My thyroid cancer

I know, that's quite the title! I've been deliberating for months about making this post, and since I'm going in for surgery tomorrow, I'm finally going to write it.

First of all, this is a cancer so treatable that I've had multiple doctors tell me that if you could pick a cancer to have this is the one to pick.

So, in December I noticed a lymph node in my neck that didn't seem to be going away. The kids and I (miraculously) hadn't been sick forever, so it didn't seem related to a cold or anything. In January I went through a bunch of biopsies, ultrasounds, and appointments (with ENT dr.s and endocrinologists). Even though we had been told at our first ENT appt. that there was a very high chance that the lymph node was nothing, when the (friday) ultrasounds started to drag on and had to be repeated after the weekend when there were more dr.s on staff, we knew that there was probably something (and probably cancer) going on. It was a weird weekend going to church and talking to family and friends and having that in the back of our mind but not bringing it up with anyone (yet).

On January 25 I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma. I was 7 months pregnant at the time. Mark and I had done a lot of research during our waiting period (but seperately, because we each didn't want the other to get overly concerned before we knew anything) and so we knew from that and from the ENT dr.'s explanation that it is a very treatable "surgical" cancer. My initial grief was really for the baby and my upcoming birth; I didn't like the thought of having to leave the baby twice for up to a week in its first few months--I didn't know if I could have the kind of birth I'd planned on or if I'd be able to breastfeed. Sorting out those concerns was the substance of the next few months. Poor Simon and Alli . . . we tried to pay attention to them. You know, with being tired and pregnant and cancerous and all . . . ;) My other initial thought was, okay, this is a fascinating fact to put on my life history/ CV "I've lived in Zimbabwe, I play the viola, I had cancer in my 20s . . ."

Anyway, my treatment team consists of an endocrinologist and an ENT surgeon. Our first endocrinologist gave us the happy news that my surgery could wait until about a month after delivery. Hooray, I had my birth back in my hands, or, back in my . . . rather. Oh yeah, this is what the treatment will be:

• a thyroidectomy to completely remove my thyroid and other bad nodes. I take thyroid replacement pills daily forever (my first old lady pill!) like many people with thyroid issues.


• swallowing a dose of radioactive iodine. Thyroid cells are the only cells that take up iodine (all you former KeyClub-ers remember the fundraising to prevent goiters in developing countries by supplying iodine?) and so any remaining microscopic thyroid cell guys are zapped by the radioactive stuff.


• following me for recurrance (easily treatable with iodine) at intervals throughout my life. But, basically, I'm done, I'm normal and I can forget about cancer.

Now, my first team of physicians said I had to have the iodine about 6wks post-surgery. And that that would be the end of breastfeeding. Really pretty devastating--I looked into lots of options: pumping and dumping for MONTHS, getting friends to donate, being fine with formula, researching medical journals online, consulting medical friends, etc.

However, here in H*town we have one of the world's largest cancer centers. Mark works there, even. So we wondered if we should go there, but second-guessed ourselves because the treatment for my cancer is so "simple." Finally, in my very last, "sea-going barge" weeks of pregnancy I managed to make all the calls and get the records submitted to be seen at the ol' MDACC. They scheduled me for a day full of various appts the day before my due date. I was really begrudging having to ask more friends to babysit for a marathon day (between all my midwife appts and all the diagnostic appts of the past few months, many of our friends have been very gracious). But it turned out to be a surprisingly wonderful day!

Our endocrinologist was fabulous and much more human and emphathetic than our previous one; he was even the one to bring up extending breastfeeding by delaying the iodine treatment (and monitoring my thyroid levels in my blood)! In many ways, treatment and staff at the Cancer Center are night and day different from the other local hospital--I cannot recommend them highly enough!!!! So if you ever find yourself in a cancerous situation, go there. The previous dr.s I was with were completely competent, but the ones now are just fabulous (very talented, willing to not just follow the book and treat each *individual* as such, and so experienced)!!!

So, with that vote of confidence, I report for surgery tomorrow morning . . .

My mom and sister are coming in to be the mom for the next week and a half and gals from Relief Society at church are helping with lots of meals and babysitting. It's been a long crazy road, but I've felt the powers of heaven close many times.

There may be a blog-hiatus, but now you know why ;)

By the way, Mary Tessa's still VERY cute . . . I've got blessing pictures for her that you can anticipate the posting of.