It's Super Bowl Sunday, but, I will admit, I am a bit distracted. Tomorrow I start the ritual thyroid cancer survivors are familiar with: the thyrogen shots, the radioactive dose, the scan, the blood test. Why? To see if I am still thyroid cancer free. The schedule:
Monday: thyrogen shot
Tuesday: thyrogen shot
Wednesday: radioactive iodine dosing
Thursday: whole body scan
Friday: blood draw
It's been a bit of an anxiety-filled week getting ready for this. You spend the time thinking and telling others, "It's fine. I have done this before." No matter how many time you do this, it is still nerve wracking and makes you crazy.
30-35% of those with papillary carcinoma, the most comment form of thyroid cancer/my diagnosis, have at least once recurrence. I had a recurrence in 2009. Some with thyroid cancer have several recurrences.
Interesting a scan and a blood test, right? In 2010, I got the call from my endo's office that the scans were all clear. Hooray! Three days later, my doctor himself called. We all know what that means, right? Bad news.
"We have an interesting situation...." or something like that, he said. Scans were clear, blood test was not. How can that be? Sometimes a scan doesn't get "everything." OK...."What is more reliable?" I asked. He said the blood test. He went on to say that I was going to be "one of those patients" in his practice that he watched carefully, and he has. My thyroglobulin (blood test) eventually moved to an acceptable level so this is good. This stablized my cancer-free status.
And here we are again...what will they find? Nothing? Nodules (turned out to be cancerous) growing in my thyroid bed where my thyroid used to live, like they found in 2009 with my recurrence? Metastasis to lymph nodes like with my original diagnosis in 2008? Metastasis to the lungs and bones, the most common locations where cancer moves to in those with thyroid cancer?
Hopefully it will be just....nothing. Uneventful. Zero. De nada.
When do I find out the results? At my doctor's appointment on Valentine's Day. Hopefully it will all be good news. I will keep you posted.
Monday: thyrogen shot
Tuesday: thyrogen shot
Wednesday: radioactive iodine dosing
Thursday: whole body scan
Friday: blood draw
It's been a bit of an anxiety-filled week getting ready for this. You spend the time thinking and telling others, "It's fine. I have done this before." No matter how many time you do this, it is still nerve wracking and makes you crazy.
30-35% of those with papillary carcinoma, the most comment form of thyroid cancer/my diagnosis, have at least once recurrence. I had a recurrence in 2009. Some with thyroid cancer have several recurrences.
Interesting a scan and a blood test, right? In 2010, I got the call from my endo's office that the scans were all clear. Hooray! Three days later, my doctor himself called. We all know what that means, right? Bad news.
"We have an interesting situation...." or something like that, he said. Scans were clear, blood test was not. How can that be? Sometimes a scan doesn't get "everything." OK...."What is more reliable?" I asked. He said the blood test. He went on to say that I was going to be "one of those patients" in his practice that he watched carefully, and he has. My thyroglobulin (blood test) eventually moved to an acceptable level so this is good. This stablized my cancer-free status.
And here we are again...what will they find? Nothing? Nodules (turned out to be cancerous) growing in my thyroid bed where my thyroid used to live, like they found in 2009 with my recurrence? Metastasis to lymph nodes like with my original diagnosis in 2008? Metastasis to the lungs and bones, the most common locations where cancer moves to in those with thyroid cancer?
Hopefully it will be just....nothing. Uneventful. Zero. De nada.
When do I find out the results? At my doctor's appointment on Valentine's Day. Hopefully it will all be good news. I will keep you posted.
I'll be thinking of you!!!
ReplyDeleteWill be sending cancer-free vibes your way!
ReplyDeleteGG & I are praying for you. Let God take this anxiety and relief you of the responsibility. We love you dearly and pray all will go well tomorrow. God has your back.
ReplyDeleteMom
Hi dear,
ReplyDeleteMyself Dr. kevin (Cancer Specialist). i am going to tell you how this test conduct. all will be ok dear you will be alright i think so.. all the best for your test.get well soon..
Test that checks for spread of thyroid cancer is called a whole body scan (WBS). To prepare for a WBS, you will be asked to swallow a capsule or liquid that contains a very small amount of radioactive iodine (RAI). This will be absorbed by any remaining thyroid cells in your body. You will then be asked to return for the scan in about 48 hours. This involves lying down under a large camera that scans for x-ray‘s being emitted by any remaining radioactive iodine that may have been captured in your body. If any thyroid or thyroid cancer cells are present, they may show up as spots on the x-ray film. However, if only microscopic thyroid cancer cells are present in the body.