An Update

So I have been neglecting my blog....not sure if anyone is even reading anymore!  Just to give an update, my energy level is now 100% back to normal and I even started exercising this week, which felt amazing.  It is comforting to be settling back into a routine and feeling like a normal person again.  I did bloodwork yesterday to check my hormone levels and hope to hear back sometime today.  I suspect that they are pretty close to where they should be.  I just expect follow-up precausions from here out, which is a good thing.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and prayers!

Getting There

I can't believe it took me so long to do this post!  Actually, I can believe it :)  Last week was really exhausting and then Nicole came to visit over the weekend and this week I am back to work my full 20 hours, so time has been flying with not much time left in the day to do much besides take a shower and brush my teeth!

Anyway, the appointment with my endocrinologist went well last week.  He basically confirmed that the scan indicated the cancer had not spread anywhere outside of the thyroid area.  Since all my treatments are done, the only thing left is to make sure my thyroid levels get to the appropriate levels and monitor to make sure the cancer doesn't come back.  I have bloodwork again in another month to monitor everything and my next follow up appointment is in November.  My energy is slowly coming back, so I think my thyroid levels are getting close to where they need to be.  I am looking forward to getting back to a somewhat normal life.  I really haven't felt normal since before Mikayla was born, so I'm not even sure what I am supposed to feel like.  And on an emotional level, I have been having lots of ups and downs, so I'm not sure how long it will take to feel emotionally normal again.  I guess life is like that though....the only constant in life is change and if that is the case, then there is no such thing as "normal" anyway.  I continue to count my blessings for my amazing husband who is by my side every day to support me, my family who loves me and my friends who are there for me.  God has given me many gifts to help me through these difficult times.  I am blessed.

Scan

Yesterday I had my full body scan.  Basically I had to lay down for a half hour while a machine rotated around me taking pictures of my body.  Not too painful, and a reason to relax, which was nice.  After the scan, I had to wait for the doctor to review the results before I left.  When the tech went to dismiss me, he unofficially told me that they did not find any evidence of cancer outside of my thyroid area, which was what we were hoping for.

Today I went back to work, which was tiring and emotional.  It was nice to see my coworkers, but hard to talk to them about my mom.  And, I still don't have my energy up because it takes awhile for the thyroid hormone pill to get you up to the right levels.  Working today and then taking care of Mikayla left me pretty exhausted.  Mikayla is on the "I hate bedtime" kick again, which makes the evenings really long.  The other day she did one of her "I don't want to go to bed so I am going to throw up" tricks again.  And tonight it was a 9 o'clock bedtime, which is seriously rediculous for a toddler!  Anyway, Nate of course helps tons with the bedtime but it is exhausting for the both of us none the less. 

I will post more on Thursday after my appointment with my endocrinologist.  Goodnight!!!

Wednesday Already

It was awesome to have Nate and Mikayla come back last Saturday.  I love having my family home with me :)  I can't believe it is Wednesday already....a week since I took the radioactive iodine pill.  All side effects from the pill have subsided - no more nausea and swelling and I am feeling better.  I still don't have my energy back 100% yet, but other than that am eating good and feeling good.  I had bloodwork yesterday and my thyroid levels were still pretty high, which means it is taking awhile for my new thyroid hormone to kick back in.  This coming Monday, the 18th, I get a full body scan, which will check to see if there is cancer left anywhere in my body.  After that scan, I have an appointment with the endocrinologist later in the week to follow up with everything.  I plan to go back to work next Tuesday thru Thursday.  I am looking forward to getting back to a normal routine.

Forever 21 Bag

Today my energy is up, but the nausea is back.  My endocrinologist said it would take two weeks to recover from the radioactive iodine, and yet again I don't understand why it is taking so long to feel better (it really has only been 3 days)!  Yet again, God continues to give my opportunities to learn patience, which unfortunately does not come that easy to me.  God also continues to speak to me during these difficult times.  For instance, this morning I was putting away some plastic bags and came across a bright yellow Forever 21 bag that someone had given me to hold some food they sent while I have been sick.  For those of you who don't know, Forever 21 is a clothing store for young women.  As I was putting away the bag, I noticed the printing on it.  On each side of the bag the phrases "FOREVER 21" and "FOREVER21.com" were printed....makes sense....and then on the bottom of the bag, in smaller font were the words "JOHN 3:16".  I seriously had to do a double take.  Was there a bible verse printed on the bottom of the Forever 21 bag?  And truly it is there plain as day.

John 3:16 reads "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." 

In light of my mother's death and other trials I am going through, to come across a familiar verse like this in an unfamiliar way is a reminder that God is always there for me and that eternity is waiting.  You never know when God will speak to you.  Under normal circumstances, I'm sure I would have been too busy to actually even look a any wording on the bottom of the bag.  However in my tired and relaxed state the past few days, I have had the opportunity to slow down and clear my mind.  God speaks to us when we least expect it.  He speaks to us when we slow down and take the opportunity to hear what he has to say.

Feeling Better

This evening I am starting to feel much better...it was probably because I've watched 4 movies so far in 3 days, which I seriously can't tell you the last time, I have ever done that.  Maybe when I was a kid!!!  My face and neck are still a little swollen, but I have no pain and the nausea is almost gone.  Many thanks to Patty for bringing over Outback for dinner last night and Melissa for pizza tonight.  It is nice to have a dose of Aussie Cheese fries and pizza to round out the end of my healthy low-iodine diet I had been on for a week (what seemed like forever!).  I really enjoy eating healthy, but a break every now and then is nice too :)  I really miss my family, so am incredibly thankful that tomorrow Nate and Mikayla will be coming back.  I can already anticipate the hugs!!!  Hopefully it is all up from here from a feeling good standpoint.  I expect my energy levels to continue to increase and the swelling to go away.  Thanks to everyone for the support and prayers.  I couldn't have gone through any of this without my amazing support system.  Much love to all!!!!

I'm Radioactive

Yesterday I went to the hospital.  They had me check in like I was a regular patient and gave me a write band with an ID.  I then went to the nuclear medicine department where I was brought to a little room where they handed me a vile with two pills.  They stepped out of the room, had me take the two pills, measured my radioactive level and sent me home.  Pretty painless, I thought.  I then went home to my empty house and just relaxed all afternoon.  I watched the Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog and started reading a really interesting book called "Heaven in For Real" - an account of a 4-year old's near death experience and his compelling discussions on how he saw a glimpse of heaven.

This morning, I woke up around 5:30am and my salivary glads were really swollen and painful.  They had told me it may affect these glands, so I was supposed to chew gum and hard candies yesterday to help with this.  So I sat in bed for a half hour and chewed some gum and it slowly felt better.  I didn't really get up until 10 today because I was exhaused.  Today my throat and glands are swollen and I am having some nausea, which are all common side effects.  Luckily, I really have nothing to do but relax, so that is nice.  I finished the book this morning and thought it was a really enjoyable read if anyone is interested.  I think that is the first full book I have read in about a year, which is attributed to being a busy mom of a toddler!  Back to some rest and more movies/books.  I anticipate only feeling better from here.