My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer

BevJen

Mae and Candy,

I have what they call a multi nodular goiter on my thyroid -- it's several nodules on the thyroid. I take levothyroxine every morning for hypothyroidism. They found it, oddly, when I was going through either chemo or radiation on my first bout with cancer in 2004. One day my heart was racing, and so I went to the ER. They admitted me and in doing scanning of my heart (which was fine) they went a bit high and found the multi nodular goiter. I have to have a sonogram of my neck every year. I've only had one biopsy in all of those years, and it was when my usual tech who does my sonograms wasn't there, and someone else did the sonogram instead. Anyway, I see my endocrinologist once per year after the sonogram, she checks me and checks my thyroid levels, and that's the end of it.

illimae

Candy, glad the biopsy results were benign and that the nodules are stable.

I’m not concerned about mine having anything to do with cancer really but I remain annoyed by the thyroid issues as I am convinced my thyroid was thrown out of whack due to treatment. I don’t know if it was the chemo from 1/2/17-5/30/17 or radiation from 8/15/17-9/15/17 but I know my T4 and TSH tests were normal before and now I have to take a pill every morning to correct the damage that had been done (obvious when seen in a timeline). Grrrr. Oh well, another thing to roll with.

BevJen

Mae,

I'm pretty sure that my thyroid was also messed up by treatment -- could have been radiation with me as well, especially when it showed up. And yes, it's a real pain with the daily pill. But I guess things could be worse on the thyroid front.

moth

I had half my thyroid removed a couple years before I got diagnosed with breast ca. I had a goiter, multiple nodules bilaterally and the biopsies were inconclusive. In the end it turned out benign and all I have is a cool scar on my neck. I really thought "well, *that* was my middle aged health scare, I'm done now." I thought the same after the Stage 1 dx lol. I'm normally a super negative person so it's funny that I was so optimistic this was somehow it... Oh no, dear reader, it got worse....

The immunotherapy I'm on is known to affect thyroid (and tons of other things) so they check mine. My TSH has been fluctuating but not enough to warrant any meds so I've been fortunate so far.

I'm having a lazy day today. On Tuesday I overdid the exercise & yesterday I really didn't feel well. Also the news didn't help.

Today I'm better but will try to take it easy. As I said on the exercise thread, the trouble is once I start Zumba I don't want to stop. I have to have strict limits! I'll have to tell my family: After I've done the designated workout, take away my music, take away my shoes, tie me down to the couch

candy-678

My PCP found mine in 2015. He was checking my neck during my exam and said "Hum, your thyroid is enlarged". So we did an US and then a biopsy. Then the next year we did another US to check it and it was a smidge larger so another biopsy. My Thyroid labs have always been normal. Then we found the BC in 2017. Correlation?? I think so. I have autoimmune issues too--- the rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogrens Syndrome. But, so far, the blood tests for thyroid function are ok. So no pill needed, yet.

booboo1

So here’s the outcome of my PET today. Not shocked at the progression words. Expected that. Does anyone know what the caudate lobe of the liver means. Does that mean it’s likely the disease has spread to the liver? Don’t worry. I won’t freak out with any knowledge you all can pass on. I talk with my MO next Tuesday, so I’m expecting that she is going to suggest a tough chemo to try to knock some of the progression back.

moth

caudate lobe is the name for a section of the liver. In the middle at the top, only visible from the back so you need to look at the posterior view diagrams. Yes, I believe that means they see something in the liver that is suspiciously like a met.

BevJen

Oh, Laurie, I know you expected progression, but it's always a kick in the gut anyway. But you are a strong person, and I'm sure your MO will have a plan for this. Sending hugs and good thoughts your way.

KBL

Booboo, sorry about your progression. I will be keeping you in my thoughts.

I too have hypothyroidism. I’ve had it for too many years to count, way before cancer diagnosis, so mine was not caused by cancer treatment. It was hard to regulate mine. It would go to 25, we’d slow down the meds, and it would drop below the low side of normal and I’d go hyper. After being on Armour for a long time and staying steady, I went to my PCP for a checkup, and she put me on a different medication, NP Thyroid. I didn’t correlate anything, but I all of a sudden went to the way other side of hyper and had to back off med. Come to find out Walgreens had a recall because there wastoo much of something in that med. As soon as I got back on the dose I was on of Armour, I went back to my normal. Just had testing, and my TPO and Free T3 are high. More testing in six weeks. It’s a struggle to stay normal.

Tanya_Djamila

Laurie I know you expected it but like Bev Jen said it’s still really tough. You’re in my prayers. I hope you’re chilling out and not having any discomfort in the meantime of starting the new treatment.

