tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49580088991815053012023-11-15T13:27:43.354-05:00Too Much on Our PlaitLike Daughter, Like Mother: Our Thyroid Cancer Journey.Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-14907946868763577852016-04-26T10:17:00.001-04:002016-04-26T10:17:07.560-04:00Like Daughter - 54<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Honestly, I don't even know what to say. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As you probably read in my mother's post from yesterday, my uncle Richard passed away yesterday morning from complications post-treatment for AML.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> My mother said pretty much everything there was to say, but I think there's a little more. Uncle Richard, I have one more story for you.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Uncle Richard was a funny man. He was downright weird at times, but the best kind of weird there is. He was never seen without a smile. Uncle Richard had this way about him - even in his lovely tennis shorts in December (mind you, we're in Baltimore) - to brighten the room around him. </span></span></span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'll never forget the smell of his pipe (I hate smoking, but his pipe always smelled so good), the smile on his face, and the songs he used to sing, again in those tennis shorts. He would just break out into song. When us cousins were kids, we were always captivated by his humor. The one song that immediately comes to mind is, "The Littlest Worm." He would sit us down in front of him and he would have us do a special sing-a-long. We would laugh and clap and sing as loudly as we could until someone in the family quieted us down.</span></span></span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">All of my uncles are funny in their own way, but Uncle Richard stands out. And he always will.</span></span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cancer is no joke, especially when other complications can arise. When we heard that the leukemia was gone, we thought that was it. Besides frequent visits and blood work, possibly some treatment down the line, we thought that grueling chapter was over. Uncle Richard's immune system, however, was no match for the fungal infection.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There are so many emotions that flow through you when someone close to you dies. The emotion that overrides them all, even sadness, is anger. I'm angry for him, I'm angry for my Aunt Rea (his wife), I'm angry for his children... I'm just... angry. This is not what he deserved. I know everyone speaks highly of the dead, even the ones who drove you the most crazy. But Uncle Richard was as good as they come. Truly. I'm angry that this happened to someone so wonderful, and that my family has to once again recover from the harsh reality of cancer.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> We have to keep fighting. And we will for you, Uncle Richard. I love you so much.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-45600956377734239882016-04-25T21:01:00.000-04:002016-04-26T19:18:21.705-04:00Like Mother - 53<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Cancer has struck our family again…in a big way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One week after the burial of my mother on
February 23, 2016 for non-cancer related issues, my brother-in-law, Richard,
was diagnosed with AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since March 6<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup>, he had been an
inpatient at University of Maryland Hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As our family typically does, we all came together to support my
sister, Anna Marie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made daily trips
to the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the time we
were full of hope, but eventually we felt more like wounded soldiers marching
into a losing battle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard suffered
one unfortunate circumstance after another with both happy and sad
outcomes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The happy outcome is that the
first round of chemo was successful in eradicating his leukemia cells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sad news is that all too often the same
drugs that cure you can also, indirectly, kill you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result of Richard’s extremely depleted
blood cells and extremely compromised immune system from the chemo treatment, he developed an
overwhelming and rare fungal infection…an infection that grew bigger than his
recovering immune system and antifungal drugs could
handle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">
Throughout it all, Richard NEVER
complained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He said “Please” and “Thank You” to every nurse, doctor, visitor, and
caregiver, right up until the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
never lost his sense of humor and strong spirit…ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though he developed mastoid ear, and Bell’s
Palsy with facial paralysis, and a blood clot, and atrial fibrillation, and the
inability to eat for at least six weeks with subsequent insertion of a feeding
tube, and multiple transfusions and transfers from Oncology to ICU, CCU, and
Intermediate Care (you get the point), he faced every obstacle with hope
and dignity and kindness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
privilege to be with him and try to help ease his struggles in some small
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">In the beginning, before the infection took hold, Richard
would always say “Tell me a story…I love stories.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He recalled that as a child he could easily
fall asleep to the sound of his mother’s voice on the phone gabbing with her
sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we told him stories about
anything and everything…the smallest happenings in our day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Richard delighted in them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We continued to tell him stories even when
the fungal infection wrapped itself around his brain and he closed his eyes and
remained in a slumber-like state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we
talked to each other in the background, and every now and then Richard would
grunt, nod, or shake his head, so we knew he was listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">In Richard’s healthier life, he was in the roofing business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Customer service was his specialty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You weren’t just a customer, you were a
friend, and he would do anything for a friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He made you laugh and once you met him you never forgot him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Richard loved to make the family smile with his corny jokes
and silly songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sang a round of “The
Littlest Worm” in his last hours, led by his stepdaughter Melissa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know Richard enjoyed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">
Richard referred to his wife, my sister Gracie, and me, as
the Lee Sisters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a nickname that
we are proud to own (I won’t go into detail).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anyway, the Lee Sisters as a threesome, or some combination thereof,
followed Richard throughout his journey in the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gracie and me were with Anna Marie when she met Richard for the first time (and there’s a story there too).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We loved him from the start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Lee Sisters are an amazing team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Together we are stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gracie
and Anna Marie, I love you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Richard wasn’t much for fashion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He rather had a style of his own, mostly
tennis shorts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, he made quite a
statement on his own and didn’t need fashion to enhance his generous and uplifting
personality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He never said goodbye,
rather “Toodle-Loo”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">
I know that Richard is in a better place mostly because he
made the world a better place for so many others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I picture him whacking a few tennis balls,
enjoying all-you-can-eat buffets, eating lots of cake icing, telling corny jokes, smoking his pipe, going for long walks with all of the little doggies and giving them forbidden treats, singing silly songs, and waiting on everyone
in Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">In closing, I have one more story for you Richard…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">
Once upon a time there once was a man named Richard Smith who lived an
incredible life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He touched many
hearts, and did so much for so many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
always thought of others first and always minded his manners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was loyal and trustworthy and kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was surrounded by family and friends who
loved him dearly and always will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
faced with the toughest challenge of all, he did so with dignity and courage
beyond measure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is truly our hero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was lucky to be loved by a beautiful woman
named Anna Marie, who sat tirelessly by his side, fluffing his pillows, wiping
his brow, and holding his hand, right up until the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The world is a better place because of Richard Smith and he
will be missed immensely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the words
of his favorite song…”He was my pal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was my friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But now he’s gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s the end”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toodle-Loo Richard Smith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We love you.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-23356890471583584182015-08-11T20:33:00.000-04:002015-08-11T20:33:02.126-04:00Like Daughter - 52<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today's post comes after a lot of thinking. I haven't gotten my blood work results back, but I have a completely different issue to talk about.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;">All my life, I have struggled with my weight. I think it started when I was about 10. I was always overweight from that point on, and it was hard for me. It was the typical story - I saw other girls I wanted to look like, and tried so hard to look like them. I had a very different body type, and that was another setback. I have done countless programs - Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, my own diet plans - and yet I always ended up gaining it back if I strayed. They worked, don't get me wrong. It was just very hard to maintain.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;">From about late 2010 to mid-2011, I was following my own plan. I was monitoring my calories, eating well, exercising almost daily, and making sure I was constantly moving. My job at the time was not as demanding as the one I have now, but I worked hard despite feeling tired after a long day. I felt so much better about myself. I lost about 20-25 pounds in that time, and I met my husband when I was at my smallest. Since then so much has happened - a new career, moving in with Jason, lifestyle changes - and now I am at my biggest. I'm over 200 pounds, which was unheard of for me before now. I lost weight before the wedding, but afterward, it came back on and then some. Due to certain medicine, lack of time and activity, and lack of energy, my body has become what it is now. I've been noticing more and more how much strain my body is under. I am short, so there is a lot of weight to carry for my stature.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;">I always blamed this on the cancer. I blamed my thyroid and constantly fluctuating levels. I blamed the medicine I took for almost a year that made me so lethargic I didn't care what I ate, therefore making me gain so much weight. I blamed myself.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;">As my mom says, I have the tools. This is true. I've always had the knowledge. It has been accumulating for over a decade of dieting, weight loss plans, and personal experience.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;">Three days ago, I had an awakening. I have had this before, but this is different. I had started to accept my body this way, but I think about my health and how much my body hurts just from climbing a hill. I can't live like this. So, I made a decision:</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I won't.</i></span></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This is the turning point. Over the last three days, I have watched my calories using MyFitnessPal, and I am starting to go back to Jazzercise with my mom. I already have lost about three pounds. I'm feeling better already. It's really hard working out with my body this way, but I won't let it stop me.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><strike>Hopefully,</strike> by the time CancerCon 2016 comes around, a new, smaller, healthier me will have blossomed.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Next time I blog, it will be about the blood work results. I promise.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Until then, friends, I wish you love, happiness and - most importantly - good health. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dori </span></span></span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-92013651954504031352015-08-06T23:33:00.002-04:002015-08-06T23:33:39.295-04:00Like Daughter - 51<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Good evening, my friends.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I figured it was about time I posted about my current situation with my cancer follow-ups. I have been seeing my endocrinologist every 6 months since my second surgery, which was November 2007. Up until about four years ago, my thyroid levels have shown little to no cancer evident. Four years ago, my numbers began to creep up. I went from below 0.5 to 1.9, to ~3, to 4.3, to 4.5. I just had blood work done yesterday, so I don't know my levels just yet. I'll update again with those along with the next steps that my endocrinologist wants to take.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My endocrinologist is amazing. Dr. H is straightforward and very proactive with my treatment. She has helped me become more independent and to take control of my treatment. She welcomes questions and answers them. I really appreciate her and all she has done for me throughout my cancer journey.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">She told me she's ambivalent about biopsying and "cherry-picking," as she calls it. What she calls "cherry-picking" is going through my neck to biopsy and (eventually) surgically remove any lymph nodes that show any level of cancer, no matter how small. My numbers are not high enough just yet. The "magic number" is a thyroglobulin of 10. Dr. H told me she feels comfortable "sitting" on me and waiting. This has been her decision the last three years, so I'm not completely shocked. This time around, though, she is unsure if she wants to do a stimulated thyroglobulin test. A stimulated thyroglobulin means that the patient receives shots of thyrogen (right above the butt - Yay!) and at the end of the week, gets more blood work done to compare to the initial unstimulated thyroglobulin. If the numbers are higher, it means there is thyroid cancer still in the body. This test is much more sensitive in finding any leftover or recurrent cancer cells. When my numbers come back from this test and if they are higher than before, then she will do a stimulated thyroglobulin test.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I jokingly call it "cancer limbo." It kind of is, really. You're just sitting around waiting for something to happen. If it doesn't happen, you're happy (of course). The problem is the foreboding feeling. It's always there, in the back of your mind.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Will today be it?"</span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Where is it, and where is it going?"</span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"Why can't they just find it and get it out?"</span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"What's taking this so long?"</span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I just want it over.</span></span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">These are just a few questions and thoughts that run through my head. I know other cancer patients and survivors can relate. The feeling that this appointment, this scan, this ultrasound, this blood test -- could be what shakes our current "normalcy" and turns it upside down once more. This has been my thought process since my last (second) surgery in 2007. I had 22 lymph nodes removed from the left side of my neck, two of which were malignant metastatic papillary thyroid cancer.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've always told people that I'm just waiting for the ball to drop. The response I get more often than not is, "Don't jinx it! You're asking for it to happen." </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Am I, though? Am I being dark and depressing, or am I being realistic? What's wrong with waiting for something to happen? Of course I'll be happy if my numbers never increase to the "magic number." The last time I felt like this was over was when my endocrinologist gave me the thumbs up after my nuclear scan post-radioactive iodine treatment. She said I was cancer-free and in the clear. All that needed to happen was get low numbers in my blood work. Guess what? They were not low enough.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Call me crazy, but I do not feel it is wrong to be ready for either event. If the ball drops, fine. I'll get through it just like the last two times. If it doesn't, fine. I will continue to live my life as best I can, just as I have in the 9 years since my diagnosis.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Feel free to leave comments with your opinions. Do you agree? Disagree? Do you experience the same roller coaster ride? Let me know!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As always, friends, I wish you love, happiness and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dori </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></span></span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-56718332011725100082015-06-26T23:21:00.003-04:002015-06-26T23:21:50.286-04:00Like Daughter - 50<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I can't believe this will be our <span style="color: magenta;"><b>50th</b></span> blog post! This is really exciting. What a great way to begin this entry.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Today's post is about quality of life for survivors and those who are affected by cancer in any way -- family, friends, caregivers. It is extremely important to be healthy, happy, and surrounded by those who love you and care for you. It is also important to be surrounded by those who understand what it is that you are going through.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When I was at the beginning of my cancer journey, I felt like I was the only one. I knew no one else who had thyroid cancer. It was 2006, and I had no one to turn to but friends and family who could sympathize, but not empathize. This is a big deal for anyone with an illness, especially a chronic or long-term illness. It can be very hard to cope when people listen to you, but can really only give words of encouragement or affection (which is also crucial).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My
sister, however, had gone through cancer about a decade or so prior to my
diagnosis, and she helped me through a lot of what I went through.
