T-Cancer

I just want people to know about the things that are currently happening in my life. In January I went into the doctor's office thinking I had strep throat or something because I hadn't been able to recover from a cold. While I was visiting with the doctor she noticed my neck was swollen and so she felt it and realized that my thyroid was enlarged, she suggested that we do blood work to see what was going on.

The results on it came back as to be in the normal range, so we decided to press on to do an ultrasound of the thyroid because SOMETHING was going on. When we received those results there were two hard nodules and one cyst, all in different locations. According to statistics this should not be concerning. My doctor had talked with another doctor and they suggested we check back in on them in six months. As I got off the phone I just felt sick inside and knew I needed to see someone else for a second opinion. As I thought that my doctor had called me back and told me I should do that too. She told me that I should go to an ENT (Ears, Nose, Throat) Specialist.

I went to one and he decided I needed to get the two harder nodules biopsied. I got both hard nodules biopsied one located on the right lobe of the thyroid and the other on the left lobe of the thyroid. Both resulted in the news of being malignant (cancer). This is a rare find for my age and having multiple nodules on the thyroid. Now I have been diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Finding a new doctor... what a struggle!

From May 2014 to December 2014 I worked through the process of finding a new doctor to help with my cancer check ups.

I searched on-line for a couple weeks after the scan to see if I could find a new doctor in my area to help me with the cancer checkups, but at the time I just didn't feel an urgency to get a new doctor since I just saw my last doctor and she said everything was fine. I gave up on the search after calling several places and they said that they weren't taking new patients. I figured I could just have my PCP issue the synthroid for a time til I needed that one year check up.

So as August 2014 approached where I was living my contract was up and I needed to decide whether or not to resign another year or move home for a time or move somewhere else. I really liked my roommate and didn't want to move and sign that one year contract. After much prayer and fasting I finally felt like it was time to move back home. I honestly didn't want to. I felt like my life was all together, being on my own, "cancer free", and loving who I was rooming with at the time. Why would I need to move home? I just couldn't believe that had been the answer I received, but I trust God and that he knows what best for me. I reluctantly moved home in the middle of July so I could clean the apartment and close out my contract.

As I was in the process of making this decision my health began to go down hill. I wasn't feeling well but I had to take care of things and complete the task at hand. I kept telling my roommate at the time that I just felt like something was wrong. She was such a great support during this entire time, she continues to be one of my greatest supporters. After moving into my parents I began again to find an endocrinologist to help me with how I was feeling. I honestly felt that the cancer was back and I needed to get help. I began seeing my PCP and she was treating me for my symptoms and she would suggest several different doctors. I prayed about who I should go see and I chose one and went but that doctor kept telling me how my past doctor was doing things all wrong and didn't really believe that I wasn't feeling well. He wrote in his report "patient appears to be in good health". I really wasn't, I couldn't seem to convince him that I was having troubles. I had difficult time breathing, shoulder pain, dry skin, hair falling out, dizziness, dry eyes, and several other problems and I just needed help. He suggest that I go off my synthroid one day a week and that would solve my problems. I didn't feel like he believed me so I chose not to go back to him or following his instructions. I know I've missed a day of taking my synthroid and I'm miserable, I didn't want to go through that. I tried calling other doctors again and they once again weren't taking new patients.

I felt so frustrated but just knew that timing was everything and so I waited a couple more months and went back into my PCP and she tested my blood and she didn't like how high my thyroid antibodies numbers were and suggested again to go to an endocrinologist. She suggest a doctor to go to and I called there and they were taking new patients!!! :) I finally found another doctor to try.
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