The THYROID Thread

[prprincess]

prprincess, Welcome!!

I understand all of the emotions you have gone through as I did so myself. It really did change me. I was diagnosed and had surgery in 1995 and RAI treatments went on through 1998. I will tell you, I didn't feel well or 100% as you say, for a very long time. To be honest with you, it's only been since probably 2007/2008 that I actually began to feel back to my old self so you can see that it was probably more than 10 years after my diagnosis that this happened. In looking back, I don't think I can totally blame thyroid cancer. I was diagnosed at age 31 and I also had two small children at the time. Once my treatments were over and I was starting to hum along, I think perimenopause may have just been starting. At any rate, my lifelong heavy periods were getting me down and I spent most of my 40s in some sort of borderline anemia and I felt awful all the time. Now that I am in the very last stages of this menopause thing, I am feeling much better. My periods have pretty much stopped and my blood count numbers are looking SO much better. Granted, the hot flashes are keeping me up at night but otherwise, I have a lot more energy and stamina. So while I did blame a lot of my "not quite 100%" on thyroid cancer, I think it may have been other things contributing.

I do have issues here and there with medication. Sometimes, I'll just get too hyper for some reason. Oh and I had a rough year when they pulled Levoxyl off the market and I had to switch brands. But otherwise, at 52 I am feeling as normal as anyone else I know that's my age.

That's great to hear, Christine! Promising!! Because it sounds like I'm going through exactly what you were going through. I am indeed "at that age" where I'm starting with the symptoms (flashes, yes!!), have two young, active children, a rather stressful career, etc. so it really could be a combination of everything.

According to my physicians, even though I do have a few acute illnesses and don't feel so great, I am indeed healthy in their eyes and on paper. I hope that things look up for me soon again like they did for you. Until then I'll just keep my head up and will continue to weather through it all! Thanks!!!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

prprincess - welcome and thanks for sharing your story! I never feel 100% but I have many multiple health issues. Wishing you all the best.

Well I went to the endo yest. Again, the lab did not do one of the tests she ordered. What is up with that place??? It was the tsh and the endo's comment, oh yours has always been fine so we will just do it next time (6 months). Tg is undetectable. The swollen lymph node is still there but has decreased in size so that is good.

She now want to wean me off one bp med and switch to something else because there is a red warning with the other bp med I take. I said what other med are you considering since you know I have bad reactions to most everything. She said yes, I know you do and I havent figured that out yet!! (Last time she had to ask one of the cardiology drs.)

So I took half the pill and cut it with a pill cutter today. It was so bitter. I quickly swallowed some ice tea. Yuck! I also have to have ds take my blood pressure every other day and call her in a week with the readings. Oh Joy. She suggested coming in for the checks, I said um no ds works at the hosp. etc.

And in other news the car saga continues. The ins. company gave dh the name of another company. And since the dad didnt think anything of showing up on our doorstep I told dh to call their house last night and verify what he could. The boy wasnt home and dh talked to the dad. He said the kid has no collision so they junked his car for $500. He told his father he got distracted, um yeah right. Even the father doesnt know the name of the insurance company. Its like 2 companies. I told dh I think the kid must be in the assigned risk pool. The dad didnt admit that but told dh he pays for the premium. So now dh has to call another company (the 3rd one).

Right now dh is away for the week again to Seattle. At east a guy is going with him for 3 days and then dh is off by himself to San Fran. and LA.

I am still trying to plan the disney trip. Now I am down to knocking one day off the trip. Having to get a limo to the airport and stating the trip a day early. Going 2 nights at the Swan with our miles, going with an ap rate at the Yacht Club for 2 days and then back to the Swan foe the last day. No I am not crazy. Its just there is no room availability thanks to Food and Wine and some big convention I am sure. I have to verify this with dh and ds3 tonight. My head spins and now I will have to change some of the adrs.

Trying to be more proactive with the health so I had to call the primary dr. and ask them to mail me a new mammo script since mine expired. Now I am debating whether to go to the creepy place which I can get in right away because its a ghost town there or ask them for my films and go to a better place and might have to wait for an apt., oh what to do???

Check in when you can.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Still working on the disney trip. Booked all the hotel rooms and plane tickets last night. Ds got his plane ticket today. Now I need an ap and ds3 needs his tickets so we can do the fast passes.

Oh and today I get a message to call the internist and schedule an appt. I am thinking that was triggered by me requesting the new mammo script. Um, I have told them before I am not going back to that dr. in the group. They can see that in my chart, I have never gone back to her and I am hoping they are not holding the script hostage until I see her or they will get an earful from me. I already told my endo that the internist is too test happy and I refuse to have all the tests she wanted done. Got to advocate for myself here and I guess I can tell them the truth about her again if they want to hear it.