Without her, I would have gone insane. I love her to pieces, and I wouldn't be who I am without her.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I'm a talker, in case you didn't realize. I talk about everything and anything, and have always been extremely open about my cancer journey. I need to be. I can't keep things bottled up. I wear my heart and emotions on my sleeve. Anyone who knows me (or doesn't know me well, really) can vouch for this. I also am very passionate about making sure my voice is heard for the sake of others who may need to hear what I have to say. When I was first diagnosed, I called everyone who wanted to know my results. I must have called about 10 people. The more I said it, the more real it became. I thought it a <strike>dream</strike> nightmare when it happened, but the more talking I did, the more...hardened I became. Not hardened as in cold and distant, but more strong and grounded. But out of all of those phone calls I made, not one of them were to a fellow survivor. No one who really grasped what I had just heard. No one who truly understood. It was a very lonely time, despite having so many people around to support me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you are reading this and are not a survivor, please do not misunderstand me. I needed my family, my friends, and those around me who were there for me. I needed that comfort and that support. If I didn't have them, I do not know where I would be. However, part of me still felt alone and completely isolated. I needed someone who was going through cancer, someone who at least had some understanding of what I felt and could take the journey with me.</span></span><br />
<br /><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There are so many people out there right now who feel as I did back in 2006. However, there are now endless resources and support networks out there that can help those going through cancer not feel so alone. <a href="http://www.stupidcancer.org/" target="_blank">Stupid Cancer</a>, <a href="http://www.imermanangels.org/" target="_blank">Imerman Angels</a>, <a href="http://www.friend4life.org/" target="_blank">Friend for Life Cancer Support</a>, <a href="http://www.hope4yawc.org/" target="_blank">Hope for Young Adults with Cancer</a>, to name a few. Go to <a href="http://stupidcancer.org/directories/yaorgs.shtml" target="_blank">this</a> page on Stupid Cancer's website for countless more resources and websites.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In addition to these amazing resources, there is something<b> new</b> that will change the world of cancer for <b>all. </b>Survivors, caregivers, family, friends, let me introduce you to <a href="http://www.instapeer.org/" target="_blank">Instapeer</a>. <b>Instapeer</b> - developed by the fabulous people at Stupid Cancer - is an app that will connect you to others who are like you. It is available on iPhone and Google Play. It is extremely specific, and will match you with others according to age, diagnosis, location, cancer stage, etc. The possibilities and options are endless. Even if you use it periodically, know that it is a place where you can go that will help you not feel so alone. You can message people privately, participate in the chat room, and create friendships and connections that will guide you and support you throughout your journey. Just know that this is there for you, and those using the app are there for you, as well. Including me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As always, friends, I wish you love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dori</span></span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-22528131955863785472015-05-20T18:08:00.000-04:002015-05-20T18:08:21.246-04:00Like Daughter - 49<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Hi!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It's hard to believe it has been almost four years since my last post. A lot of things have changed. The blog may have halted, but life just kept on rolling!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Since the last post, I have gotten married and been very busy with my career. I took a hiatus from the cancer world (not completely, but I became inactive) for what seemed like a decade. Last month, my husband, Jason, and I attended <a href="http://www.cancercon.org/" target="_blank">CancerCon</a> in Denver. The conference is hosted by <a href="http://www.stupidcancer.org/" target="_blank">Stupid Cancer</a>, and is what the organization has been building up to since its inception in 2007. The OMG! Cancer Summit was the "main" conference in New York, and that is actually where I attended my first OMG! Summit in 2010. At the 2011 conference, I met my husband, a brain cancer survivor, and we began dating soon after. We got married last April, and are very happy (one would hope, right?).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The hiatus Jason and I took from Stupid Cancer was extremely hard, especially for me. I always felt like myself with the people from this organization, and they became family. There was always this hole in my heart, and every time I tried to get myself involved again, something happened to pull me away. Finally, this year, Jason and I said we would go to CancerCon, no matter what. So, we did.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It has taken me some time to put my thoughts together and write about the experience. Something like this is very difficult to put into words verbally, and even harder to "write" down. I am going to do my best, and hope I do the conference the justice it deserves, and then some.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The conference took place in Denver, Colorado, during the days of April 24-26. Jason and I flew in a day early to get ourselves settled and help out if needed. We saw many old friends and gained new ones. I met a fellow thyroid cancer survivor, and I was ecstatic to have a new friend who understood my diagnosis on a personal level. She and I really bonded. She brought her husband with her, and he and Jason really hit it off. It was nice to see Jason talking with another married man who understood his position. We had a blast reconnecting and making new memories while rekindling the past.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The conference officially began during the opening ceremonies on Friday, the 24th. The room was breathtaking -- the lights, the stage, everything was unbelievable. It was so hard to fathom that over 600 attendees -- survivors, caregivers, doctors -- would be in this same room! At the 2010 conference, there were over 150 attendees. In just five years, that number has more than tripled. Just the idea that Stupid Cancer has made this much of an impact and has reached so many people brought tears to my eyes. I hugged my friends on the Steering Committee and congratulated them, feeling so blessed and honored to be there and share that moment with them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After Matthew Zachary (CEO of Stupid Cancer) and Alli Ward (VP of Stupid Cancer) welcomed us and kicked off the conference, I made sure to find Matthew to hug and congratulate him. I was still trying not to cry, and seeing him just made it harder to do so. I could hardly tell him my feelings, and I am pretty sure he understood. It brings me to tears even now to think of how that room looked that night.</span></span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There was a scavenger hunt scheduled for that evening, and Jason and I teamed up with Kristina and Allan (married couple; Allan is a survivor of lymphoma), Lauren (survivor of kidney cancer), and Nicole (Assistant Director of <a href="http://www.friend4life.org/" target="_blank">Friend for Life Cancer Support Network</a>). We named ourselves "Team Badass" and tore through the city, racing to get all of the items done on our list. We posed with mimes, took selfies in a bathtub (don't ask), took pictures with a cop (no arrests, we swear), and came up with the most creative ways to check off the items on our list. 11PM was when the scavenger hunt was over and all pictures were to be sent to the judges to be evaluated. We were lying on the ground, tired and sore, but we somehow mustered the energy to go get some food and drinks. It was so much fun being with these new friends and working together to beat the other teams. Unfortunately, we didn't win, but we formed a special bond that one can only have as a member of Team Badass.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The next day was chock full of breakout sessions and meeting the exhibitors. I attended two of the breakout sessions, but the one that stood out the most was <span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>What Cancer Stole From Me: Grieving the Losses Associated With Cancer. </em>During this session, the speakers had us write on two sides of an index card. The front was about what cancer has taken from you. The back was for something that people don't understand that affects our cancer journey. On the front, I wrote about my grandfather (d. 2005 of non-Hodgkins lymphoma), and my family suffering from familial papillary thyroid cancer (there's more about this in previous blog entries, if you are new to this blog). This was not the difficult part. The difficult part was the back. I wrote about how I am about to "celebrate" my 9th cancerversary, and yet the stigma that "thyroid cancer is the good cancer" still exists. It hurts to feel like my journey is easier than others, when really everyone's journey with cancer is different and cannot be compared. Of course, I didn't write ALL of that, but it pretty much stated that. After we wrote on our cards, one of the speakers read our cards out loud. When my card was read, I started to cry. I didn't understand why, at first. I've thought about this so many times, repeated it out loud to so many people. Why did it get to me so deeply? Why was this even still something that COULD reach my heart in such a way?</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia;">That evening was Stupid Cancer Pub Trivia. Team Badass plus my new thysister and her husband joined us. We did pretty well, and it was so much fun! Italia Ricci (lovely lead actress in "<a href="http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/chasing-life" target="_blank">Chasing Life</a>" on ABC Family, and awesome Stupid Cancer advocate) joined the fun and was watching at a table behind us. She came in so quietly I didn't even realize she was there! She looked like she was enjoying herself, and was such a sweetheart when people talked to her. The night was full of laughs, love, and badassery. ;-)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia;">The next day was the last day of CancerCon, with breakout sessions in the morning and the last few speeches before the end of the conference. I attended two sessions: <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>When Did Cancer Turn Me Into A Control Freak?</em> and <em>Your Next Chapter - Making Your Survivorship COUNT! </em>The first one was pretty powerful because I was in a room full of people who felt like they had no control over their lives, and that cancer and its side effects were taking the pieces of control that we thought we had left. We talked about our feelings and about how we can take back control and rely on those who understand and give us comfort. We all were given a little fabric bag and little cut out pieces of index cards. We were told to write down things/people/places that make us happy and bring us peace. We were also told to write down various things that stress us out or make us lose our sense of control. At the end, we put our "happy cards" into our bag, and the "stress cards" into a bin to later be burned. It sounds crazy, but I felt like a weight was lifted from me. I knew I had let go, and I had a better grasp on what was important to me. It felt nice to throw those little cards made of nightmares into that bin. Good riddance.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia;">During the second session, I got to watch two lovely and beautiful ladies, <a href="http://www.tamikafelder.com/" target="_blank">Tamika Felder</a> and <a href="http://helainebader.com/" target="_blank">Helaine Bader</a> speak to us about telling our story. I spoke up at one point to respond to them about a question, and I talked about what I wrote on that card the day before. Again, my throat closed and cried. I had a harder time saying it than I did writing it. I kept contemplating afterward why this kept catching me. It dawned on me later on, and that epiphany was hard to swallow:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia;">I had cancer.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia;">You're probably thinking, "Well, DUH..." But, honestly, that never did sink in before. Not as much as it did during the conference. People in the cancer world used to get so frustrated with me when I told them that my cancer was "no big deal," and that I "didn't go through as much as they did." I used to shrug it off, and say how I felt bad that I didn't suffer as much. I was told over and over again, "Dori. Cancer is cancer. There is nothing 'good' or 'easy' about it, no matter which type you have." That finally got through. After 9 years of that stigma of "good cancer" being thrown in my face, it finally hit me. I have had two surgeries, two RAI treatments, countless biopsies, scans, and blood work tests. This cancer is still not gone. It is still in my body. In fact, my blood work numbers are going up every 6 months. It's only a matter of time, really, before they need to go cherry picking in my neck once more.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia;">I want to end these false ideas about thyroid cancer. I want to bring my knowledge, my story, and my family to as many people as possible. I want to inform and move people into being more aware of this disease and what it can do. I want to get to know and help those who already fight this every single day and feel so alone because they feel like no one understands. I want to be a person who really makes waves in the thyroid cancer world and in the outside world.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia;">So, to close this long, long entry, I will say this: I will be more involved in the young adult cancer community, and I am going to do everything in my power to accomplish the goals I have set upon myself. You will see me again, and this blog will continue.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia;">Until then, friends, I wish you love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></div>
Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-41031644561366181892011-07-27T18:29:00.009-04:002011-07-28T01:25:14.437-04:00Special Entry: Good Housekeeping Article Response<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you are an avid member of the thyroid disease/cancer community, then you most likely already know the controversy and outrage that surrounds <a href="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diseases/thyroid-problems">this</a> article, written by Susan Carlton and published by Good Housekeeping. If not, this article and all comments and concerns about it still apply to you. Why? It’s as simple as this: knowledge is power. Knowledge of the diseases and cancers that are out there, and knowledge about what information is accurate, and what information is dangerous. Below is my take on certain portions of the article. Admittedly, I am no expert. Some of the information that Ms. Carlton presents is without documented sources. Therefore, I can neither credit nor discredit her claims. However, since I currently (some formerly) endure four different types of thyroid diseases, I am able to use my 5 years of acquired experience and knowledge to refute several points made by Ms. Carlton and Good <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Housekeeping. Questions, comments, complaints, and commendations are not only requested but encouraged.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Introduction </span></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="line-height: 115%;">– Section 1</span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br />
<blockquote><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"My eyes lit up. Could the problems I'd assumed were inevitable be blamed on the tiny thyroid gland — and be reversed with a tinier pill? Maybe I didn't have to renew my gym membership after all."</span></blockquote><br />
