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Thycancerrific, And… Seriously?!
Dear Thyroid,
In early 2007, I tossed you onto the pile of bio-hazardous special waste at the university hospital. You were cancerous, and I, well, actually since I was unconscious, it was my Doc that decided to part with you.
Since I also had a throat cancer that needed to be e-radiated and e-chemo-swatted, it took quite some time before I learned the benefits of the famous low-iodine diet for my ablation. (“Ablation” is when they give you a pill that strongly glows in the dark, when they lock you up for a few days, so that the radioactivity can go after any remnant thyroid cells that might still be in your body). Anyway getting back to the diet, oh what a pleasure. No cheese, no eggs, no fish, no butter, no milk, no salt, and on, and on. We’re talking BLAND big time. They want to starve your body of iodine, so that the radioactivity works better.
Of course, they also take you OFF your thyroid meds. Great idea! You become grumpy, really grumpy; and very, very, very tired indeed.
Then they give you the radioactive pill. And tell you to flush at least twice when you pee and to treat tissue paper as hazardous waste. And, they even give you a sack with a huge radioactive sign on it, to dispose of stuff, like your undies.
It was fun I tell ya!
Now, I am still fighting the roller coaster of adjusting my thyroid levels. They give me one pill that makes my heart race, and then try a different dose of another type of pill; and I am literally exhausted by all of it because I am bouncing between HYPOthyroid and HYPERthyroid, meaning either too much, or too little.
After a while, one gets really tired of being; tired. GRRRRRR!
Thanks, Dear Thyroid of Mine, wherever you are!
HD in Oregon
(Bio) I am HD, which is short for Hans-Dieter, a good old German first name. I’m 60 years old, and am retired in beautiful Oregon. In February of 2007, I was diagnosed with cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) of the neck. While in surgery they also found the thyroid to be cancerous, and took it out, too. Then in the same summer, I contracted yet a third cancer on my arm. Three of them for good measure! Now, I am a little scarred around my neck and arm, but I can live with that, emphasis of course is on “live” !!! ;-). Visit HD’s blog.
Tags: And... Seriously?!, Dear Thyroid Letters, low iodine diet for ablation, Thycancerrific, thyroid cancer blog, thyroid cancer letters, thyroid cancer patients, thyroid cancer support, Thyroid patient letters
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14 Responses to “Thycancerrific, And… Seriously?!”
Leave a Reply to Susan
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Thanks for bringing your manly voice to dear thyroid. I’m the thyroid cancer queen – had it for 9 years. Let me know if I can ever be of help to you. So much for thyroid cancer being an “easy cancer”.
Best,
Kairol Rosenthal
P.S. If you say my last name with a good heavy accent it sounds like a nice old German name.
Thanks for the comment! It is much appreciated!
And your last name does sound German. Rosen of course is roses, and thal is (the little old fashion German spelling of) valley. “Valley of the Roses”… nice name!
HD in Oregon
Wow, thanks for the insight. I’m glad I didn’t have to go through that but I know my Aunt did but she didn’t share her experience.
hmmm..my evil twin is coming out. I think that I could find a good use for those radioactive undies..
Seriously though, HD, we’re glad that you are living, AND sharing a tough story with us. Those of us who have never been through your ordeal, I’m sure hope that we never have to, but your sharing makes things honest, real and easier to deal with. Keep writing. The support is here for you!
Thanks Hans and it’s good to hear from yet another man.
I didn’t have cancer, just Graves, so I had a smaller amount of i131 and didn’t need the hazardous waste bag or special diet. But I sympathize with how shitty one feels on the no medication period and the attempt to find the right amount of medication later.
Hang in there.
Zari
Thank you all for the comments.
I think it is really therapeutic to be able to rant and vent; and this site is just great for that! – Writing about my illness while I was doing through it also helped me a great deal. Putting it down into words makes you think about how you want to express your pain and frustration and your fears. For me it also helped to keep my friends and family informed. (Part of my family is rather far away in Europe, that was another reason to write about it in more detail).
You can read more about my triple cancer episode on my website: http://www.hd-una.com/hd-cancer.html
HD in Oregon
Sooooooo….consoling to learn that someone else truly hated that diet. I had a full thyroidectomy almost seven years ago now. I was put on that friggin’ diet twice. In isolation twice. It was horrigying. It was worse than the surgery itself. Then the bouncing on and off of different dosages of medication to find “the one” was excrutiating. Now I have developed a golf size tumor on my upper back, shoulder area. It will be removed this coming Wednesday. Am extremely nervous for the pathology results. Hoping it isn’t another form of cancer….. why are some of us just tumor makin’ machines…..
just want to say hang tough dude, you have friends and compatriots who understand and support you. your story sucks, but you my man, are inspiring. ROCK ON!!