Waving hello to all

Tany

Micmel

BooBoo~. I'm just here thinking. Of you. I’m sorry.

booboo1

Friends,

Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers. I am a realist, so things that might rattle others just doesn’t bother me. When I got the phone call saying I had breast cancer, I told the doctor “yup, that’s what I thought you were going to tell me.” She was surprised because she said most women freak out or cry. I don’t know why, but I’m just not built that way. Maybe it’s because of my faith. I completely trust that when my time on Earth is done, than I’ll go on to another, better place called heaven.

I do appreciate your knowledge about the crappy words they use on these reports. I can’t understand most of it.

Kittykat9876

Hi everyone, I see my oncologist this morning to work out a new treatment plan today because I can't take affinitor any more, I've already been through Kisqali with letrozole, xeloda with and without exemestane and affinitor with exemestane so not sure what's left apart from chemo, I'll keep you posted.

candy-678

Booboo- So sorry to hear of your progression. I know you were expecting it since you were off treatment, but still a blow to hear/read I am sure. Your profile says bone mets. The report suggests liver and lung now---the way I read it. In your pocket for your talk with your MO next Tuesday. Gentle hugs.

Kittykat- Pocket duty for you today.

Micmel

KittyKat~Hope the talk makes you feel comfortable with the plan going forward. Sending you hugs !

illimae

booboo, I know you were expecting progression but I still wish it wasn’t so. I hope the plan moving forward is effective and easy.

Micmel

For Boo

mara51506

Laurie, sorry to hear of your progression and as others have said hope the next treatment is easy and long lasting.

Kittykat9876

Hi, I have just seen my oncologist, she wants to put a port in then start Vinerelbine on the 28th Jan to let my lungs recover from the pneumonitis and get weaned off the prednisolone first.

Micmel

Kitty~My port made everything a heck a lot easier to get the infusions. A break may be a good thing, before you head into chemo. Give your lungs a break and rest. I hope this knocks the heck out of cancer. Sending a warm hug

Kittykat9876

Thanks Mel, I sure hope so, funny thing is, before it got to my lungs, I was feeling the best had in 3 yrs, f#%k cancer!

KBL

Kitty, thinking of you. So sorry you had a step backwards in feeling good. I hope this next treatment puts you back to feeling great. Hugs.

candy-678

Kittykat- Thinking of you and the next few weeks for you.

illimae

kittykat, sending you good vibes! I love my port too, I couldn’t imagine getting stuck so many times in the arm.

mara51506

I love my port too. Did have to have the drug that would unclog it for drug return and get Herceptin in the arm two weeks ago but before that, it was reliable. Glad to have it as well except when the cat presses on it by accident.

candy-678

I have a Port, but we only use it for flushes. I have good arm veins in the one arm we can use (mastectomy) for my blood draws. I asked previous MO about removing the Port so not to have to do maintenance on it, but she said NO. We may need it for chemo some day and it would be there and ready. I guess they do not want to remove them for no apparent reason -- blood clot issue or infection. I wish it was gone though. Weird something foreign is in my body for no reason, and it sticks up and my bra strap rubs it.

moth

Hey everyone! I'm a dork today. Yesterday the facilitator of my metastatic support group (Zoom) called me personally to make sure I'd be attending. And then this morning I forgot all about it

It runs 10-1130 and I remember at 11. Logged in late & even chatted a bit so it was ok but duh, where is my head?!

Our tree is still up. I think we might take it down this weekend though I'd prefer another week. It's sort of dead though... I'm keeping up the fairy lights outside and I'm thinking of keeping the window 'star lights' string. They're so pretty (not my photo - it's the amazon pic) It gets so dreary this month & next that I want a bit of extra sparkle.

hugs everyone

Anonymous

Im practically sitting IN our tree due to where we had to put it by the couch, but I was just thinking not 15 minutes ago that maybe we should keep it up another week. For sure we will keep up the paper star lamp on the mantle. Its just nice to have the extra colored lights on. And we've been turning on the gas fireplace as the nights have been really cold lately - the cats are loovvvinnnggg that.

I like those lights Moth!

mara51506

I did not decorate but my apartment does not get a lot of light so I leave my LED lights on all the time to keep it bright. Helps a lot in the winter when the daylight is short.

Kittykat9876

Hi all, thanks for the information about the port, I'm willing to try anything that can stop me turning black and blue when they try to insert a cannula, plus apparently Vinorelbine can cause skin damage if used in a regular cannula. I'll just have to make sure that Finn doesn't play as rough with Nanna as we are used to. I've had a picc line before, which was a bit of a pain trying to keep clean and dry so hopefully this will be easier. Candy, with the arthritis in my spine, I gave up wearing bras years ago, I buy the adhesive cups that stick on, I love them. Have the best day you all can, stay safe.