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I feel Ms. Carlton is inferring here is that Synthroid and its brothers and sisters (Levothyroxine and such) will simply cure all of her symptoms – fatigue, weight gain, lack of energy, brainfog – and then she will happily carry on her life. That is a piece of information that should never be relayed to anyone</span>. It isn’t as simple as that. While she does state that it isn’t simple in the next paragraph, I don’t think she should have used such a comment as a clever quip. It sends the wrong message to individuals who are not privy to the ins and outs of thyroid problems. I’ll explain further on this as the article progresses.</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><blockquote><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span">"At least 13 million Americans have some form of hypothyroidism, says Jeffrey Garber, M.D., who (literally) wrote the book on it —</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="apple-style-span"><i>The Harvard Medical School Guide to Overcoming Thyroid Problems.</i>"</span></span></span></blockquote><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">When I Google’d the general quote from Dr. Garber, I </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">noticed that this statistic was in an online review of this book, but it was written very differently. You can view it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harvard-Medical-Overcoming-Thyroid-Problems/dp/0071444718">here</a> under “Editorial Reviews.” It clearly states the following in the review, “<span class="apple-style-span"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">More than 13 million people in the United States suffer from some form of thyroid disease</b>, and that number is expected to rise precipitously as the baby boomer generation approaches its sixties.” This changes the meaning of Ms. Carlton’s statement entirely. It isn’t solely hypothyroidism that over 13 million people in the US deal with on a daily basis – it’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">every thyroid disease. </i>That includes, but is not limited to: thyroid cancer, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and Hyperthyroidism. Not only did she misquote, but she also did not even use this book to her advantage. She only uses one statement from the entire book in her three-page article, and even in that statement there is no evidence of how to “understand thyroid problems”, as her article claims to assist the reader to do. She does quote Dr. Garber later in the article, but I (nor anyone else) am not sure if that quote is from his book or if she spoke to him personally (The evidence that Ms. Carlton did not speak to any of the doctors she cited in her article and responses to her “advice” can be found <a href="http://thyroid.about.com/b/2011/07/23/good-housekeeping-thyroid-hypothyroidism-hashimoto-susan-carlton-controversy.htm">here</a></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="apple-style-span">). Even with the secondary quote, it is obvious that Ms. Carlton did not put forth as much effort as she could have to include more information from this source.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ms. Carlton then proceeds to give a statistic about how many people are affected by hypothyroidism, following it with this: </span></span></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"(Hyperthyroidism, meaning thyroid hormone production is in overdrive, is a less-common condition.)"</span></span></blockquote><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just so the readers know, this is the only stateme</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nt she makes throughout her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">entire</i> article on Hyperthyroidism. Word to the Not-So-Wise: If you are going to write an article about “understanding thyroid problems,” then you should probably write a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">little</i> bit more than just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">one line</i> about another thyroid problem that exists. If your focus was simply on Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, then state that in your title and description so it does not mislead the readers. This title is, in a word, insulting. You, my dear Ms. Carlton, claim to have all of the secrets we want to know about our thyroid problems, and yet, you only focus your attention on Hypothyroidism, with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis being a close second. Where are the others? And how dare you make such light of Hyperthyroidism and only describe it in six words, then say in a single breath that it is a "less-common condition"! All that would tell a reader who is still learning about these conditions is that Hyperthyroidism is not a disease that should be worrisome since it obviously couldn’t possibly happen to that reader. It’s "less-common!" Let your mind be at ease, dear one! You are saved from Hyperthyroidism! Here’s a little factoid for you, Ms. Carlton: I have hyperthyroidism <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">due to</i> being diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer when I was 17 years old. These are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">two</i> thyroid diseases that you failed to mention and explain in your article. Hm. Fancy that.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It gets so much better (oops, I mean worse):</span></span></div><blockquote><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Hypothyroidism has been recognized since at least the 17th century, yet it's become a disease du jour…"</span></span></blockquote><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excuse me? Okay, Ms. Carlton. Here is another factoid about my thyroid cancer battle for you: In order to receive radioactive iodine treatment (RAI) to treat my thyroid cancer, I was forced into hypothyroidism. When hypothyroid, iodine-suppressed, and then given iodine, the thyroid immediately takes it in and uses it. There is also a low-iodine diet that contributes to the thyroid being so deprived that it will suck up all of the iodine given to it during treatment. Believe me, my dear, being so hypothyroid was not a walk in the park. It is certainly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> a “disease du jour,” as you so flippantly called it. Who says we wanted this for ourselves? Who says I wanted to become so tired and exhausted that I couldn’t even enjoy my summer with my friends and family like I wanted to at 17 years of age? Who says I liked being so cold in the middle of July that I was wearing sweatshirts, sweatpants, gloves, thick socks, and a blanket in 70-degree weather? Who says I enjoyed my weight gain when I was already overweight (and struggling with it) to begin with? Ma’am, you have some serious rethinking to do. None of us asked for this, and none of us want to be a part of this club. When your hypothyroidism starts to affect you more than it has (because it will), I hope you begin to feel the same way.</span></span></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">"'…people have lots of questions.' </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">There's no shortage of answers for them. Hundreds of websites, a virtual cottage industry, profess to educate women about hypothyroidism."</span></span></blockquote><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is certainly one thing to have hundreds of websites dedicated to providing information on hypothyroidism to the public, but how do we know that these websites are giving accurate facts? It is easy to find information, sure, but how are we sure as to which websites are legit and which are a farce? Ms. Carlton does respond to this later in the article, and really gives some valuable website information, but the list definitely does not start and end with the sites that she listed. I also firmly believe that she could have listed websites for the rest of the thyroid diseases and conditions that she did not discuss in the article. (I list my own list to add to hers later.)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Testing Roulette </span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;">– Section 3</span></span></div><blockquote><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"To confirm a hypothyroid diagnosis, many doctors suggest two additional blood tests: one to check the levels of T4 hormones (low levels confirm hypothyroid) and another to check for antithyroid antibodies (to see whether you have Hashimoto's)."</span></span></blockquote><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever happened to T3 hormones? Sure, T3 tests are important for diagnosing hyperthyroidism and Graves’ disease (again, another disease not mentioned in Ms. Carlton’s article), but the T3 triiodothyronine brand medication called Cytomel, can be (and sometimes is) used alongside Synthroid (Levothyroxine) to relieve symptoms of hypothyroidism and speed the buildup of Synthroid in the body. Personal anecdote: While I was undergoing treatment, my endocrinologist (God bless her) prescribed me Cytomel for the first two out of the six weeks I spent in prep time for treatment. During those six weeks, I had to become hypothyroid, and the Cytomel helped relieve my symptoms of hypothyroidism for the first two weeks. If I had not taken that medicine, I would probably have been in an even worse state than I was after the six weeks had passed. Once treatment was completed, I was able to resume my Synthroid, along with two weeks of Cytomel. The Cytomel was a lifesaver for me while I was in college. If that medicine had not been given to me, I would have struggled greatly through my first two semesters of college. I would probably not have passed most of my classes. To learn more about a study that proved T3 triiodothyronine medications to be helpful alongside Levothyroxine, see Mary Shomon’s article <a href="http://thyroid.about.com/cs/t3controversy/a/NEJMT3study.htm">here</a>.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">To Treat or Not to Treat</span></b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> – Section 4</span></span></div><blockquote><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The goal isn't just to ease symptoms — it's also to <i>preempt</i> new ones.”</span></span></blockquote><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think she meant “prevent.” Hey, typos happen.</span></span></div><blockquote><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“A recent Danish analysis of a small group of newly diagnosed hypothyroid patients found little or no change in patients' fat mass after one year of thyroid treatment.”</span></span></blockquote><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where is all of the information for this study? Where can we find it? Dori to the rescue! The brief overview and results of this study is located <a href="http://www.thyroid.org/patients/ct/volume4/issue1/ct_patients_v41_9_10.pdf">here</a>. Does it really take that much effort to keep track of your resources and then cite them?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 3;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Treatment: Old-School Versus New-Age School </b>– Section 5</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Explain, explain, explain. When writing an article that people will read for information, you need to explain as much as you possibly can. The “why’s” will always jump off the page for readers, especially when information that is deemed crucial is stated in one sentence or quote. Here’s why:</span></span></div><blockquote><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"'The goal is to take the lowest dose possible to get the TSH in the 1 to 2 range,' says Daniel Duick, M.D., an endocrinologist in Phoenix and president of the American College of Endocrinology."</span></span></blockquote><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why do we want our TSH in the 1 to 2 range when hypot</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hyroid? I’m sure most if not all of the readers of this article were asking, “Why 1 to 2?” Well, our beloved <a href="http://thyroid.about.com/bio/Mary-Shomon-350.htm">Mary Shomon</a>, About.com Guide for all things Thyroid, explains that in <a href="http://thyroid.about.com/od/hypothyroidismhashimotos/a/tshnormal.htm">this</a> article.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Online...And On Guard – Section 6</span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">While I do believe that she posted some informational websites, I believe that she could have listed so many more, if only she had discussed the several other thyroid diseases that exist. Below are several websites that I adore and want to add to Ms. Carlton’s collection:</span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thyca.org/">http://www.thyca.org/</a></span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.endocrineweb.com/">http://www.endocrineweb.com/</a></span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.stupidcancer.com/">http://www.stupidcancer.com/</a></span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.thyroid.org/">http://www.thyroid.org/</a></span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/thyroid">http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/thyroid</a></span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.medicinenet.com/thyroid_disease/article.htm">http://www.medicinenet.com/thyroid_disease/article.htm</a></span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span> </h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span> <h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This is just too good of a conclusion to skip without commenting: </span></span></h3><div style="margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><blockquote><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"So here it is: Six months later and after a retest, I find my TSH is...exactly the same. Given my family history, my doctor recommends I check again next year. With all I'd learned about hypothyroidism, I had already decided that even if my levels had nudged up a bit, I would opt out of treatment. In the meantime, I'm drinking more java (for energy) and honing my crossword skills (for focus). As for the unwanted pounds, there's a spinning class on Saturday with my name on it."</span></span></blockquote><br />
