Cancer Update

I just wanted to let everyone know what my cancer journey is going to require. I know some of you have some questions so I'm going to try to answer them. I go in for surgery on the 9th. I spoke with my Endocrinologist today and found out a lot more than I had anticipated. I thought they were only going to remove my Thyroid and 1 Lymph node but I was wrong. I found out that they will remove all lymph nodes on the right side of my neck which there are about 6-8 lymph nodes they will dissect. That is just what we know going off of the ultrasound. If while in surgery they suspect any abnormal lymph nodes on the left side they will take them as well or possibly more if they see anything suspicious. At this point I just hope I come out with a neck at all!! They will put me on a short lived Thyoid medication for 3 weeks, here comes the fun part after those three weeks they will take me off all Thyroid medication and since I will no longer have a Thyroid and I won't be taking anything to substitute Thyroid hormones that my symptoms will be so bad that I will be confined to my bed. This is so hard for me to except because if I feel the way I do now with a low producing Thyroid what will it be like when I have NO Thryoid. I will then prepare my body for the chemopill which is called "Radioactive Iodine Therapy." What is kinda of cool about this treatment rather than regular Chemotherapy is that the Thyroid is the only gland in your body that absorbs Iodine. So I will go on a Iodine free diet for three weeks prior to the Iodine Therapy which is a pill. They want my Thyroid cells craving Iodine that when I take the pill all the cells will just "eat them up." So if the cancer has spread they want all those cells to eat up the Iodine that has the Chemo in it. That is why I won't have the same side effects as regular Chemo. Finally at this point after six weeks they will finally put me on Thyroid medication and finally get me feeling better. It's not going to be a quick fix because they are going to have to find the right dose for me. Things are going to get worse much worse before I feel better. If any of you have done any research on what your thryoid does you know how much my body is going through and on top of that the cancer is also draining my energy and my body is struggling to fight not one but two issues at the same time. I was a little down after speaking with my doctor because of the time it's going to take to get better and how bad I have to get before I get any relief of my syptoms. I'm getting a little nervous a little bit everyday we get closer too surgery but I told my self today this is just to big for me and I have put it into my Heavenly Fathers hands. I know I have put it in the safest and best place there is. Kaylee told Ben and I today that she's been having dreams that I died. This absolutely broke my heart, they are struggling to but they just don't know how to tell me. We are taking it day by day. Love you all,

Jodi