I had a total thyroidectomy done on May 12th and that laid me up for two weeks. Generally speaking the worse part of the whole thing was the two days I had to spend in recovery. I was hooked up to machines and they had things attached to my legs as well. Talk about uncomfortable. I'm the type of person that just can't sit and do nothing and laying prone for two days was a challenge.
After the surgery I was referred out to an Endocrinologist and an Oncologist. I still needed to have radiation for the paragangliomas and I'll have to have what is called Radio Active Iodine to kill any remainder thyroid cells. What they do is you go to a hospital and have to take a radioactive pill that literally makes you radioactive for 10 days. I've been told I can't have contact with anyone for that time and will literally have to live in my bedroom and have food delivered to my door. This has been put off until after the regular radiation is completed.
I went to my consultation with the Oncologist and was told that Dr. Berke was right we would have to go ahead with the radiation. I was told I would be called to schedule an appointment to make my mask. It took about three weeks to get the preauthorization for the radiation from Blue Cross and finally I was called into for what they call the "simulation". Whenever they do radiation to the head and neck region they create a mask by making a mold of your face. They put this mask on you during treatment to ensure you are unable to move. Trust me this is something you do not want to experience if you don't have to. I'm not generally phobic and small enclosed spaces don't freak me out but I can't say the same about being held down in this mask during treatment. I go in and make the mask and have another MRI of the Neck/Chest area done. The MRI took 2 hours this time. I was then told they had to work up my treatment plan and would call me to when it was completed. This was another 3 week wait and I was told the length of time was due to complexity of my treatment.
I started radiation on 7/26/09 and the first day I got there they strapped me in for the procedure. All in all it was completely painless. It took about a full hour to get everything set up and for the actual treatment. I had read on the cancer compass website that side effects from radiation are cumulative and aren't normally felt until several weeks in. After the radiation I went back to the dressing room to change. I bent over to pick up my shirt and got what I can only describe as a ball of heat in the middle of my chest that dissipated. I kept getting these "surges" that night and after they were finished I had a soreness in my chest. Kind of like that feeling when you have a chest cold and have coughed too much. Whew.......what the heck was that?
That's it for tonight.....I'll continue the story tomorrow.
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I started to write to you earlier, and must have "ghosted" out for a minute and lost what I wrote. Trust me, it was good; but enough silliness. I am a Blog follower, and because I am now retired, I spend my days getting farther and farther behind because I find people like you, who are in trouble with their health. You are a rarity ~ and I would never make light or silly out of what you are going through. I am so sorry to read of your troubles, and I would like to keep you in my thoughts and prayers, while I’m snooping to see how you’re doing, if that’s OK with you. You didn’t mention being a person of “faith” or not, and because My Jesus and I are on a first-name basis; He listens and answers most of my crying and whining. I have a story to tell too, but that’s for another day, or maybe a Blog of my own. For now, You hang in there, Sunshine - you're somethin' special. Every sixty seconds you spend upset, or afraid, is a full minute of happiness you'll never get back. So, for today's message: “Life is short, so believe it when I say, Love & Laughter, and Regret should never be in the same sentence together.” Keep your chin up if you can, and know there’s someone out here who cares!
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