<div style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I am no expert, I do know that coffee, crossword practice, and [insert workout class title here] will not eradicate symptoms of hypothyroidism, nor will it even lessen them. While hypothyroid, I had so much trouble concentrating on my Sudoku puzzles, even coffee would not suffice. I still would fall asleep! And I sure as hell did not want to work out while feeling so horrible. I sincerely hope and pray that Ms. Carlton’s health does not decline, but unfortunately, there is a very good chance that it will. As Dr. Datis Kharrazian states in Mary Shomon’s <a href="http://thyroid.about.com/b/2011/07/23/good-housekeeping-thyroid-hypothyroidism-hashimoto-susan-carlton-controversy.htm">article</a> in response to this controversy: “The research shows that by ignoring an autoimmune thyroid condition one raises the risk of developing future autoimmune issues. Also, the brain is highly dependent on sufficient thyroid hormones to function normally and she is accelerating her own brain degeneration, memory loss, and autonomic dysfunction by ignoring her declining thyroid health.” If you read her article and have the choice of treatment or ignorance (like Ms. Carlton), I truly hope you will choose wisely.</span></div><div style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">My Final Thoughts</b></span></div><div style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; margin: 0in;"></div><div style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; margin: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Just so that I make myself clear, I am not holding Ms. Carlton solely responsible for this article being available. I do also blame the editors at Good Housekeeping for deeming it appropriate and factual enough to publish. You can view the editor’s response to the thyroid community’s comments, concerns, and rants about the article <a href="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diseases/thyroid-problems-gh-responds?click=main_sr">here</a>. In short, the response to our outrage is stating that we are not careful readers and Good Housekeeping is avoiding taking responsibility for this dangerous article and its contents. I am horrified by this and still am amazed that they are standing by this publishing, and personally am offended by their simple yet bogus reply.</span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Please, my friends, be aware of what is out there, and make sure you are receiving accurate information about your diagnoses, and any other disease out there that you are trying to understand. It is articles like this and people like the editors of Good Housekeeping that/who mislead us and potentially harm our bodies further due to their lack of proper guidance. Know your body and know that you have valuable, reliable resources at your disposal. Use them wisely.</span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Wishing you love, blessings, and most importantly -- good health.</span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dorienne Plait</span></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">5-year Papillary Thyroid Cancer Survivor</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></span></h3></h3></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-33641481748284313152011-04-25T16:53:00.000-04:002011-04-25T16:53:27.797-04:00Like Daughter - 48<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry, it's been pretty stagnant in the Cancer Clan. We're all doing fine for the most part. Mom and Janina are doing well. They both are still on 6-month follow-ups, but their scans showed up normal as did their blood work. Aunt Rea, Aunt Gracie, and Melissa are all well, also. They didn't need any radioactive iodine, so they are on yearly follow-ups. Aunt Gracie is the most recent addition to the Clan, so she's probably having more follow-ups, just to check her scar. I did see her at my cousin's 10th birthday, and, let me tell you, her scar is barely there! It looks wonderful, as does she.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I do want to let you all know that Mom and I will be on The Stupid Cancer Show on Monday, May 2. The 'Stupid Cancer' Show is a radio show hosted by Matthew Zachary, CEO and Founder of the <a href="http://www.stupidcancer.com/">I'm Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation</a>, and Lisa Bernhard, Executive VP and Media Development for the Foundation. The show is entitled, "Parents of Young Patients." I will be on air as the Survivor Spotlight, and Mom will be one of the two guests on the show. It's going to be a wonderful show, so please mark your calendars and tune in! The link is <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stupidcancershow/2011/05/03/parents-of-young-patients">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'll more than likely post again later on in the week. I have more to tell! All good things; I promise. :-)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As always, I wish you all love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-86300003822721705582010-11-16T22:19:00.000-05:002010-11-16T22:19:17.308-05:00Like Daughter - 47<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">We got my Aunt Gracie's results from her thyroid surgery. Turns out she does indeed have papillary thyroid cancer. This makes her our 6th member of the PTC Clan. Fabulous.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Mom texted me with the news while I was at work. Of course, my phone was off, so I didn't get the message. I did, however, get a call from her with the news before I could even check my messages. To be honest, I couldn't help but laugh. Does this make me inhuman? I don't really like how I've been reacting since my aunt and cousin were diagnosed, but to be honest, isn't it just second nature now? It's sad to think that way, since this is one of the worst things to consider an everyday occurrence. At the rate this is going, though, it almost looks like it.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Let's put it in timeline perspective:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Me: June 2006 (outlier)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Mom: December 2009</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Janina: January 2010</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Aunt Rea: February 2010</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Melissa: February 2010</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Aunt Gracie: November 2010</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">This is absurd. Do you not agree? I hate feeling like this is just going to keep happening, but I can't help it. How else am I supposed to think otherwise?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I'm always the optimist in any situation that occurs. I do my best to think about the positives of each situation. The only one I can think of in this one is: No one is dying or is going to die.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Please tell me I'm not abnormal in my thinking.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Many blessings of love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-68158469121839775892010-11-12T23:03:00.000-05:002010-11-12T23:03:02.111-05:00Like Daughter - 46<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I totally should be taking a shower right now, but I realized I haven't blogged in so long, and there's a lot to cover. So, I passed on my shower (for now, relax ;-] ) to update all of you in webland.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Last post, I mentioned that my Aunt Gracie (my mom's youngest sibling) was having biopsies of nodules in her thyroid. Well, those biopsies came back inconclusive, so she went in for surgery to remove her entire thyroid yesterday morning. Her (well, the family's, except me) endocrinologist stated that, considering our family history (which sucks at this rate), she should get her thyroid out. When we were on the phone after her appointment with him pertaining to her results, she said, "Dori, to be honest with you, I'm relieved. I want it out. Just take it. I'm already on Synthroid as it is." I agreed with her. I'm so proud of her attitude. We find out within the week if her thyroid tests positive for papillary thyroid cancer, or another type. That would certainly turn the tables, or at least knock them over.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">On November 2, the whole lot of us (me, Mom, Janina, Aunt Rea, Aunt Gracie, cousin Melissa, cousin Jeanne, and her daughter Adrianna) all participated in a study that Johns Hopkins is conducting to find the genes responsible for thyroid cancer. When the family's endocrinologist told him about us, he was "very amazed" and said that our "case is so interesting." The doctor conducting the study said a lot of things that surprised me, yet made sense. 5% of thyroid cancer is the type that my family has, which is a familial cluster. He also told us (much to my dismay and disapproval) that the prognosis is "worse" for familial papillary thyroid cancer. Woo. One thing that definitely didn't surprise me, but it did reaffirm my suspicions, was that it takes "many years to spread," if there is spread. So, that pretty much means that me and Janina had it for a long time before it was discovered.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Hooray.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">At any rate, they took blood work and information from us, as did the study from Ohio. Hopefully this will help further along the progress. I'd rather have my family get blood tests than ultrasounds every few years. Gross.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I finally have an update for you all! When we were at the study, we happened to be at the office across from my endocrinologist's office. She stopped by to say hi, then came back and told me there was a conflict with my appointment with her in late December (which would already have been about 2.5 months late). She asked if I could get my ultrasound done that morning. Well, duh! So, I got my ultrasound done, and when my endocrinologist came in, she said that they both saw something suspicious right above my second incision (the one along my neck crease in the middle of my neck). She said she wasn't sure if it was scar tissue, but she wants it biopsied and my blood work checked. I got my blood work done that day. My appointment with my surgeon for my <i>very</i> late follow-up (supposed to be in April; oops) is on Monday, and my biopsy is Wednesday. Hopefully my surgeon can give me a little bit more detail on what it is. Who knows.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">At this point, I'm hopeful for the best, but expecting the worst. I can only think about the here and now, and that's the most important thing.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I hope that everything is well with you and yours. Many blessings of love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span></div>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-11065356959908059572010-09-20T23:49:00.000-04:002010-09-20T23:49:10.454-04:00Like Daughter - 45<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Another update on the Cancer Clan. My Aunt Gracie (a non-member) is getting biopsies done of nodules in her thyroid on Monday. From what I recall, she has a goiter, but her endocrinologist (same as my mom, sister, aunt, and cousin) decided she should have biopsies just to check. If any of this information is faulty, I'll change it immediately.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">So, we'll see how that goes. I'll keep you folks posted.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I was looking through my Cancer Timeline, as I call it, recently. Today, I decided to glance through to see if there are any significant dates in September. I stopped around September, and I found this:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">September 19, 2007 -- Thyroglobulin results betray that there may be more cancer.</span></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I feel kind of sad that I didn't see this until today. This post would have been much more effective yesterday, but ah well. At any rate, here are my thoughts about this.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">The back story to this event is that I had my usual scan on September 5 along with bloodwork. My endocrinologist gave me scan results immediately following each time I had one, so I always had instant results. This was after my second round of radioactive iodine (RAI), so I was really hoping and praying that this scan would show up clear. When my endo came out and gave me the thumbs up sign, I cried harder than I ever have. Seth (my then-boyfriend) was with me as were my mother and sister. It was so surreal for me; it seemed like a beautiful dream. I truly didn't want to wake up.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">The next week, I had been talking to my sister as she was taking me to school one day. I said, "This just feels too good to be true." She told me not to jinx it. Well, I think I had, truth be told.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">When I got the call from my endocrinologist stating that my levels were high, I was very confused. I thought that scans were completely accurate. How could I still have cancer? How could the scan betray me? Where was it, then? And why wasn't it showing up on my scan?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">To make a long story short (I'll elaborate later on, when I go through the rest of the story later on in the week), I still had cancer in my body. It wasn't showing up on the nuclear scan because it didn't pick up any RAI. It was what my endocrinologist calls "radio-resistant" thyroid cancer tissues. These don't respond to treatment. The only other real treatment there is is surgery. And, that's what had to happen on November 29, 2007.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">The point I'm trying to make here, ladies and gents, is that thyroid cancer is a bit more difficult than we all may think. Sure, it's a better one to have than breast cancer or lung cancer, but it's still a pain in the butt cancer. Every cancer is, to be honest.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I learned a valuable lesson when this scan came through. I learned that you cannot rely on just one source of information. Folks, get ultrasounds. Get bloodwork. Get scans. Do everything it takes to get accurate results. Get multiple opinions if you feel you must. Honestly, it makes a world of difference.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I know so many cancer patients who were misdiagnosed or mistreated because they were not given the right diagnosis or given the proper treatment they needed in order to combat their disease. By the time their cancer was found and treated, they were in Stages III or IV. Don't let yourself get that far. Check your body. Know what feels right and what doesn't.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">As always, I wish you all love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span></div>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-67809110421477300102010-09-18T21:00:00.000-04:002010-09-18T21:00:15.303-04:00Like Daughter - 44<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>JANINA'S SCAN CAME BACK CLEAR!!!!</b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Sorry, I just had to blurt that out. Totally couldn't control it. I mean, can you people blame me? :-)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Mom is up next. Truthfully, I'm pretty worried about her scan. We were told she had no spread during her surgery, but then the scan following her treatment showed some uptake (RAI cling-age) in the right side of her neck. So, I really don't know what this scan will say. Let's just hope this treatment does the trick. Unfortunately, she does have to go through the low-iodine diet in order to prep for the scan. Oh, yay. Looks like I'll be doing some baking/cooking for her when that time comes around. I know by experience that stuff sucks.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">To top off this fun entry, I have my 6 month follow up with my endocrinologist mid-October. Woohoo. While I do love seeing my endo, I don't really like having the waiting game. All she does is ultrasound me (while making comments and pointing at things, all of which I despise), feel up my neck, and bloodwork me. So, yeah. It's just one of those times I dread. Who knows what all of those tests will say?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I've got a small get together to go to tonight, so I'll save my big long heartfelt sentimental post for tomorrow. Until then, my darlings!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">As always, I wish you all love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-74342608923125995012010-09-15T23:39:00.000-04:002010-09-15T23:39:57.625-04:00Like Daughter - 43<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">It has been forever, loves, but there is </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">finally</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> an update on the Cancer Clan. Janina has bravely endured 3 weeks on her </span></span><a href="http://www.thyca.org/rai.htm#diet"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">low-iodine diet</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">, and has her nuclear scan tomorrow. This scan will determine one of three things: 1) if she is clear of thyroid cancer, 2) if not, she undergoes more radioactive iodine, or 3) she undergoes another surgery. Of course, we'd all prefer #1, but if that isn't the case, then I'd much rather her go through #2 than #3. I don't think I could handle seeing her go through a second surge</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">ry. She would take it well, though, knowing her. She's braver than any woman I know. But, let's not dwell on all that, shall we?</span></span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Mom is due for her scan soon. She's going to have it on a day she's off work, so I can go with her. She told me the other day that she has to brace herself for a nap. "It's too long of a scan," she said. The scan is an hour long, and it hovers about an inch away from your face/body, and it sloooowly moves down and up your entire body.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I've had about four of those scans. They all took place in the first, oh, year and a half of my treatment, so I was pretty used to them. If I had one now I'd probably just shrug and say, "OK!" By the time my last treatment came up, I knew everyone in the nuclear medicine facility by name. They were fantastic people, minus the woman who did the faulty Geiger test on me in my </span><a href="http://toomuchonourplait.blogspot.com/2010/09/like-daughter-42.