 

[macraven]

I would feel the same LMP
Stand your ground on this

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Well I guess my endo will never learn to leave well enough alone, lol. I called in the bp readings yesterday with the half dose of the one med for a week like she wanted and she called back and left a message that my bottom bp number is too high and I need to go back on the full dose pill of the one med asap. Yes, she should know, my body likes to not get upset by med changes etc., gheesh!!

Dh is alive and well in Calif. He called ins. company #3 and of course got the run around again after holding for an hour, sigh and sigh.

Ordered the magic bands today and now I need ds to get his ticket so we can do the fp. He is resting and its his day off so I dont want to push him too much, but I dont want to listen to him say there is nothing left etc. when he wants to pick stuff.

My cousin is in Disney now. He is at Pop and stays about 2 weeks because its free dining. He complains about things but he gets action for sure. I know George K. the president of Disney secretary calls him. Last time he told me he called them and complained that when all the family members were together they couldnt get 15 fast passes for the same time. Guess what they got 15 fast passes for the same time. Disney had to personally override something in the system. This is spread over 3 families. (other relatives - not mine).

 

[prprincess]

Getting blood work done tomorrow for my yearly endo appointment next week. As always, I'm a bit nervous about the possible change in dosage. And then of course, if she feels that my lymph nodes are enlarged, here we go again with the ultrasounds! Wish me luck!

 

[macraven]

Wishing you luck!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

prpincess - hope your testing went well.

Macraven and singing mom - What are your Food and Wine plans? I want to do a lunch at Chefs one day, DH asks why - arent we eating at food and wine?

Christine - how are things going??

Well my only thy related news was we got my script today. Glad we have ins. Wowsa, 2 scripts, one was the bp med and the name brand synthroid for a 3 month supply of each was like $170. total.

And in other news....
I hurt my back/shoulder.. Dot know how. Didnt want to go to the dr. So I had dh put vicks on it, I know strange but it really helped and I took some tylenol pm to sleep at night. I didnt want to go to the dr. as this has happened before and I went to the er and they did a ct scan and said it was just a pulled muscle. I feel the same as then. sigh.Also dh came home home the west coast with a nice cough and cold. He said everyone was sick on the plane, sigh.

His trip went terrible and he has to go back to the west coast prob on thurs, dont know for how long yet. He sure is living out of the suitcase lately.

So happy I didnt renew my ap because now I can and get all the new benefits!!! Worked out great that I didnt want to bother ds that day.

My cousin just got home from disney tonight. I am going to e mail him and ask him to tell me everything.

We are back to ins. company number 2 and them never picking up the local phone, sigh.

I think we all need a vacation!

Check in when you can.

 

[Christine]

Hello all. I've not posted here in a bit as I've been seriously busy at work with end of the fiscal year stuff. Still hasn't ended but such is life. I've been spending a lot of time on the MyFitnessPal boards though because about 4 weeks ago, I realized I had just been rapidly gaining weight and it was getting out of control. I needed to stop it and, now that I'm menopausal it is much harder. So I've been tracking my calories religiously, eating in a deficit and just started exercising over a week ago now that I am used to the lower calories. I am happy to say that I have lost about 7 lbs and some of my clothes are fitting better. But I tell ya, eating better and consciously is VERY time consuming. I don't mind it right now as it's interesting to me how much I must have been eating before (a lot) but I'm sure it will get old. So, with the limited internet time I've had, I've been doing that.

It's all quiet in my "thyroid" world (which is always good). Nothing else new. Trying to plan a short trip with my parents to Myrtle Beach. They are looking for "active adult" communities to move to which are horribly far from me (Myrtle Beach is about 7 hours versus Florida) but we can't seem to get it scheduled.

That's about it for me. Very boring here...

 

[luvmarypoppins]

singing mom - Thinking of your dd and hope all is well with her

Christine - thats good you are sticking to the weight loss. I just even havent been feeling like eating all that much lately.
Our friends moved to South Carolina to I think its the Dell Webb place. I am sure it will be hard with your parents moving. Hope they find a place they like.

Thinking of anyone that is in an area affected by the hurricane.

Dh is away on his trip and busy. We are suppose to get rain and wind from the hurricane over the week end at times. After having survived the one with the power out for 3 days I feel bad for everyone.

