Calling all TNs

Annie, so good to hear that everything went well for you, thank God.

Well, my endocronoloigst (the greatest doctor ever) called me just now to tell me that there are a few nodules in my thyroid ultrasound.  He said one looks bigger than the others, therefore, it needs to be biopsied.  He said the bloodwork is great.  He also said that this is very common.  I asked what is the treatment for thyroid cancer, he said, no chemo, just surgery to take it out.  I told him that I had a petscan done 7/18/11, which indicates that the thyroid gland is unremarkable, he said that is really great news, although I am thinking that is 10 months ago.  I also had an MRI of the neck done which did not show anything.  He said Petscan is better for thyroid than MRI.  Lately, I have been telling you guys that I am very lethargic, extremely lethargic.  Well, flaxseed therapy helped me a lot, I was normal again, although today all day, I have had stomach ache because of that stuff, I guess too much fibre.  I have been very miserable all day long with the stomach pain and now this news.  Also, I am going in for a sleep study tonight  at the Sleep Center, with this mild gassy stomach.  They won't let me out of there until 4 pm tomorrow.  The doctor will see me at 5 p.m., take a look at the petscan and discuss things with me.  I am numb, ladies.  There has got to be a reason for my lethargy, right?  Could it be that?  Minxie had said in one of her posts that this is very common among middle age women.  Why is all this happening to my body?  Everyone else around me seem to be doing okay, what did I eat wrong or handle differently?  Actually I slept less last night, so am so sleepy that I don't care about anything right now.  I have no more feelings left it seems like. I hope they give me an ambiem again, so that I can go into a very deep sleep.  It has been 1 year, 9 months since my BC diagnosis, could it be that again?

CS, I knew u could do it!



lovely, you're in my prayers!



Kathyrnn, good luck with the house prep!

I'm going to have to call my doctor tomorrow. Nothing cancer-related, I'm 99% sure. I've asked my doctor in the past if I could rotate through different sleeping pills a few times a year, as the effects tend to wear off and I don't want to wind up addicted. I think it's time to change things up again. Also, I might need to have my Lexapro tweaked. I've started to let laundry, dishes, and bills pile up, and that's my first signal that I'm not coping so well with the depression and anxiety.

Also, I'm having trouble with my wrist. A month ago, I physically overdid it, but as the rest of the soreness faded, my wrist still hurts. The doc thinks I might have sprained or strained something. The weird thing is that it's very transient, which doesn't make tons of sense to me. This morning, I absent-mindedly used that wrist to sit up and the pain was severe. But after I'd lain there for a few minutes, the pain was gone and I had no problem with it bearing weight. It's also worse in the morning and the pain goes away completely as the day wears on. My doc had me buy one of those wrist braces that people with carpel tunnel sleep with, thinking that maybe I'm putting stress on it somehow while I sleep. It's been two weeks and I can't really tell a difference. Next step is a cortisone shot in my wrist, which I'm not looking forward to because it really hurts while they're injecting it. Isn't that totally bizarre?

Lovelyface - hypothyroism has a side effect of being lethargic.  Its very common and can be treated.  Hope to God you are ok.

OBXK - you will get sick of my posts.  You may have a eustacian tube dysfunction which causes ringing in the ears, lethargy and a woozy head.  Keeping my fingers crossed and crossed but we won't know anything until you get that MRI!!   Annie

You could not have met a more gentle kind man.

Please say a prayer for his family.

May he Rest In Peace

Bernie, How terrible! I am so sorry for the loss of your dear friend.

Lovelyface, I had a thyroid nodule diagnosed in the mid 1990s.  One doctor wanted to remove half my thyroid and put me on medication but since my levels were normal, I didn't want to start taking medication and went for a second opinion.  I had also read that these nodules are very common.  That doctor ended up draining the nodule three times as it would get larger and fill with fluid.  The third time it became much smaller.  I just left it in there and it remains to this day. It shows up on my CT scans as a benign nodule and I can feel a lump there, too. Hopefully everything will be just fine with yours - I really like the belief system you describe.  I believe cancer has made me appreciate things in such a different way.  I am more patient and understanding in some ways and much less so in others.  Someone once said - it may have been Gilda Radner - in reference to cancer bringing new perspectives - if it weren't for the downside, everyone would want it. (I'll have to Google this and find the quote once I leave the board.) 

Hi ladies, just a couple quick things. I'm avoiding starting on my Mom's cellar, because I've realized my cortisone shot is wearing off and the pain is coming back in my leg. ( sat down and went "oh shit " when my leg touched the chair.). Was hoping to eek out a few more weeks because I can only have 2 more shots this year. Da*n, doublity da*n!



Bernie - I'm so sorry about your friend.



McCrimmon - Some of the YMCA's are offering free (I think 6 or 8 weeks) memberships for cancer survivors who are trying to recondition themselves.