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">previous post</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">. And, no, I'll never forgive her for that. ;-)</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Anyway, during these scans, I would be nervous, of course. They pretty much determined what my next six months, or year, would consist of. To help this nauseousness subside, I would sing soundtracks/CDs in my head. For example, during one of my scans, I went through the entire Rent soundtrack/Rent movie in my head. By the end of the scan, I had pretty much gone through the whole film. During another scan, I "listened" to the whole Wicked soundtrack. It took all I could not to smile during the scan, and it comforted me.</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">These kinds of things kept me going during my entire journey. Sure, I had my family, friends, and then-boyfriend, but when they couldn't be by my side during the scans and treatments and surgeries, I had my memories, my songs, my slideshows. I thought of anything and everything about these people in my life and the other things that made me happy. I would instantly come alive at the thought of any of these things, and it reminded me that, no matter what, this too would pass.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">As always, sweeties, I wish you all love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span></span></div>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-25907894124146928392010-09-14T23:05:00.012-04:002010-09-14T23:34:34.933-04:00Like Mother 39<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;">"Bringing Sexy Out of the Thyloset"</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For My Friends at, and the Fans of "<em>Dear Thyroid</em>"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>What kind of thyroid cancer were you diagnosed with?</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In December of 2009, I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not even a year has passed since my diagnosis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What does Thyroid Cancer Awareness mean to me in terms of importance, and spreading awareness?</span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As for all cancers, <strong><em>Be Aware</em></strong> and <strong><em>Beware</em></strong>…it could be you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thyroid cancer, in particular, can lurk in one’s body rather silently for many years, yet as Dori’s endocrinologist once remarked “You <em><strong>can</strong></em> die from it”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s the harsh truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spread awareness by being open and forthcoming about my cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I love the way people subtly touch their necks, silently examining themselves for lumps, when I tell my story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Be honest…Are you feeling your neck right now?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be difficult for a layperson to detect thyroid enlargement much less feel a nodule. It should be checked during a regular physical examination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A very simple thing for your doctor to do…and if he forgets, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">please</i></b> request it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>How do I feel when people say "If you have to get cancer, thyroid cancer is the one to get"?</em> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well okay, if you say so—perhaps it is in some respects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Of course that depends on the type of thyroid cancer you are diagnosed with. I am grateful for the fact that I have the most curable of the thyroid cancers. </span>I am grateful for the fact I haven’t lost a breast, or a kidney, nor do I have a disfiguring scar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just a few-inch incision in my neck, and voila, thyroid is gone and hardly missed, and hormone replacement is started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I am also thankful that in exchange for chemotherapy, I had to undergo radioactive iodine treatment. On the other hand, cancer is cancer. There are no guarantees. I will still need to be monitored and recurrence, surgery, and further treatment is always a possibility. How's that for a <em>good</em> cancer?</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>What other myth would I like to dispel regarding thyroid cancer?</em> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is an easy one for me. When Dori was diagnosed four years ago, we were told how rare thyroid cancer is, not just because Dori was only 17, but rare in general. Then, just three short years later, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer after which my oldest daughter Janina was diagnosed, after which my sister was diagnosed, after which my niece was diagnosed. It was difficult to believe that thyroid cancer was so <em>rare </em>after all. Scientists believe that there is a genetic link with regard to papillary thyroid carcinoma. Our family is currently participating in a study along with 100 other families (all with multiple family members having thyroid cancer) with the hope that this gene will be found. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>What one thing would I tell the world about thyroid cancer?</em> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's easy to diagnose. It's easy to treat. With regard to your health in general, be diligent about getting regular checkups and screenings. That's your best defense. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What advice would I give to a newly diagnosed thyroid cancer patient?</span></em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At the end of the day, it's not so bad. No one could have been more terrified than I was, of all of it...the biopsies, surgery, treatment, scans -- ALL of it! For me to say it's not that bad is a huge deal. Really, it's not so bad. Surround yourself with the things and the people that you love. Find humor in whatever you can. Laugh out loud and be silly (loved ones are never more forgiving as when you have cancer). Know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE, even when it feels that way sometimes...or a lot of the time. So many people are rooting for you, many of whom you have never even met. Reach out to others and give them the pleasure of knowing that they've helped you. Stay busy living; and instead of dreading the day of surgery, treatment, whatever, look forward to it, because the sooner it happens, the sooner it's over. Before you know it, it <em><strong>will</strong></em> be behind you...and you will see that it's not so bad. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Funny Story Time...</span></em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">I always tell my grandson, Marrin, that I have been with him since the day he was born. Since my daughter lived across the street from me, I saw Marrin every day. Always together, he's my buddy and the joy of my life. He accidentally calls me Mom sometimes, and it makes my heart smile. Marrin was 6 years old when I had my surgery. Just one month later, Janina (my daughter and Marrin's mother) had her thyroid surgery. When Janina removed her bandages, I stood next to her in the mirror to compare scars. Marrin ran to the sofa, buried his head, stomped his feet, and started to cry. Janina rushed to console him, assuming that he was upset because he felt sorry for us, thinking that our scars hurt. Through his tears he said in a rather demanding and pouting way, "But I want the same mark on my neck that you and Grammy have". </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Oh, to be loved that much.</span> </span></div></div>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-6211582794229974882010-09-13T13:05:00.000-04:002010-09-13T13:05:41.064-04:00Like Daughter - 42<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">My fabulous thysisters over at </span></span><a href="http://www.dearthyroid.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Dear Thyroid</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> have put together a Blog Tour entitled, </span></span><a href="http://dearthyroid.org/category/bringing-sexy-out-of-the-thyloset/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">"Bringing Sexy Out of The Thyloset,"</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> and my mother and I immediately signed up. Today is my turn, and tomorrow my mother will post hers!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Below are the questions presented to and my responses. I'm so excited to be doing this for these wonderful ladies. I love them all. Please go check out their website. It's thylicious, thylightful, and thylovely!</span></span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">What kind of thyroid cancer were you diagnosed with? How many years have you been a survivor?</span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I was diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer (PTC) in 2006. I've been a survivor for over four years. Woo!</span></span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">September is thyroid cancer awareness month. What does that mean to you? Why do you think awareness is important? How do you spread awareness?</span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Wow. Loaded question. September being Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month means that I have an excuse to spam the world. It means I have the ability to say, "HEY, Listen up, people! This month is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, so you better keep in mind what I have to say!" As I've stated before, thyroid cancer is no joke, and it doesn't discriminate. It means that us TC survivors can finally have our voices heard, since the month is completely dedicated to our cancer. Sure, we may not be at the level of "awareness" that breast cancer has gotten to, but we sure as heck can raise enough voices to get there, as long as we all stick together.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Awareness is extremely important. Since I've answered a similar question like this before in my </span></span><a href="http://toomuchonourplait.blogspot.com/2010/09/like-daughter-37.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">PFAM</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> post, I'll make this more brief. Awareness makes all the difference. I used this example in my previous post, but it still has the same effect. I was diagnosed first with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. To be honest, I still stumble over the words, and I never even understood what in the blazes they were! I had no idea what the thyroid was, let alone what its -itis meant, and who in the world is Hashimoto? Is that a town? I mean, to be completely frank, I never had an anatomy class besides, well, sex education in like 5th, 6th, and 11th grade. I mean, really. People need to be much more aware of what goes on inside their bodies! Half of the people in the world don't know about these organs, especially the thyroid. That's where this awareness comes in. If we don't know about an organ, then how in the world will we be able to tell if something's wrong with it?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I spread awareness simply by being a Nagging Nelly. I pester my friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, etc. I post information on Facebook and Twitter. I </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">talk</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> about my story so much my head starts to hurt. I can spew it out probably in less than one minute, since I'm so practiced. I talk about my family. I make sure people know what is happening, and I put my business out there so people can see that </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">this is REAL</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">. I never thought, beyond my wildest dreams, that any of this would </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">ever</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> happen to us. And, it has. So I'm going to do everything I can to stop it from happening to another family. The question is, will you help me?</span></span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Many thyroid cancer patients have been told, “If you have to get cancer, thyroid cancer is the one to get.” What do you think of that statement? When you’re told this, how do you respond? </span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Oh, how I despise this comment. I've been told that goodness knows how many times in the last four years. Sure, thyroid cancer has a high 5-year survival rate, depending on the cancer, but honestly, if it isn't 100%, then why is it "the one to get?" PTC has a 93% 10-year survival rate, FTC (follicular thyroid cancer) has an 85% 10-year survival rate, MTC (medullary thyroid cancer) has 75% 10-year survival rate, and Anaplastic/variant TCs have a 14% 10-year survival rate. Do you want this cancer now? I think not. PTC has a good 10-year survival rate, but would you want to wonder if you'll end up being the 93% that survive ten years, or the 7% that don't? Go tell that to your doctors.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">When I was told that before, I accepted it, and it comforted me. But then again, I was young and vulnerable, and would take any good news I could find. I scraped at the bit for any sign of something positive, because I felt anything but.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Now that I've lived through this and reflected back on it, I loathe that statement. It's a fallacy! Cancer is cancer, no matter which way you roll the dice. The option I would have picked, if I had the choice, would have been, "None of the above."</span></span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Dear Thyroid is constantly working to dispel the myth that thyroid cancer is the good cancer or the easy cancer. What other myth would you like to dispel regarding thyroid cancer?</span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">The big myth I keep encountering is that it's easy to treat. Yeeeah, OK. After two extensive surgeries and two big treatments of radioactive iodine (RAI), my cancer is </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">still not gone</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">. It's dormant. It's biding its time. Who knows what it'll do. But, it's </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">still there</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">. Try telling me it's good and easy when I'm still battling it every day of my life. I've never been on a yearly basis with my doctors (which means I'm pretty much in pristine condition). I'm still on a six-month track, which means I'm still under the ever-watchful eye of my lovely and fabulous doctors. They know something's there, it's just a matter of annihilating it. Four years later, and I'm still dealing with this on a regular basis. Put that in your "good cancer" book.</span></span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">What one thing would you tell the world about thyroid cancer?</span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I say this as often as I breathe: </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Thyroid Cancer is no joke.</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">There's nothing good or easy about it. "You have cancer" still makes you want to pinch yourself, make sure it's not a nightmare. Thyroid cancer is just like any other cancer in the sense that it attacks the body, alters the mind and completely changes the way a person feels and acts in their everyday life. I don't know who I'd be if I didn't have thyroid cancer, but I sure as Dickens know I wouldn't be this Dori. I do not, however, regret who I am today. I embrace who I am now, and I use thyroid cancer as a tool to keep myself grounded, focused, determined, and just plain stubborn.</span></span></span></b><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">What advice would you give to a newly diagnosed thyroid cancer patient?