(no subject)
I went to a Thyroid Cancer support group on Saturday. It was very weird to be in a room with 30 other people who also had Thyroid Cancer. There were four of us that had follicular cancer, everyone else had papillary. They were making a big deal about us "Folliculars" and that there were four of us... I guess that is a lot, considering follicular cancer is only about 10% of all thyroid cancers.
I learned some interesting things while there. I didn't think it was possible considering how much I have read about Thyroid Cancer... I thought I knew it all!
Here's the deal:
I have surgery in two weeks (March 3) to remove my entire thyroid (a total thyroidectomy [TT])
Then, I have radiation starting May 29 (I'm waiting until after my classes are all over)
To get prepared for radiation, I have to switch my meds on April 15 to Cytomel. I'm on Synthroid right now, which is a long lasting Thyroid hormone replacement (THR). Cytomel is also a THR, but it is short lasting. They need me to be able to stop taking it, and immediately be able to be hypothyroid (which means that I will have zero thyroid hormone in my body). The one I take right now, I take once a day, every day. Cytomel I have to take 3 times a day for a month.
Then, two weeks before radiation, May 14th or so, I have to stop taking Cytomel, and have to start a Low Iodine Diet (LID). I can't have anything commercially made, and no dairy. I can eat fruit, vegetables, homemade bread... and other such thing (like blueberry muffins that I make myself, that contain no egg yolks, and no dairy). During this time, I will be hypothyroid, because I won't have any thyroid hormone in my body.
Then, I have radiation on May 29th. Then, I will have to be in seclusion for the first 3 days, and I can't be near anyone.
So here's what I learned in the meeting:
While I'm hypothyroid, I'm going to be VERY tired, but I won't be able to get any good rest, because while hypothyroid, you don't get REM sleep. Whats up with that??? That sucks.
Also, while I'm radioactive, I can't touch certain things, because then I will make THEM radioactive. For example, if I want to eat an apple, someone else has to cut it up for me. That way, the core won't become radioactive, and it can be safely thrown away. Also, someone will have to peel a banana for me, so I don't make the peel radioactive. So I figure I can eat grapes, as long as someone takes them off the stems for me. But I can safely keep a bowl of grapes in my room, because I won't leave any trash behind. Also berries won't leave anything (as long as the green part of strawberries are removed). I didn't know that I wouldn't be able to touch stuff like that. They also recommended that I wear gloves while I'm typing on my laptop. Also, if I read any books, they say I have to put it in a trash bag and seclude it in the garage for 80 days before I can safely put them in the house again.
What's up with that??
Stupid cancer.
I learned some interesting things while there. I didn't think it was possible considering how much I have read about Thyroid Cancer... I thought I knew it all!
Here's the deal:
I have surgery in two weeks (March 3) to remove my entire thyroid (a total thyroidectomy [TT])
Then, I have radiation starting May 29 (I'm waiting until after my classes are all over)
To get prepared for radiation, I have to switch my meds on April 15 to Cytomel. I'm on Synthroid right now, which is a long lasting Thyroid hormone replacement (THR). Cytomel is also a THR, but it is short lasting. They need me to be able to stop taking it, and immediately be able to be hypothyroid (which means that I will have zero thyroid hormone in my body). The one I take right now, I take once a day, every day. Cytomel I have to take 3 times a day for a month.
Then, two weeks before radiation, May 14th or so, I have to stop taking Cytomel, and have to start a Low Iodine Diet (LID). I can't have anything commercially made, and no dairy. I can eat fruit, vegetables, homemade bread... and other such thing (like blueberry muffins that I make myself, that contain no egg yolks, and no dairy). During this time, I will be hypothyroid, because I won't have any thyroid hormone in my body.
Then, I have radiation on May 29th. Then, I will have to be in seclusion for the first 3 days, and I can't be near anyone.
So here's what I learned in the meeting:
While I'm hypothyroid, I'm going to be VERY tired, but I won't be able to get any good rest, because while hypothyroid, you don't get REM sleep. Whats up with that??? That sucks.
Also, while I'm radioactive, I can't touch certain things, because then I will make THEM radioactive. For example, if I want to eat an apple, someone else has to cut it up for me. That way, the core won't become radioactive, and it can be safely thrown away. Also, someone will have to peel a banana for me, so I don't make the peel radioactive. So I figure I can eat grapes, as long as someone takes them off the stems for me. But I can safely keep a bowl of grapes in my room, because I won't leave any trash behind. Also berries won't leave anything (as long as the green part of strawberries are removed). I didn't know that I wouldn't be able to touch stuff like that. They also recommended that I wear gloves while I'm typing on my laptop. Also, if I read any books, they say I have to put it in a trash bag and seclude it in the garage for 80 days before I can safely put them in the house again.
What's up with that??
Stupid cancer.