So as I last wrote, I was preparing for a Raidoactive Iodine Treatment. Everything seemed to be heading in that direction, as I went down to Washington Hospital Center for 5 days in a row for scans and blood work to determine my dose. After that I also participated in a clinical trial. Tuesday was the last day of my trial scans, and we had planned to go talk to the docs, just about all the findings from that week. I had also had a PET scan where they give you a glucose in the vein that has a raidoactive component that is supposed to be a diagnostic for cancer. I did have a scan like this back in Feb before my last surgery. Mom and I sat for a while waiting for the doctors and finally got to sit down with the head of the Nuclear Medicine Dept there. We talked for a long time, and I will try and spare you all the medical details and just give you the important ones. The last Iodine treatment I had was 7 months ago, and I received a very large dose. It can take 8-12 months for the effects to totall take effect. Also, they want to let your body (especially your bone marrow) heal. This doctor basically said that looking at my chart and scnas, and hearing what mom and I had to say that he did not recommend doing I-131 this soon after my previous dose. This is not necessairly good news but it is not bad either. He explained it that he does not feel there is sufficient evidence that I am getting worse at this point, which would be the main reason to do another treatment this soon. He wants to have time to compare these new scans to the previous ones to compare things, and also get a few new updated CT's and MRI's. They will check any questionable spots to make sure they are the same or smaller. They will also double check that there is nothing more to surgically remove, because that is always the preferred way to remove things if possible (there is not necessairly anything that needs surgical removal, they just wanted to give me every possible scenerio). So basically we are just slowing things down right now, which I am fine with. I feel more comfortable double checking things and taking more time to make sure we are going the right route rather than rush into things and regret doing it so soon. We can always do the treatment later, we can't take it back. My case is a very specialized one that they want to treat that way. They want to really be careful to do the right things for me first, rather than have to go back and fix things later. So I started back on my thyroid meds and regular diet and am waiting for doctor's instructions and findings. At first we started to think where was this doctor before, but thinking about it God has perfect timing, and so I just need to trust in that and trust the medical professionals he has provided for me. Like I always say, he has not brought me this far to drop me now, and He will not give us anything we cannot handle without his help.
I hope this makes sense to everyone, if you have any questions I will try to answer them to the best of my ability. I just ask that you keep Josh and,our family, and my doctors in your prayers for continued healing and guidance through this season in our lives. Josh and I just celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary and are looking forward to many more :-D
Hope this finds you well,
Take Care,
Hattie
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