</span></span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Talk about it. Give yourself the opportunities to share your story. It's not a blessing, but it isn't a curse either. Let others in. Let them help you through it. You can't go through it alone. You need at least one other person to help you. Find someone you trust and make sure they are ready to take this on with you.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Smile. Every day. Laugh and joke with others. Let yourself be happy. It's OK to be upset, but it isn't OK to keep sulking and moping. Go out with family and friends, go wild if you want to! Don't ever lose those qualities and memories pre-cancer that made you happy. Hold onto them.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Find a community like </span></span><a href="http://www.dearthyroid.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Dear Thyroid</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> or </span></span><a href="http://www.i2y.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I'm Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">. Find others just like you to help you, give you tips, and direct you to resources that can make your journey a lot less hectic. Make sure you know that </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">you are NOT alone.</span></span></b><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Do you have a funny thyroid cancer-related story you are willing to share?</span></span></i><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Wow, what a turn of events, here! Well, I actually do have something very funny that I still kind of get a little misty-eyed over. It isn't a sad story, but it's funny and still makes me feel so loved. It also, however, makes me realize just how strange my father is.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">When I was going through my first radioactive iodine treatment, I had no idea what I was in for. We got to the hospital, and I had my change of junk clothes, book, SuDoku book, and DVDs if I felt like watching anything. All of this had to be thrown out after treatment, of course, so I was hardly attached to any of it. The first night was hard, because I barely had any human contact except for the nurse who would come in to bring me meals, ask me how I was doing, then check her exposure levels before exiting the room. I felt like an alien, and more alone than I had ever felt in my life. Everything was wrapped in saran wrap, and the handles to the shower, toilet, sink, and bathroom door had gloves on them. I had to flush the toilet three times, and pour some anti-radiation liquid into the bowl so that it would flush out the radioactivity.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">The next day, the lady from nuclear medicine came with her big Geiger meter to measure my radioactivity levels. She said that if I measured at 5 millicuries or less, I could go home. The first time she measured me, she measured me at 5, or a little below. I was elated; I didn't have to stay in the hospital for another night! It made me so happy. I was so thrilled, that I immediately got on the phone with my mom and told her the news. As I'm talking, the lady says she wants to measure me again, just to be sure. So, when she measures me, she said, "Oh, oops, I'm sorry. You can't go home today. Your levels aren't as low as I thought." I will tell you right now, people, I never wanted to injure someone as much as I wanted to injure this lady. I cried into the phone, telling Mom that I couldn't come home, and I just had the biggest meltdown of my life. Mom said, "We're coming down there.Calm down, sweetie, it'll be fine. I love you." I was still crying when my parents came over. They waved to me from the street below my window. I waved back, still a complete mess. They came upstairs and brought me some digusting orange icy thing from the cafeteria. They talked to me for a few moments, but as they're about to leave, my dad turns back to my mom and says, "Hang on, Neen." He gives me this piercing stare, with this absolutely serious look on his face, and turns the light off. He stares at me for a good few seconds, then turns them back on. With this faux-outrageous look, he turns to my mother and says, "Damn it, Neen, she doesn't glow!"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I never laughed, nor cried, so hard in my entire life.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">As always, my sweeties, I wish you all love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span></div>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-23948966848231067842010-09-09T23:56:00.000-04:002010-09-09T23:56:57.416-04:00Like Daughter - 41<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">In keeping up with the more ancient memories and early memories of my thyroid cancer journey, I do want to address one thing that people tend to ask me when I initially tell people about my diagnosis: </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">How did you deal with it? You're just...so young!</span></span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Well, yes, I am young. I was young at diagnosis. 17 isn't exactly an old age to get cancer. In fact, in my mind, I was probably younger than 17. I did, however, have to grow up pretty quickly, so it was a little stressful in that respect.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">How I dealt with it was another story. When I received the news, I did cry. A lot. I cried quite a bit after the fact, when I was alone in my room. I was petrified of everything that was awaiting me, whatever that could have been. When I left the doctor's office, though, I had stopped crying and made all the phone calls I needed/wanted to make. I called my then-boyfriend, family, friends, church, etc. Everyone I trusted. I didn't, however, contact many people from school. I maybe told my closest friends, which consisted of maybe three or four people. My diagnosis was three days before graduation, so I kept it quiet. I didn't Facebook it until later on in the year, and even then, people were commenting saying, </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">U HAVE CANCER?! OMG DORI R U OK!?</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> Yeah. So, I didn't really spread it to the world until later.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">If you're asking why, well, I'll tell you. Graduation was a big day, not just for me, but for everyone else in my class. I didn't want to ruin the day, nor did I want any pity hugs and false smiles. I just wanted to feel normal for a day without any drama. I didn't really even talk much about it at my graduation party. I only discussed it with people who asked me questions. These were big days for me, and I didn't want to feel like some alien, which is exactly what I felt like. Being with my friends and family and celebrating my success was normal to me, and I wanted as much normal as I could get until my surgery.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">A lot of people were shocked I didn't tell them, like friends and acquaintances. But, really, understand this: cancer patients may not really want their business out there right away. It may take some time for them to grasp it and accept it. Sometimes people never do. Even now, I sometimes wonder if it really did happen to me, if I really did go through all of this. It's a lot to take in, and it changes your life forever. If I didn't get cancer, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be the person I am today. I don't really even want to think of who I would be; it's not worth it. I wouldn't have been me, and that's what matters.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Telling the people I told right away helped me accept it a lot quicker. It gave me more of a reality check, and it kept me grounded. I wasn't in the clouds, thinking and wishing I was somewhere else or someone else. I kept myself in check, and told myself everything would be fine, even though it was so difficult to even think that at the time. "Fine" was simply my way of evading any "How are yous" and "How is everything goings." Each day, I just did my best to go about life as normal, and kept myself very busy. As things started happening, I just kept going. Sulking and sobbing was never an option for me; I never let it become one. Why bother? It does no good.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">When I was student teaching my 6th graders, I came across a part in the novel </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Hatchet</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> that really struck me. Brian (the main character), is crying "self-pity tears, wasted tears." What is the point in feeling sorry for myself when it would have done nothing for me?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">As always, I wish you all love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-45071114508770363452010-09-07T00:07:00.001-04:002010-09-12T03:02:14.702-04:00Like Daughter - 40<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Woohoo, entry #40! :-) It'll be a real feat when I hit #50! I'll hardcore celebrate then. Which should (hopefully) be in about 10 days.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I apologize for not blogging as often as I promised. I spent the weekend helping one of my cousins and her family pack and get ready to move. This is my cousin that came out clear of thyroid cancer. She had three nodules, but all of them were very small and the doctor was not concerned. So, she is being followed on a yearly basis.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Now, onto the fun stuff.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stupidcancershow"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">The 'Stupid Cancer' Show</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">, an online radio show hosted by the </span></span><a href="http://www.i2y.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">'I'm Too Young For This!' Cancer Foundation</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">, came back on the air tonight after their month hiatus/vacation. The show's theme tonight was </span></span><a href="https://www.standup2cancer.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">StandUp2Cancer</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">, in celebration of their second annual TV concert broadcast this Friday, September 10th at 8pm EST/7pm CT on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX (You should check your local listings and watch it). Laura Ziskin, Co-Founder of SU2C, was on the show tonight, along with Ethan Zohn, Survivor: Africa winner, and Leonard Sender, M.D., Clinical Professor of Medicine and Director of Clinical Oncology Services. Several topics were discussed, but one thing that hit me in particular was something Laura said. Below is her quote:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">"My daughter is 27...we were actually having a conversation with one of her friends, a young man, who said, 'I'm so blown away by the statistics...I have a brother, and I think one of us is going to get cancer, statistically, and I'm just so blown away by that...'"</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Right when that was spoken, shivers went through my spine. Watch the SU2C PSA located </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwC87ZKF1dQ"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">, and you'll see why. It's frightening, really. 1 in 2 men? 1 in 3 women? Oy, vey! But, if you look at those odds, and you look at my family, well...we don't exactly follow the rules, do we? If you look at my direct line, it's my mother, my sister, and me. All three of us have had cancer. My sister, however, has had three different cancers. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Three.</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> If you look at my aunt's line, it's my aunt Rea, then her daughters Diana, Jeanne, and Melissa. Melissa was the 1 in 3. But, who knows what could happen. Since it runs in our family, our odds spike.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">That really leaves that statistic out in the dust. The odds for our loved ones in my family are 50%. It frightens me beyond comprehension that in my younger cousins' lifetimes, they could all get this disease. Our doctors have recommended them all to be given ultrasounds regularly as soon as they hit puberty. Evan and Adrianna, the oldest of the cousins after me and my brother, have hit puberty. Soon enough, they will be getting their ultrasounds. And, then and only then, will time begin to tell.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">This is why I do this. This is what I think about every single day of my life. Cancer has changed me, changed my entire outlook on my life and every other life directly affected by my own. Sure, this isn't my fault, but I did begin this cycle, and I want it to stop. I don't post because I want to spread my feelings and make people feel sorry for me and my family. I post because I want </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">you</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> (yes, you, dear) to be aware of your body and aware of what's around you. Cancer is no joke, and it certainly does not discriminate.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">As always, I wish you love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-35296993735282271112010-09-04T10:00:00.002-04:002010-09-04T10:01:23.715-04:00Like Daughter - 39<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">During this month, every so often, I'll blog about some unforgettable days during my thyroid cancer journey. Today's blog will be one of them. Since I was so busy yesterday, I'll blog again tonight.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I don't think I ever blogged about how I was diagnosed. Not a lot of people know the entire story, so I'll attempt to make this brief yet detailed.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">May 2006. I'm finishing my finals and about to leave high school forever. While taking my AP Psychology final, I felt pain and swelling at the base of my neck. It was so uncomfortable taking the test. The odd thing was, I felt fine otherwise. I talked to my mom that night, and she thought it was just a swollen lymph node or something. She didn't seem concerned, so I felt okay about it. My sister took me to my pediatrician, and he knew what the problem was right away. "Oh, she has Hashimoto's Thyroiditis." I said, "I have </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">what</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">?" I was so confused; I didn't even know what that meant, let alone how to spell either word. He explained what it was to me, and reassured me that all I would need was antibiotics to help the swelling and the pain. As he was writing the prescription, my sister suddenly asked him if he would write a script for me to get a neck ultrasound, just to check my thyroid out. He nodded and wrote the script for us.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Skip to that weekend. I had the ultrasound done, and the technician was a sweet woman. She reassured me that everything would be fine, and I really wasn't worried. So, I laid down and she began the ultrasound. When she stopped at the left side of my neck, I didn't think much of it. However, when she talked to my family and told us she found something, I was a little nervous, but really didn't know what it could possibly be.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">The following week, I was taken to a surgeon at a local hospital. He told me that he would do a fine needle biopsy on the singular nodule in my thyroid. He really was a nice man; he reassured me that it was probably nothing, and not to worry. He only needed to do one biopsy, thank goodness. The next step was the fun part: waiting.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">That week felt so long yet so short all at the same time. It was excruciating. The day of my result was the absolute worst. My sister took me to work with her to help take my mind off of it. She gave me work to do and just kept me busy. At one point she and I had a small talk about it as the clock crept closer to my appointment. She said, "Dori, whatever the results are, we will deal with them. Everything will turn out fine. Don't worry." To be honest, it was really hard to listen to her with my stomach doing all sorts of flips and flops. I really didn't know what was in store for me, good results or not.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Truthfully, I don't remember the drive back home, but I am pretty sure Janina and I were just having some small talk and now and then we would discuss how I was feeling and all that jazz. When we were in the elevator, Janina asked me, "Do you want to know the three signs that tell you a doctor has bad news?" I shrugged and said, "Sure." She told me that the doctor would a) avoid looking you in the eye, b) have a solemn look on his face, and c) the first word out of his mouth will be, "Well..." I shrugged and said, "OK," and wished to God that he wouldn't do any of those things.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">I sat with my mom, dad, sister, brother, and nephews in the waiting room. I was so relieved that my two nephews and brother couldn't come in; I didn't want them to see me when I got the news. We piled into the patient room and I just kept busying myself with my SuDoku book, as usual. I used it as a crutch and as a shield the entire day. Weakness was an emotion I did not openly reveal.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">My heart skipped five beats when a knock sounded at the door. The doctor walked in, spotted me, and immediately looked away from me at every other person in the room. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Strike one.</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> I then noticed that he had no lines on his face; it just looked so solemn and serious. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">Strike two.</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;"> Tears started to trickle down my cheeks as my dad, jokingly, said, "So, what's the word, Doc?" He looked at my dad with a small smile and said, "Well..." Right then, I lost it. I looked down at my SuDoku book, and just let the tears fall.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">As always, my friends, I wish you all love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-85484824322913118752010-09-02T23:47:00.000-04:002010-09-02T23:47:17.086-04:00Like Daughter - 38<div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">To follow the theme I started, I posted a statistic on Facebook that I happened to find as I was doing my research this morning:</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><br />
