just got back from my second doctors visit of the day, with my primary care physician Dr. Browne. it was a very good reassuring visit. still not completely sure on why i'm still so sick, but we were very reasurred that it could very easily be simply due to my body being just over exhausted on top of still recovering from whatever terrible flu/tonsillitis or illness i had back in Tassie a few weeks ago. and just the news of the "C" word can be enough to cause a lot of stress on the body. so we we're told what we already knew in that i'm exhausted and overwhelmed, but also reassured that it was nothing to be to concerned about. the worst part other than the cancer symptoms of pressure on my throat and difficulty breathing well is simply my exhaustion. i've never been so tired in my life, yet still unable to sleep. but i've got a prescription for some sleep meds and it's great to be home. i also got some blood taken and will have a few tests done just to check for autoimmune issues or any antibodies. so it's all very good news in the scheme of things.
we've also got several more doctors appointments lined up for the next few weeks both with endocrinologists, surgeons and doctors, but we are well on the way to getting my surgery and treatments started and soon to be behind me!
on another note, i am so happy to be getting so much love and support with all of this. it is the last thing i ever dreamed would be happening to me and it still doesn't seem real. But i'm keeping optomistic and trying not to dwell on all the negative and such of it. i am feeling much much better than i was just a few weeks ago, and while i still have a long way to go, we've now figured out what's going on and are well on the way to a full recovery. I'm still going to need a lot of support in the upcoming weeks and it's scary as hell, but i know deep down it's all going to be fine. I'm so incredibly lucky to have such a big and strong support group! i love you all so much!
Katy
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Background: Why is Katy in Colorado again?
Katy lives in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, so why is she back in Colorado, USA? It started out as a bad cold, maybe strep throat. The doctors in Hobart put her on antibiotics, but she did not get well. Next, they thought maybe glandular fever was to blame, but the test came back inconclusive. Whatever was wrong with Katy, everyone agreed, a bit of R&R would do her a world of good. Plus, she was too sick to do her laundry or make her own meals, and needed some extra support.
Three weeks ago, Katy flew to San Fransisco, where her parents met her and drove her back to the family cabin in Lake Tahoe, CA. If nothing else, a couple weeks of sleeping in the sun would feel good! When two weeks into her stay Katy was still getting sicker, they took her to Urgent Care. The doctor suspected something else was going on, and ordered an ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed what looked like two nodules on her thyroid. Hypo- or Hyperthyroidism would explain her symptoms, and if the nodules were responsible they could do a simple procedure, aspirate the nodules, and Katy would get better quickly!
Unfortunately, the biopsy revealed that it was one big nodule instead of two. The pathology report suggested papillary carcinoma, the most common type of thyroid cancer. With the big "C" word suddenly thrown in their faces, Katy and Karen threw everything in the car and hurried back to Colorado to figure out what to do next!
The good news is, papillary carcinoma is considered curable, with a 10-year survival rate of 98.5% for women (100% for patients under 45 years old). Treatment is black and white: The thyroid is removed, and a few weeks later a dose of radioactive iodine (radioiodine) is administered to kill off all remaining cells. No tissues except the thyroid can metabolize iodine, so only thyroid tissues will uptake the radioiodine and thus only thyroid tissues will be affected by this treatment. Since any metastases will also be made of thyroid tissue, no matter where they are in the body, the radioiodine will destroy all of these secondary tumors as well. There is very little chance of her have any metastases to begin with, but if there are any this treatment will deal with them!
The bad news is, thyroid cancer is usually asymptomatic and Katy is still sick! So, there are some more doctors to be seen before the cancer can be treated... Luckily this is a very slow-growing cancer and there is no rush!
Three weeks ago, Katy flew to San Fransisco, where her parents met her and drove her back to the family cabin in Lake Tahoe, CA. If nothing else, a couple weeks of sleeping in the sun would feel good! When two weeks into her stay Katy was still getting sicker, they took her to Urgent Care. The doctor suspected something else was going on, and ordered an ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed what looked like two nodules on her thyroid. Hypo- or Hyperthyroidism would explain her symptoms, and if the nodules were responsible they could do a simple procedure, aspirate the nodules, and Katy would get better quickly!
Unfortunately, the biopsy revealed that it was one big nodule instead of two. The pathology report suggested papillary carcinoma, the most common type of thyroid cancer. With the big "C" word suddenly thrown in their faces, Katy and Karen threw everything in the car and hurried back to Colorado to figure out what to do next!
The good news is, papillary carcinoma is considered curable, with a 10-year survival rate of 98.5% for women (100% for patients under 45 years old). Treatment is black and white: The thyroid is removed, and a few weeks later a dose of radioactive iodine (radioiodine) is administered to kill off all remaining cells. No tissues except the thyroid can metabolize iodine, so only thyroid tissues will uptake the radioiodine and thus only thyroid tissues will be affected by this treatment. Since any metastases will also be made of thyroid tissue, no matter where they are in the body, the radioiodine will destroy all of these secondary tumors as well. There is very little chance of her have any metastases to begin with, but if there are any this treatment will deal with them!
The bad news is, thyroid cancer is usually asymptomatic and Katy is still sick! So, there are some more doctors to be seen before the cancer can be treated... Luckily this is a very slow-growing cancer and there is no rush!
First Surgion Visit
Today we visted Dr Richard Fox, a surgeon who specializes in thyroid surgery. He was very nice and seems very competent. He did an additional sonogram and found a very large nodule on Katy's right thyroid. It is currently pushing her trachea to the side. He advised she have her whole thyroid removed but indicated that there is no great rush as thyroid cancer is fairly slow growing. He also recommended that she see her primary care physician to figure out why she is still so sick - as thyroid cancer has no symptoms other than the lump. Katy is seeing Dr. Browne this afternoon. We will keep you posted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)