Just called the dr. about the mammo script. Oh gheesh. I hate dealing with the system there. They said I can only see those 2 other drs, I like if its an emergency. They have to assign me another primary dr. before they will do the script. I only got it because I asked at my ear infection appt. that time. Well I told her there is no way I am seeing Dr. H. so dont bother with her, give me someone else. They said they will call me back. And she made sure she wrote that I do not want to see Dr H. She says, yes its shows you saw her three years ago, clueless maybe??? The system stinks here to say the least. When I first got the endo and worried if I would like her, I asked, what if I dont like her can I get someone else, they said no, they learn your case and you are their patient. I think this is ridiculous. Well if I dont like who they assign me to this time I will ask to switch again. sigh. Guessing if I actually found a lump they would give me an emergency visit. Health care today, or maybe just this place.

 

[SingingMom]

Just back from 15 days in Orlando area, setting up DD's new apartment and experience first hand "Florida Hurricane Preparation"!
Luckily we only saw some wind and rain, nothing like what was "expected". DH flew in on an earlier flight Thursday to beat out the storm. He was able to hang drapery rods, pictures, and make a major repair to a beloved easy chair DD purchased from Cast Connections that used to reside in the Beach Club!

I arrived Sept 25 and rented a car for the first time - everything was great until I realized I couldn't lift my suitcase to get it into the car!! Luckily an Alamo employee walked by and I asked for some help. It is hard to be under five foot!

DD's apartment is beautiful. I had a wonderful 2 weeks with her and got a good feel for the area. She's enjoying her new job in Children's Activities and hopes to be put on Full Time soon!

Blood work next month for endo appointment. Echo and stress test also scheduled next month with the cardiologist. Need to make annual gyno and mammo. appointments too. Never ending!

But, now I have to unpack to pack again - weekend in NYC for our 30th anniversary, then a November visit to DD and then she's coming home for Christmas and I'll go back with her for New Years! DH will try if work cooperates!

 

[macraven]

I'm still in Orlando and arrived here early in sept 27

Spent a week at the motherland then moved to the darkside resorts

Hurricane was an event I won't forget here

Will be back to posting here after I return home

Do have a trip to Atlanta a week from Friday for 3 days

Later

 

[prprincess]

luvmarypoppins - blood work was clean. My tumor markers were negative, and my lymph nodes have not grown in size, so that's the biggest relief. I will be 6 years clean on 11/1!

christine - congrats on the weight loss! And I feel your pain because it is definitely a challenge for me as well. I exercise regularly, but I feel like eating in deficit is the only thing that does it for me.

Singingmom- good luck with the blood work and the endo appt! My mammo is coming up, too. Definitely never ending!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

prprincess - so happy you got great test results. That is always such a relief and answer to prayer for sure. I celebrated 7 years in Jan,

singing mom - glad you had a great time in Fl with your dd. What were the hurricane preparations like? Just curious? I read your car comment. My best friend is under 5 feet too. My dh and 2 of the ds are on the tall side except for ds3. Hope your dd gets to work full time soon. Have a wonderful anniversary trip! Did you have any favorites from Food and Wine?

macraven - glad you survived the hurricane. I heard food issues were a big problem. How did you do?? Hope you have a great rest of your trip and I cant wait to hear about it.

Happy news all around here today. Just talked to dh and he is getting on the plane. Just got the issues with the dr. straightened out. What a circus that was. The. one new dr. I wanted has retired. Then she told me the dr. who I dont like has to give permission to release me to another dr. gheesh. wth!!! She cant do it this week as she is off for religious observances. She will be back on Monday when I go to Fl, and the secretary says most likely she will say yes. I had only 3 drs. to pick from, then that narrowed to 2 as one was male and then it narrowed to 1 because the other one isnt seeing new patients until Dec. I said, look I need the mammo script way before that. So now she gave me a tentative appt with a dr. in about 3 weeks. I looked her up. unds like I will like her. She graduated with honors from the univ. medical school, spent 4 years in rhode island and is now back here. So she is young and hopefully not test crazy and they will do the mammo script before that, ok.

Then dh said lying ins. company called him. I guess that was in response to the massive questioning paper they made him fill out. We also took pictures and have those as proof if need be. But they said they will look at the car again on Monday at the collision center. He will drop it there before our trip and hopefully it will be fixed by the time we get back. This is to the ins. companys advantage actually since dh wont need to get a rent a car which they would have to pay for. So we will see how this all works out long distance from Fl, sigh.

I still need to get my ap and ds ordered his ticket from work at a discount and it takes 3 days to get the confirmation so we are waiting for that too before the fast passes and I am tweaking all the dining. I am trying to please everyone, not an easy job for sure.