</i></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><i><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month Fact #2.1: From 2003-2007, approximately <u>1.8%</u> of thyroid cancer patients were diagnosed </span></span><u><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">under the age of 20</span></span></u></i><i><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">. Wow. Go ahead and ask me: <b>How does it feel to be part of that 1.8%?</b></span></span></i></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">Shocked? Me, too. And, to top it off, I'm definitely part of that 1.8%, considering I was diagnosed in 2006. I was astounded when I found this statistic. I had never really seen a percentage or number that ever told me exactly how uncommon if not rare it is to find thyroid cancer under 20 years of age.</span></span></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">Here's something that may surprise you. As I was contemplating that 1.8%, I couldn't help but wonder: Who out of the other 98.2% </span></span><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">were <i>not</i> diagnosed under the age of 20 when they could have been? And, if they could have been diagnosed before 20, <i>why</i> weren't they?</span></span></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">If you really break down the events leading up to my diagnosis, I technically would not have been part of that 1.8%. I had been diagnosed with <a href="http://www.medicinenet.com/hashimotos_thyroiditis/article.htm">Hashimoto's Thyroiditis</a> when I started getting some swelling and pain at the base of my neck. My sister was the one to ask my pediatrician for a neck ultrasound, just so see how my thyroid looks. Turns out, there was a nodule there that looked suspicious, since it was a singular nodule and it measured over 1cm. It was biopsied that week, and one week later, on June 1, 2006...well, you know.</span></span></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text">The point I'm trying to make here, ladies and gents, is that we all need to be aware of our bodies and know what to look for. We need to know our family history -- as far back as it goes -- because there could be some problems we never knew about. A prime example is my family. But, if you're veteran TMOOP readers, you know that story, too.</span></span></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="profile_status"><span id="status_text"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As always, I wish you all love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span></span></span></div>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-5484987362086478192010-09-01T10:16:00.002-04:002010-09-01T10:16:44.065-04:00Like Daughter - 37<div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>HAPPY THYROID CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!</b></span></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For the entire month, I will be blogging every day. I may go through my entire journey up to now, but I may also jumble it up a bit. You never know what I'll do next. :-)</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Why am I doing this? Well, I want to keep this blog going, and I also really want to bring my story out a lot more. I haven't had much of a chance to do that here in this blog, since it was mainly about my journey with my mother and the rest of the sexy thyroid cancer clan. But, I also want to keep raising awareness, and I plan to do that with the blog this month, along with Facebook and Twitter posts. So, without further ado, here's my first post:<br />
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</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In case our readers did not know, I am a big part of a community called <a href="http://www.dearthyroid.org/">Dear Thyroid</a>, a place of rants, raves, and refuge for men and women of all ages with thyroid disease and/or thyroid cancer. Anyone with a pain-in-the-neck thyroid (haha) can write a letter to their thyroid and say anything they need to say to the gland that keeps on flunking. Guest writers also appear on the site, such as doctors and nutritionists. It is a fabulous place for information as well as connecting and communicating.<br />
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</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.dearthyroid.org/">Dear Thyroid</a> is hosting the next edition of <a href="http://patientsforamoment.blogspot.com/">Patients For A Moment</a>, which is a blog carnival written by and for patients. As stated on its website, the goal of <a href="http://patientsforamoment.blogspot.com/">PFAM</a> is to "build connections within the community of people who blog about illness, disease, and disability. This includes doctors, nurses, caregivers, even policy wonks – but especially patients." If you are a thyroid cancer/thyroid disease blogger and want to participate in the blog carnival for <a href="http://patientsforamoment.blogspot.com/">PFAM</a>, please click <a href="http://dearthyroid.org/patients-for-a-moment-blog-carnival/">here</a> to participate through <a href="http://www.dearthyroid.org/">Dear Thyroid</a>.<br />
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</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The theme for this month is about awareness. What a perfect day to do this! Here are the questions that were posed: <i>How has your disease changed your view of awareness? Do you feel that raising awareness is important? Do you feel the need to educate others about your disease? If so, how do you go about it?</i></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I love these questions.<i> </i>Let us tackle them two at a time, since one and two go hand in hand, as do three and four. </div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>How has your disease changed your view of awareness? </i><i>Do you feel that raising awareness is important?</i></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Awareness can be awesome or be ridiculous depending on the methods. For example,<i> </i>breast cancer awareness is all over the place. While it's awesome that breast cancer is well-known and "pink" is everywhere, the ridiculous part is that it's everywhere. Companies know that they will make money off of the Pink campaign, so they make sure they put the "Pink" label or they make the color pink so that people will want to buy it and donate a <i>portion</i> toward Susan G. Komen. While I love how successful Susan G. Komen is and how aware the world is today of breast cancer and the dangers it holds, I despise how downplayed most cancers are. When I first heard the word "thyroid," I didn't even know how to <i>spell</i> it, let alone what it was. I hardly knew about my body, except for the usual girl stuff that we're supposed to know just before we hit puberty. Sad, really. From what I remember in my life, I have had three classes that deal with the body, two of which were about human development and STDs, and one was about how the body disintegrates into nothing after dying (Forensics). Learning about the different parts of the body and their functions are optional courses in high school, and usually those courses are only taken in college if you are planning on working in the medical field. To be honest, that's why I was hardly educated about my thyroid. If I hadn't been so uncomfortable and in so much pain, I would not have even gone to the doctor about it. I would have thought I was getting some kind of sore throat and been done with it. I had no idea it would turn out to be <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hashimotos-disease/DS00567">Hashimoto's</a>, and then I would receive an ultrasound that would then show a nodule and then, bada bing! Cancer. And, to top it all off, my sister was the one who suggested the ultrasound, not my pediatrician. So, hm, what does that say about awareness? I honestly believe that, as soon as someone notices symptoms, or knows about a history of a disease of sorts, then that person should be checked as soon as they are capable. "It can wait" does not cut it with cancer, or any other type of disease. If my family had known about our apparent history of thyroid cancer, then they would have had me checked as soon as I hit puberty. And, lo and behold, they would have found my cancer a lot sooner, and I would not have had to go through all that I did in the first 2 years (I'll elaborate on that in future posts). My family had to learn about our thyroid cancer history the hard way. And I really do not want that for future generations and for other families out there who possibly have thyroid problems and do not even know it. It's a dangerous game to play, and we need to always be a step ahead of our opponent. If not, we lose. I do believe awareness is not just important, it's crucial. Not just awareness, but knowledge. Being aware and being knowledgeable are two different things. Simply knowing a disease exists is a whole different level than actually knowing the facts about said disease.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Do you feel the need to educate others about your disease? If so, how do you go about it?</i></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Heck, yes, I do! Who else is going to do it? If everyone left it up to everyone else, nothing would be accomplished. I feel as though it's my duty, since I'm one of the poster women for PTC (papillary thyroid cancer).<i> </i>I also have no trouble speaking my mind (have you<i> </i>noticed?), so it's quite easy for me to say, "HEY! PAY ATTENTION!"</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But, in all seriousness, I do feel as if it's my responsibility to spread the word about thyroid disease and thyroid cancer. Why not tell people, especially when they can use that knowledge to potentially save themselves, their family, and their friends? Even strangers deserve to know. Why would I have begun a blog with my mother to talk about every experience we have during our journeys with thyroid cancer? Why would I join organizations that spread awareness and information about cancer, thyroid disease, etc. if I wasn't going to use them to help others? I know people I don't know are reading this, and I know they are gaining knowledge that may not be useful now, but it may serve them in the future (God forbid). Now, maybe it never will become useful, which is wonderful. But, at the same time, why risk it?</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now, onto the next question. How do I go about it? Well, I have this blog, for example. I wrote everything that was bothering me while watching my mother, sister, aunt, and cousin go through their surgeries and treatments, and while waiting for the results of every single family member's ultrasound. It was a terrible experience, one that definitely makes the top ten worst events in my life. It's more than likely in my top three. It isn't enough that we have <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/">Mayo Clinic</a> and <a href="http://www.webmd.com/">WebMD</a>; those websites are full of information, but not real stories. There isn't anything real aside from straight up facts. Blogs like this one bring anecdotes and real circumstances to the table. Combined with facts and information, people have something to relate to, and something with which to prepare themselves. Sure, everyone wants accurate facts to rely on when it comes to the "What do I expect?" question, but at the end of the day, I want to know what else lies behind the disease. There are so many things that could happen that we don't know about. Our doctors may tell us that something won't happen, for example, hair loss from hypothyroidism. It's an uncommon symptom, according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothyroidism">Wikipedia</a>. However, just because it is uncommon does not mean it could not happen to a person. In any case, I would find real stories from real patients who have gone through the same diagnosis and struggle, and see what they have to say. That's why my mother and I keep this blog. A familial thyroid cancer cluster is uncommon. But can it happen? Well, we're certainly living proof.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I post all over Facebook and Twitter. Whenever I come across something I feel is big news or full of information that people should read, I post it. I don't care much about if I spam everyone, but if only <i>one </i>person benefits from my constant splatter of information all over their Home pages on Facebook, then I have succeeded in doing my job. Every single person I have met in my life, from my diagnosis date up until now, knows I had thyroid cancer. They know my story, and some if not all of the details. If they want to know more, they ask. And, what's awesome is, they usually do. I don't care if they know my story word-for-word, or if they remember a ton of the details. The point is, they will remember if someone else mentions thyroid cancer or having it at a young age. They'll say, "Whoa, my friend Dori has thyroid cancer...She was 17 when she found out." <i>That </i>is what I want. I want my story spread, because I want people to know that this is <i>real</i>. It happens to young adults. We all know about it happening to young children and older generations, but not to people between the ages of 15 and 40. No matter who I tell, I always get a shocked look or a blank one, usually out of surprise. "But you're so young..." Yep, I've gotten that, too. That proves to me that I need to keep talking. And I'll never stop. </div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And, as always, my dears, I wish you all love, happiness, and -- most importantly -- good health.