Lovely- try not to fret to much about the thyroid tests. I had to have thyroid biopsys when I was first diagnosed, and in my opinion, they were pretty damn stupid about how the did them. After my scan, they told me I had nodes in my thyroid. I told them "I know, I have two and they've been there for over 30 years. They told me I now had 4 and they had to be biopsyied. The day of the biopsy the went in and sampled both the ones that had been there for 30 years. I asked about the other 2, and they said they were small and they were gonna go with the larger 2. Well excuse me, but if the other 2 are "new" doesn't it make sense that they may actually be cancerous???! Nope, they went with the 2 older ones that I know are fricking fine!!'. So on my list of "things to do to make sure you haven't done another dumb a** mistake". I have to have my PCP, do another scan to recheck the new ones. All they had to do was check one of the new ones and I'd be golden, but they've left me with the fear that they may have missed the real problem.



That long diatribe, was just to reassure you that lots of people have thyroid nodes and they are not going to affect their health.

Hi ladies.  I've read everyone's posts but been fairly "self and family" absorbed over the last couple of days.  The PET scan I had last Friday (after the elevated CA 27.29) has shown spread, mets.  The FC is in both lungs and several nodes, including the supraclavicle nodes that were radiated in December/January.  There is an involved axilla node (thought those were all out of there), and a mediastinal node that lit up.  My MO had also said that my liver was involved, but when I read the official PET scan report, the radiologist wrote that it was probably bowel activity and not likely mets.

I have an appointment on Friday with the original oncologist I saw at Dana Farber in Boston.  My local MO said I'll probably go on a platinum chemo, and they will biopsy one of the nodes to re-check the hormone status.

In the meantime, we leave for Paris a week from Friday, come hell or high water.  And oh, my daughter who is 31 and coming with us to Paris, fell and broke her kneecap on Saturday while crossing the street after her college graduation ceremony.  So she'll be on crutches or in a wheel chair as we tour the sites.  It will make for a slow-paced trip that might actually be a good thing.

Hugs and love to all of you!

Lovelyface, what you wrote earlier is so true.  How much do we have to go through.

We must be strong and you are an inspiration.

Thank you to everyone for your kind thoughts. 

You are all so good to me but now is a time to take a break

LuvRV - f*#~ing cancer!!' Have fun in Paris, and come back with a renewed kick a** energy.



Bernie- do what you need to for yourself, but please come back for support when you need it. I hope things get better. *HUG*

I'm posting this for Inmate. It's the story of how F*+k became my swear of choice.



When I was in my early 20's I worked in a State psychiatric hospital, where I was introduced to F*+k, and it's many prepositional variations.  It used to drive my Mothet nuts, but I told her that I chose to follow the Ten Commandments and not take the Lord's name in vain.



I went on a ski trip with a large group, which involved 5 days of high intensity ski lessons.  I was about 26 and my ski buddy was a nice young man of about 40.  My ski buddy told me he was a counselor for a charity. I spent 5 days with my face in the snow about 75% of the time and the F$&k word was used liberally!



Part of the deal with ski school was you had to participate in the races at the end of the week.  I was not pleased and told everyone I'd do it but it would look like a snail crawl because I wasn't racing down any dam hill!  I improved so much in lessons, that I decided I could give a real go, but didn't tell any one.  Everyone watches to cheer their team members on.  I flew over a hill so fast, that I heard my ski buddy scream "holy shit"!!!!!



That night at the award banquet, one of the group members turned to my ski partner and said "so how do you think you did in the races today, Father. 



I'm pretty sure that my head must have spun for a minute like the scene in Exorcist!  I looked at my ski partner and said " I hope he means "Father" as in you have many children, and not as in you are a priest? He confessed that he was a Priest, but had not told anyone because he didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable.  Quick as a bunny I told him " Gee I wish I had known because I would have watched my mouth, but now I'm really glad I said F*+k all week, instead of G*dda*n!!!!!



He laughed and said, I was very proud of you, you never once took the Lord's name in vain.  You did once ask Mother Mary for help, but it was a very sincere plea!



When the awards were given, it turned out I had come in third place out of a group of 175.  The priest turned to me and said, "holy shit, I knew you flew thru that course"!



So that's the story of how I learned that an emphatic f*#k is better than taking the Lord's name in vain, and who I learned the swear " holy shit" from.

Annie - One day I may get one they are very $$$!



Riley - I hope they tweak your drugs to perfection! I have off and on wrist problems too. I think mine is arthritis.



Bernie - what awful news. I'm sorry for your loss.



Heather - I hope you get some good news soon. I know your DH must be missing you. Fingers crossed.



Luv - just damn! Hope you have a great time in Paris. Hope DD is on the mend soon. I broke my kneecap last fall and it was horrible!



Kathy - loved the story.

Hugs all around!

Michelle- I am heartbroken to hear your news. This FC is so unfair. You have endured so much, yet here you go again. I hope the trip to Paris is absolutely wonderful. Pace yourself and come back strong and kick this shit to the curb! I will be thinking of you.