was nothing more than lymphatic fluid and cells. So all's good.

I discussed the biopsy with my new dentist the next day and he agreed that it was probably related the my tooth issue.

So what's next. Well, I have an appointment April 1 with the Endo's office. At that point we will be setting up for my first yearly full body scan. Hopefully the machine will work the first time and I won't have to do it three times. LOL!

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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