</span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-13071155330249725792010-06-17T03:13:00.001-04:002010-06-17T03:14:25.263-04:00Like Daughter - 36<div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Wonderful news, friends! My mother saw her endocrinologist on Monday, and the suspicious lymph nodes and nodules that he noticed were shrinking! The radioactive iodine (RAI) has been working! Fortunately, RAI can work for 6 months up to a year; my mother had her treatment in February. So, cheer on, folks! This is great news! Now we just have to get my sister squared away... That will be another time, though. Unsure when her appointment is. Think I should ask her? ;-)</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Something I forgot to mention in my last update; my family is part of a study for Ohio State University (OSU), which is focusing on finding the genetic code for papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). All they request of us are blood samples, our medical records, and demographic information. They are requesting families of 3 or more people who have been diagnosed with PTC. The funniest part about this: our family is the largest they have with 5 people! Out of over 100 families! Shocking, no? So, the kicker is, OSU wanted not only my blood along with my mom, sister, aunt, and cousin, but they also wanted our direct relatives who do <i>not</i> have PTC! The reason is that OSU wants to examine the genetic makeup of the five of us versus the relatives who do not have PTC, and see what the code is that has given us five PTC and not our other relatives. The only trouble that OSU has run into is that they are finding the genetic code in each family, but the codes do not match other families. I do hope that our participation helps. What a wonderful discovery it would be!</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Graduation was fabulous. It was almost like an odd reliving experience, especially when one woman spoke. She was receiving her master's degree after spending several years in college. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and gave a brief overview of her story and how she was able to achieve her success. I tried my hardest not to cry, though I did shed some small tears when she said something along the lines of, "Trying to get through college with cancer is no walk in the park." I couldn't help but remember everything in that moment, everything that I had experienced throughout my college career.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There is one story I would love to share with you all that this woman reminded me of, and it is still very special to me:</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">During my Fall 2007 semester, I was taking a speech class. I had to create three different types of speeches: informational, persuasive, and "buy my product." Take a wild guess what my subject was for my first speech. I spoke about my experience with PTC, how it changed my life, and I explained how it develops and forms, the treatments, etc. Well, I had some people in tears. My second speech was about Relay for Life, basically persuading my audience to join me on the track to fight against cancer. I spoke more about my story in this speech, and, once again, my audience was moved. They knew a lot about me from the first speech to the next, so they felt a lot for me. They understood when I wasn't in class because of a doctor's appointment. Before class began the following week, the professor would ask me about my appointment and every fellow student would ask me questions about it. I went in for surgery in late November, and I was not happy about it. Duh, I was upset because I had more cancer, but I was also upset about the fact that I was missing school and might miss information needed for my finals. I explained to my speech professor that I may have to take the exam another day, since she had moved it to an earlier time so we wouldn't be taking her final on the very last day. She said she understood, but to let her know if I was going to be able to make it. All of my classmates wished me well and told me I would be fine. I got lots of hugs at my last class session. It was really great, because I felt like I had another group of people supporting me. After my surgery, I recovered well, and was able to go to the exam date. When I walked in, my classmates immediately started clapping and cheering for me, and my professor presented me with a gorgeous bouquet of roses. I started to cry. It was such a precious moment. As difficult as that exam was, I took it with the biggest smile on my face. After that kind of reception, I knew I was loved and supported by every person in that room. They each gave me so much encouragement and strength to get through yet another surgery. I don't think any of them know exactly how much each word of caring and kindness meant to me. I'll never forget it.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">And, on that note, I wish everyone love, happiness, and most importantly -- good health.</span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-14178169896758271272010-05-20T00:50:00.002-04:002010-05-20T00:55:13.220-04:00Like Daughter - 35<div style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We still live! It's been so long since Mom and I have updated the blog, mainly because we both have been so incredibly busy and there hasn't been much to update you all on. But, let me do my best here:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My cousin had her biopsies, as I stated in my previous post. Her biopsies came back BENIGN! We all were so thrilled to have that news. Believe me, it was an excruciating wait but the results were worth every second. She's definitely the happiest out of all of us! ;-)</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mom, Janina, Aunt Rea, Melissa and I are all doing fine. Everyone is back in the swing of things, from what I understand. All of their scars look amazing! Our surgeons rock the house. Mom and Janina are just playing the Waiting Game right now. Since they both had RAI treatment, they have to wait a certain amount of time before they find out if the RAI killed off the rest of the cancer. Unfortunately, they'll probably be waiting another three months, give or take. RAI works in the body for a good 6 months to a year after dosed. While that's a long time to rid oneself of cancer, it's another story having to wait to see if it actually did its job. We shall see. Let's hope for the best for them both.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">I graduate from college later today. 10am to be exact. I can't believe it, really. It's almost surreal. I crossed the same stage when I graduated from high school, just three days after finding out I had thyroid cancer. Even then, I was wondering how I would juggle cancer and college. It was unreal to me that this was happening to me. I was celebrating with friends, happy and proud of all that we had accomplished together. Then I get the news that I never thought I would receive. I never truly had a break during my college career, but it has all </span>been worth it. I'm still healthy; missing some organs, but still healthy, nonetheless. ;-) And, to top it all off: I'm graduating <i>on time</i>! No five-year plan for this stubborn woman.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's a blessing. All of it. Cancer sucks, but it has made me become so much more aware and strong-willed. I didn't let it keep me from achieving my dreams, and that's the message I want everyone in my life to know.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As always, from me to you, blessings of love, happiness, and most importantly, good health.</span></span></div>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-72516465971439766512010-03-30T13:24:00.000-04:002010-03-30T13:24:24.383-04:00Like Daughter - 34<div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Remember me, ladies and gents? ;-) I'm back! There are some updates on the medical front, and I wanted to keep you all informed.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The only reason there haven't been many blogs lately is because there haven't been many eventful things going on. My family has been busy, as always. My mother has been working her tail off, Dad is also working like mad, Kyle (brother) has been working and going to school. I've been student teaching and trying to get my tuchus ready for graduation. It has been a crazy last few weeks. I had to buckle down the night that most of my work was due for my portfolio and get it done. I got about 80% of it finished, but was freaking out about a certain project that really did not turn out as well as I had hoped. My advisor has been wonderful. She said, "Dori, calm down. Do the work over break. It will get done. Just take care of your family and relax." I'm like, "OK...I can do this!" So now I'm just trying to enjoy my spring break and spend some time with friends and family. I'm long overdue for time with these lovely people. I'll probably be planning lessons and finishing up my projects later on this week.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">At this point, everyone is pretty much back to normal. Melissa (cousin) is feeling well, as is Aunt Rea. They all (including my mother and sister) are experiencing vocal cord problems. It's not all that lovely. Our surgeon told my sister, "That should be gone by now." Gotta' love that kind of comment, huh? But, overall, everyone is not doing that badly.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My other cousin, Melissa's sister, Diana, had her biopsies done on her two nodules (yeah, now it's two) on Thursday. She's nervous about the results, but we're all hopeful. To be honest, I won't be surprised if she ends up with thyroid cancer. But, I'm trying not to jinx it. Hopefully we'll find out the results today or tomorrow.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That's pretty much everything right now. We'll have to see how everything goes. Please, keep us in your prayers.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As always, many blessings of love, happiness, and most important of all -- good health.</div>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-38906733623953902762010-03-17T21:56:00.001-04:002010-03-17T21:57:11.445-04:00Like Mother - 38<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Since my last post, my niece had her surgery. Janina stayed with her in the hospital, and as everyone had hoped, she did beautifully. It was, of course, no surprise that her postsurgical biopsy confirmed papillary carcinoma. Although we had hoped otherwise, the odds were certainly stacked against her. Okay, that makes five…so far.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I had my postop nuclear scan. I’m not much for lying still for a long stretch, unless I’m sleeping, but it was one of those non-negotiable tasks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Everything else has pretty much gone back to normal. Well, at least as normal as things can be for my family. We are all back at our jobs, managing well on our Synthroid, and appreciating the fact that it’s still cold enough outside to get away with wearing a turtleneck or scarf (to keep that scar under wraps for as long as possible). All of our scars are healing at different rates, so we tend to compare them. I’d say collectively we have about one foot of scar line – Wow! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I am thrilled that both my sister and niece will not need radioactive iodine treatment as their surgeons feel that because the cancer was caught so early, the operation was curative. That’s the good news—actually great news.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">On the downside, my follow-up scan revealed a possible metastases. I sort of got into that “sticking my head into the sand” mode and avoided posting because I just didn’t want to write about it. But there it is. I’ll know more on Friday when I see my endocrinologist.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I celebrated my 54th birthday two days ago. I was surrounded by those that I love and that love me. It was a great day. As I blew out my candles (or rather as my grandson blew out my candles), I wished for the best gift of all…good health. I wish that for you too, my friends. </span></div>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4958008899181505301.post-55681850773263838072010-03-12T22:06:00.000-05:002010-03-12T22:06:30.275-05:00Like Daughter - 33<div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Mom is worried about her follow up with her endocrinologist about her scan. I don't blame her. I hated waiting for my own results. I had four nuclear scans in less than a year, and I can tell you right now, I despised the waiting game.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I think that's a lot of what cancer is. Waiting. Waiting for results. Waiting for something bad, or good, to happen. Waiting for a miracle. Waiting for prayers to be answered. That stupid "W" word. We have lives to live, you know.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I remember when my endocrinologist gave me every result from every scan. I remember going to her office and giving me the news. You feel so helpless, like the rest of your life is determined by an inanimate object. You have no idea what to expect, and in no way are you prepared for what will happen. Sure, you try to prepare, but in all honesty, how ready are you for results that could potentially change your life?</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I know my cancer wouldn't, and won't, kill me. However, I never thought past a few months in my head. I tried not to plan so far in advance. I still don't, for fear that something could change. It has been almost four years, and I'm still not able to say, "See you in a year, Doc!" No, sirree. Still stuck in the six month mode.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Right now, my life is a whirlwind outside of the cancer world. I am lucky in that aspect; I am still able to live my life. I am about to graduate from college and finally really live.<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 10" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 10" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CAdelina%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><style>
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</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This was a really tough journey for me. As soon as I graduated from high school, I was not only a cancer fighter, but a freshman in college. I had a whole new road ahead of me to try to walk on. The only things that were stable in my life at the time were my faith (as much as it could have been), family, close friends, and my then-boyfriend.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I remember sitting in that patient room, waiting for him to come in and tell me what my future would hold. I knew that morning something was wrong. I could feel it. Janina knew; I had told her my feelings that day, but she still tried to keep me busy when I was with her at her work. Sudoku was the only thing keeping me sane in that room. It's funny; I had braced myself for the news, but honestly, I still wasn't ready. It's one of those things that you just don't fully prepare for. You just can't. "You have cancer" is not exactly something you're ever ready for.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It amazes me that it took me almost 3 and a half years to finally get over it and grieve. I was always on the go; I never had a real break. I shrug my diagnosis off all the time with people; I never really reveal how hard it has been. I say, "It's whatever," when I really mean, "This has been fucking insane. You have no clue."</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I know I didn't go through chemo, lose my hair, get hospitalized for days/weeks on end... But you people need to understand something. On the <a href="http://www.stupidcancershow.com/">Stupid Cancer Show</a>, put on by the <a href="http://www.i2y.com/">I'm Too Young For This!</a> Cancer Foundation, something huge was finally brought to light: thyroid cancer is still a complicated cancer. A lot of people shrug it off and say it's the "best cancer to get." Shut up. It's cancer. Plain and simple. I don't shrug off my battle anymore. Hell, people, <i>I'm still fighting it.</i> It's not over for me! Sure, I'm not going to die, but folks, it's still in my body. It. Won't. Leave. Do you know how obnoxious and freaky that is? My cancer is as stubborn as I am! I'd rather it be passive and just...go away.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Don't dumb down any kind of cancer. Cancer = cancer. No matter which way you spin it.</div><div style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">As always, my dears, many blessings of love, happiness, and most important of all -- good health.</span>Adelina and Dorihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01043756007439676935noreply@blogger.com2