Hello everybody and welcome back to my blog! I have exciting
news and a treatment plan, which really REALLY puts my mind at rest. First
things first, I received a letter from my surgeon in York, who I was due to be
seeing next week for the results of my completion (total) thyroidectomy. The
letter stated that the results of my surgery were back and in his words ‘posed
no further cause for concern’, so basically no evidence of the cancers spread
to my left lobe and basically a HUGE win for my health and my sanity! So yay
yesterday was a good day!
After a fantastic weekend with my friends and boyfriend, I
made sure I had a busy weekend planned otherwise the wait until my next
treatment appointment would have just DRAGGED. So yes a lovely Friday evening
at the Rugby Aid charity match for Rugby for Heroes (
www.rugbyforheroes.org.uk),
Saturday in Watford with an evening at the Harry Potter studios and a sleepover
at the Hilton and finally Sunday my friends birthday celebration and sushi with some of
my oldest friends. Keeping busy over these last few months has been difficult
but I’m determined to attempt to be as normal as possible over my course of
treatment!
Monday rolled around and I popped over to Chelsea for my
first of many visits to the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital. This was an outpatient
appointment to discuss my course of treatment and radioactive iodine etc over
the next couple weeks. I also had a few more blood tests (no surprises there)
and a chest x-ray to check everything was all in order.
My meeting with my cancer specialist really put my mind at
rest and she explained fully the ins and outs of everything to do with my
Thyroid cancer. She gave me a sort of quick fire biology lesson in regards to
my thyroid. It was great to have a better understanding of what exactly was
going on in my body. The doctors spoke through types of thyroid cancer,
explaining the papillary thyroid cancer occurs in around 80% of thyroid cancer
diagnosis in the UK. Essentially yes, my cancer is extremely treatable, however
due to the size of the tumour removed (over 4.2cm) it was necessary that I received
a dose of radioactive iodine to essentially mop up and kill any remaining
thyroid cells. In some cases of thyroid cancer, she explained that depending on
your personal diagnosis depends on how much/if any radioactive treatment you
receive. It was a sort of good-bad situation, good because my form of thyroid
cancer is treatable with this radioactive ablation therapy- woo! However it is
still cancer, treatment does come with risks and there is always the small
chance of needing two doses of the radioactivity over the next 12 months. We
spoke further about my general health and the monitoring I will have over the
next month and following year, all very informative.
Following my appointment with the Thyroid cancer specialist,
I met with her assistant who discussed with me in depth radioiodine ablation
treatment. Iodine is a normal part of everyone’s diet and is required for the
normal functioning of the thyroid gland. Radioiodine is concentrated in the
thyroid cells and the radiation destroys them! This treatment is used post
surgery to reduce the risk of the cancer returning or spreading. He informed me
that in preparation for this treatment I will stop taking my thyroid hormones
and need to receive two injections of the medication instead. I would also need
to eat a low iodine diet for the next 3 weeks. The UK NHS system suggests I cut
down on dairy products (I do any way as I’m lactose intolerant) and cut down
seafood, salty foods and bizarrely avoid foods that are artificially coloured
pink or red, so canned cherries for example or salami! He also suggested I suck
lemon drops to promote the production of saliva from my glands as they can be
interfered with during the treatment. Again it was all explained so well and I
felt at ease and like I really understood everything.
COOL so, from here I went for my blood test and x-rays and
made numerous appointments for September! Including, an ultra sound, a general
check up, the injections (in my bum) and then finally my radioactive iodine on
the 29th of September! I will post more information about that, but
from my understanding so far, I take a pill and am radioactive for 4 days or so
and kept in a special hospital in a lead lined room! From then I will be slight
radioactive for about a week and then yea general check ups from then onwards!
WOO HOO.
A positive thing to take away from Monday was that my doctor
said two really powerful things. 1) This will NOT affect my life span- my age,
the type of thyroid cancer and they way its being treated all are GREAT things
that help my health. And secondly, 2) Do not change your life plans- Okay so
yes initially I will have to, I haven’t been able to move to Florida for my job
YET but she is so confident that by next year I can return to work and start my
adventures with the Disney Cruise Line company!
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| Dad making a humorous comment about when my boyfriend will visit me post radiation treatment |
Thank you to everyone for your support, without it I would
be a sad lump of sadness. I just cant wait to make everyone proud and PEW PEW
this cancer away. Thank you for reading.
