So here is 4 weeks Post-Op. As you can see the incision was made
starting at the left side from the middle of my throat all the way across to my right ear lobe and cut up about 2 1/2 inches. It's healing pretty good. They took out my thyroid and did a complete right neck dissection which means they took out all my lymph nodes on the right side of my neck. They took out 19 lymph nodes and out of those 19, 6 of them had tumors in them. So we know that this has been spreading quite a bit and has been there quite a long time. They put the stitches inside of the incision. I have no feeling on the right side of my neck and I should get some back but not all. It has a ridge and that is really hard to get use to. Quite the scar though. I have been on a low Iodine diet so my body will crave the iodine and eat up the radio active iodine pill. I go into the Hospital tomorrow and take a significant high dose of the radioactive pill and will be isolated for a couple of days at least at the hospital and I will have to be isolated for several days at home. I will then have a body scan to see if the cancer has spread, even if it has spread into my lungs or bones it should be killed with the radioactive Iodine Therapy. I will be isolated like I said and will have to urinate it out and take 4 or more showers a day. Many people won't go to sleep and just drink water all night so they can get the radiation out as quick as they can. Ben will prepare my room before I go home. This is one of the last parts of my journey with Thyroid Cancer. My life will not be the same as it was before. I will have scans every year the rest of my life and will be put on thyroid replacement medicine the rest of my life but I would not change this experience for the knowledge it has brought me. I am more closer to my Heavenly Father than I ever was before. Other than seeing Heavenly Father face to face I have seen him!! I am a miracle. He has shown himself to me. I know he lives and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is his church upon the Earth today. I thought I had a testimony of that before but not to the degree or knowledge he has given to me through this experience. This cancer I count as a blessing not a trial. I cannot ever completely understand what Christ went through in the Garden of Gesemmene but I think I felt one drop to his millions, I don't even begin to understand how he could live and endure through that much pain and suffering when I just felt one drop. This is my testimony, I would be selfish not to share the knowledge I have gained through all this. He lives and knows more about us then we'll ever begin to know ourselves. Give your life to him and let him lead you. That is all he asks, is love and follow him, In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Hi Jodi - I found out about your situation from Diane Jones (Lisa's mom). They are great friends of ours from Billings. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last year while pregnant with my fourth child. I have a very similar scar to yours (after they took out my thryoid and lymph nodes) and went through the same I-131 treatment you are going through right now (isn't the low-iodine diet awful?). Just want you to know that we are praying for you and your family. I hope the treatment is effective for you and that the cancer hasn't spread anywhere else. I, too, will also have yearly scans and am on hormone replacement right now (still trying to get it regulated). Good luck with everything. Just know that I understand what you are going through and wish you the very best. Thanks for letting me take a peek into your life.
ReplyDelete-Melanie (Walker) Gunnell