April 27, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,




First and foremost I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. I just wanted to update everyone on what is happening in my “medical journey”. I went to the neurosurgeon a few weeks ago. My original doctor was not available to see me, as he had to take some personal leave, so I saw another doctor. He took a look at my images after the appointment and said that they do not believe there is any new tumor growth in my spine. Last Thursday I saw my endocrinologist. My TSH level level was suppressed where they want it to be, but my Thyroglobulin levels had raised 100 points. Thyroglobulin levels in the blood can be used as a cancer marker for certain types of thyroid cancer, including the kind I have. Before my lung surgery my levels were over 2400, and about a month ago they were around 1400. This time they were around 1500. It was only an 8% increase, which is not huge, but the doctors are not sure what the cause may be. It will not change the treatment plan they have for me though. That plan is to have another Radioactive Iodine treatment.



My treatment is scheduled for May 29th. I stopped taking my medication as of Friday, and I start the Low Iodine Diet on May 5th in order to prepare for the treatment. I will be treated at Washington Hospital Center’s Department of Nuclear Medicine again, where I will repeat the same process that I went through in October of 2007. The week before the treatment I will take a “tracer” dose of iodine and then drive to WHC five days in a row to have blood work and scans in order to determine a specific dose. They also plan on doing a PET scan again to double check for any other tumors. Then I will be admitted to the hospital to receive my treatment. I should be home sometime Friday, but have to be careful with being around others and physical contact for 1-2 weeks.



I just ask that you would continue to keep Josh and me in your prayers. Being off my medication will cause me to become “hypothyroid”. Some of the symptoms of this are fatigue, cold intolerance, depression, constipation, muscle cramps, and joint pain. Hopefully my body will not react too badly to being off the meds, but I will just have to wait and see. Josh and I will be celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary on May 20th, which will fall during the week that we go to WHC everyday. Two years ago, I never would have guessed that this is where we would be, but what can I say, sometimes God has different plans for us. Again, I want to thank everyone for your continued thoughts and prayers.



Take Care,





Hattie