 

[SingingMom]

singing mom - glad you had a great time in Fl with your dd. What were the hurricane preparations like? Just curious? I read your car comment. My best friend is under 5 feet too. My dh and 2 of the ds are on the tall side except for ds3. Hope your dd gets to work full time soon. Have a wonderful anniversary trip! Did you have any favorites from Food and Wine?

Hurricane prep at WDW was impressive. They had everything put away and tied down within a few hours. on the home front, we just made sure we had the cars filled with gas, some cash on hand, and water. We also had batteries and I bought a radio. DD thought I was nuts, but I tried to explain to her that the possibility of days without electric were not a pretty picture! lol Luckily it didn't hit inland.

My favorites from F & W are the chicken gyros in Greece, the potato pancake & smoked salmon (minus the sour cream) in Scotland, the potstickers in China, the lambchops in Australia, the waffles with chocolate sauce (minus the whipped cream) in Belgium, and the escargot in France. But my FAVORITE is the Veuve Cliquot Yellow label at the "Desserts & Champagne" booth!!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Just looked at the weather forecast, sigh, rain most of the time again for our trip. Guess we will have to break out the ponchos, gheesh seems we did that last trip too and had to cancel our swimming plans twice, looks like we are doing a repeat this trip too.

I think to make up for it we will have to have some food comas, lol!!

 

[SingingMom]

Just looked at the weather forecast, sigh, rain most of the time again for our trip. Guess we will have to break out the ponchos, gheesh seems we did that last trip too and had to cancel our swimming plans twice, looks like we are doing a repeat this trip too.

I think to make up for it we will have to have some food comas, lol!!

I wouldn't count on the weather forecasts. It rains most days, but sometimes a quick sprinkle and that's it. Just go with the flow! lol

 

[prprincess]

Just looked at the weather forecast, sigh, rain most of the time again for our trip. Guess we will have to break out the ponchos, gheesh seems we did that last trip too and had to cancel our swimming plans twice, looks like we are doing a repeat this trip too.

I think to make up for it we will have to have some food comas, lol!!

The forecast can still change. And hey, we were rained out during most of our August trip due to Hermine and still had an amazing time. I'm sure that you will, too!! Just pack a few ponchos and go with it!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

finally an honest to goodness tell it like it is article about thyroid cancer and radiation that was in my yahoo news feed today

I did have some issues with what the lady wrote on a few things.. I guess all doctors have different rules. She said her son was only back after 4 days. Honestly I wouldnt have had him back for a week since he was only 7. I was even telling my college ds to get away from me. Dh is familiar with everything so he knew procedures which I cant comment on because of his job as usual.

And the dog too. They told me stay away from the pets and the pet hair etc. I think she was a little obsessive about cleaning certain things, spraying Lyol on a mattress ? My dh would laugh at that one himself.

Also she let her little boy hug her around the neck after 4 days wowsa a big no no.

And I almost cringed when she said she threw all her stuff down the garbage chute. Gosh, rad onc said it had to be kept in the garage for 30 days then thrown away, maybe more, I cant remember.

Also she had to have scans every year. Glad my rad. onc said only 2 cleans and then just blood tests and sonos.

I almost fell on the floor when I read she said she had scoliosis surgery as a teenager and thought that was it. I had the same thing!!!! I also questioned the rad. onc and told her about this since I had so many xrays of my neck and spine since one of my curves was in the neck area, not counting the other 2 curves over 80 degrees of my spine. She said no, hmm. Too much of a coincidence here.

Well read it and see what you think.

 

[macraven]

Back from vacation and it was not the best I have had so planning another one for early Jan/feb

Presently just planning in my mind but will check flights and hotel resort rooms after my Atlanta trip next weekend

I was at the darkside during Matthew's presence

Rpr was a good place to be
Staff was put up in the convention center on cots at night so hotel was not short staffed

Food went on as usual and one restaurant had buffets for all meals

The other two onsite eateries had the usual menus

Had friends at Disney resorts and they told me they bought ($15) surprise food boxes
Some were not pleased with it

I am actively seeking new docs, especially an endo where I live
There was one poster here that was going to give me a name of an endo In the Atlanta area
I have not seen it yet but will Reread this thread in case I missed it
Did try to contact the one endo that was mentioned here but they are not taking new patients

Now thinking of trying Vanderbilt as they have a full department for endo

Do have my lab requisition for early November and plan to have it done
When I switch endo, will have current labs so can try to start at that point

Hope all here are hanging in there and doing fine!