Skip to main content

What's going on?

Hi all. I'm trying to get in the habit of writing on my own blog. I was on a good roll of blog writing for the CureSearch blog before I left on my leave for thyroid cancer surgery. Feel free to remind me from time to time (hey Charlcie, when are you going to write again?) if you'd like.

Since the 19th, the last time I wrote on the blog, hmmmm.....Mom and Gary left after being here for three weeks (well, Mom for 3 weeks, Gary for 10 days) following my surgery. That was a big change for all of us. She was the nurse, cook, cleaner, laundry doer. Besides that, she's my mom, and I miss her a bunch. She was and continues to be one of my biggest cheerleaders in this cancer stuff.

Other happenings....

Morgan had her first soccer tournament with the Vienna Storm, her new team. Although I think she did well for this being the first time she plays with a new travel team EVER (been with her other team almost 3 years), she was critical of herself. Actually, she is hard on herself when it comes to soccer, but she truly loves it. It's one of my favorite things to do these days is watch her play soccer.

Both Kenzie and Morgan are getting ready for school, which starts Tuesday, Sept. 2nd around here. Kenzie is part of Student Government Association (SGA) at her high school and has been busy helping with the school's Fall Kick Off event and school tours as well as JV cheerleading (she's a co-captain).

Earlier this week, Morgan's wrist continued to hurt because of a fall she took in soccer practice before the tournament. We had it x-rayed on Tuesday...glad it is a sprain and not a break. From soccer in the last 18 months, she has had a broken toe, jammed fingers, and now a sprained wrist (not to mention several collisions with goalies).

We went to Morgan's elementary school's open house yesterday. She's thrilled with her new teacher. I can't believe this is her last year of elementary school!

Chris continues to keep things moving around here...taking "people" to/from soccer practice, unofficial driving instructor for Kenzie, taming the furry beast known as Chewie, and trying (emphasis on trying) to keep me on track with my recovery. I'm not a good patient.

And then me....well, I met with my endocrinologist, Dr. Crantz, on Monday to talk about the radioactive iodine treatment I need to do for my throid cancer. He and I had a rocky start three weeks ago, and it wasn't better with this visit. I don't like his style or personality. He's gruff and doesn't want to listen. My first thought was "I want a second opinion." However, do I really? As Chris points out, there's no doubt I need the radioactive iodine treatment. I just want someone who listens to me and understands I can't be given just information he feels is important. So...the treatment is now scheduled for the week of Sept. 8 (blood work on Sept. 8, scan on Sept. 10, actual treatment dose on Sept. 12). I hope our doctor/patient relationship improves. Otherwise, something has got to give.

Comments

  1. Hi Charlcie,
    thanks for the updates! All the best during your continuing recovery, I hope I can keep the CureSearch blog half as interesting as it is when you write it!
    Best regards, your biggest fan,
    Curt

    ReplyDelete
  2. C - I compete with Curt on that biggest fan role. Hang in there. Tricia

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quite a pay raise!

Today I received a press alert via email from my alma mater, Oklahoma State. Check out the first two paragraphs below: Following only the sixth nine-win regular season in school history, Oklahoma State University today announced a contract extension for head football coach Mike Gundy, giving him a new seven-year contract worth $15.7 million. The contract was announced following action by the OSU/A&M Board of Regents at its regular meeting in Miami. With the new contract, which is effective Jan. 1, 2009 and runs through December of 2015, Gundy’s average annual compensation will be more than $2.2 million. His current six-year contract paid him $1,053,000 this year. What the heck? That's quite a raise, and he didn't even beat OU, Texas, or Tech! Now, I went to OSU when Mike Gundy was the quarterback there. He was the quarterback during Barry Sanders' Heisman year. He seems like a nice guy and a great coach, but wow... In all fairness, I have to point out that I also read ...

More about batting a thousand...

Ah, I didn't really explain the "batting a thousand" reference in relationship to me when posting on the blog last night. Was still in a bit of a fog from the news I received from the ultrasound. A bit of history... Batting a thousand: 1. June 2008: ultrasound reveals suspicious nodules that should be biopsied. 2. July 2008: after biopsy confirms papillary carcinoma, neck ultrasound to look at lymph nodes finds suspicious lymph nodes. Post-surgery found out about the four positive lymph nodes, two of which were the size of small plums. 3. December 2008: Ultrasound post total thyroidectomy and neck dissection, small nodules found in the thyroid bed along with a suspicious lymph node. So in summary, every ultrasound I have had of my thyroid and neck this year has revealed something suspicious. Thus, I am batting 1,000 with the ultrasounds in 2008. Feeling rather bleh and crappy about it all today. It's Christmas...why do I have to deal with cancer again? Ugh.

On my soapbox about "the best cancer to have"

Those of you who follow me on Twitter know I was on my soapbox this morning after reading yet another article about the dreaded subject of how thyroid cancer is "the best cancer to have." Think about that...the best cancer? Why would someone say that? In an attempt to make you feel better about having thyroid cancer, some health care profesionals try to convince those of us who have or have had thyroid cancer that it is "the best cancer to have" because it has a high survival rate. An aside here, that high survival rate applies to papillary carcinoma, one of the three types of thyroid cancer out there. Survival rates are lower for medullary carcinoma and anaplastic carcinoma, the other two types of thyroid cancer. Back on topic...OK, so tell us that papillary carcinoma has a high survival rate. Truly, that is good news. But because of this "best cancer to have" statement, and the fact that I was told my thyroidectomy would most likely be just an easy, ove...