Results of the Body Scan

After I had the body scan done they told me I could get the results from my endocrinologist...and the earliest appointment I could get with them was April 13th, which was a whole 2 weeks later. Which was disapointing having to wait so long. So, one week after the scan, I went in to get labs done at my Endocrinologist on April 6th, I tried to get them to tell me my results. They told me they couldn't give me them until a Dr had reviewed them...grrr! So as soon as I left the office I got on my phone and called Dr Riddings office (the oncologist). About two minutes later they were giving me my results over the phone. Bless that sweet nurse! She told me that they had seen  "minimal uptake in the naspharynx and gastrointestinal tract with prominent radiotracer uptake in the thyroid bed. There was no distant radiotracer uptake to suggest metastatic disease."  Which is eactly what they had hoped to see. So no cancer to worry about...I will have to have a body scan annually until I have no uptake in the thyroid bed but I am optimistic that next year it will all be gone.

After a week of having alternating good and bad days, I finally went to me endo appointment, feeling kinda crappy, they told me my TSH levels were still pretty bad...they asked me if I was on Cytomel. I of course said "No...what it that?"  Cytomel, is short acting thyroid medication as opposed to the Synthroid I was already taking which is long acting (half life of 6 weeks). Cytomel has a faster onset of action. All of that meaning that I could start feeling better sooner....I kept thinking,  "Why wasn't I told about this sooner ?" So I hurried home to get my new prescription filled, hoping that it would instantly make me feel better.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel better and I started to think I must be getting sick because I was having severe body aches...like the kind where you just want to curl up in bed and cry. That night was horrible so the next morning I decided I needed to go to urgent care (it was a Saturday). By that point I thought I had strep throat because I had a sore throat and fever along with the body aches. I decided to take Hadley with me since she had been running a low grade fever the past few days (although she was relatively happy and didn't really show any other symptoms.) After being at urgent care for over an hour it was confirmed that both Hadley and I had step...no fun, but I was glad we knew what it was so we could start treating it and hopefully feel better. It is crazy that we are the ones who got Strep since we have been homebodies for the past month, along with the fact that kids under 2 don't generally get strep.

So they put me on 4 pills of Amoxicillin a day...which brought the amount of pills I was taking on that weekend up to 22!  (4 amox. + 3 cytomel + 1 synthroid + 2 calcium +3 vit D + 1 multivitamin + 8 Ibuphrofen (for the pain)). Needless to say that by Monday my kidneys weren't too happy with me and I still wasn't feeling great, although thankfully the body aches had stopped. I had had hopes that I would be feeling better that week but I just didn't. By the end of the week I was having pretty bad headaches, shakiness, dizziness, and my heart was pounding a lot. I finally realized that I must be overdosed on the Cytomel so I looked it up online. Sure enough, all these new symptoms are related to incorrect cytomel dosage. I realized that I was experiencing more symptoms on the list including :hair loss, anxiety, increased appetite and weight loss. So I figured I should just get off this medication since I didn't want to experience any other side effect from Cytomel which also include seizures, heart attack and death! I took my last cytomel pill on Saturday morning (april 21st) and now it's Monday and I'm still having the symptoms but feeling better. Hopefully this will be my week to start feeling more like my self!

Now that I am (hopefully) coming to the end of this long process, I'm glad it over. It has been frustrating wanting to be normal but it just wasn't possible. I would have a good day and think...okay I am done with this, so I'd start doing all the things I use to do like clean the house, make food, fold laundry, chase kids around, etc.  Then I would wake up the next morning and feel crappy. I think I must need to learn patience!
 
While the past month and a half  hasn't been great for me, I know have been richly blessed by those who have served and loved me. Thoughtful cards, nice comments on facebook or the blog, cookie dough, dinners, play dates for the kids so I could rest, treats, cinnamon rolls, help putting the kids to bed when Brandon was gone, a husband willing to take on the role of Mom as well as Dad doing all the things I couldn't, a Mom who has practically spent the last month living at my house helping in anyway possible, freezer meals, free babysitting, anonymous Easter egg hunt in our front yard, phone calls, flowers, texts, packages, movies, magazines and books to keep me sane, and lots of prayers,  all of which have really lifted my spirits when I have felt down. I am in awe of the love I feel from all my family and friends. I have a greater desire to be like all you who have been so willing to love and serve me. Thanks you for your Christlike service. 

 This whole experience has given me greater sympathy for those who have had to endure physical trials MUCH more burdensome then what I have gone through. I often think of Jacob, a 6 year old with leukemia. He has at least 3 years of treatments to endure. I think of Dana who has has been battling breast cancer for over a year and it hasn't been easy, with of trials and setbacks. Mostly I think of Julie, my dear sister who as a wife and mother, lost a hard fought battle with brain cancer when she was only 30. Life can be be depressing if you let it. However, I have faith in the will of my Heavenly Father and I know these trials can bring about blessings.

Last night Brandon and I watched the the most recent conference talk from Elder Eyring which was about enduring trials. He said :
"If we have faith in Jesus Christ, the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing. In all conditions, we can choose the right with the guidance of the Spirit. We have the gospel of Jesus Christ to shape and guide our lives if we choose it. And with prophets revealing to us our place in the plan of salvation, we can live with perfect hope and a feeling of peace. We never need to feel that we are alone or unloved in the Lord’s service because we never are. We can feel the love of God. The Savior has promised angels on our left and our right to bear us up. And He always keeps His word."

I can testify that I have felt those angels in my life, giving me strength in uncertain times. I have have been buoyed up by the love I feel from my savior. How grateful I am for this experience and the love of those around me.