My head is still spinning a bit from my Doctor’s appointment this afternoon. I’m glad Kathy was with me as it was a lot to digest. They have a grid of some sort and that dictates what happens next. The APRN was a bit vague for my liking. She wants to take it one step at a time and not give me a very broad brush over view of what will happen. Today they took three pints – I mean vials of blood for seven different thyroid tests. Those results will dictate some of what happens next.
I will be having a very detailed ultrasound of my neck when ever they call me to schedule the appointment. This is to check for any lymph node involvement and to establish a base level in case something comes up later. I had to schedule a physical with my primary doctor before I could leave their office. To my surprise I got an appointment for next Tuesday. Evidently they need good bench marks of several markers so they can monitor me closely over the next year. Who knows what my primary doctor will dream up I need done. I haven’t had a physical, mammogram or a Pap smear since 2008.
Within 90 days of surgery I will have to do a radioactive iodine treatment to kill off any remaining thyroid cells left. Other than having to have two injections – one each the two days prior to the actual iodine treatment I don’t know what that will involve. I had a reaction to iodine a long time ago and am not sure what will have to happen to make sure I can safely take a strong dose of iodine. Her first plan is that they will pre-medicate me and I will be able to do the treatment at home but it may have to happen as an in-patient process so they can monitor me better in case I have a reaction. She needed to consult with the doctor and will give me more details when it gets closer.
She said something about some sort of test two days after the initial dose of iodine to check to see if it is working. Second or even third doses are sometimes required and treatment can last for up to seven days but she was pretty vague about that. She kept saying one thing at a time. Don’t know if Santa can safely come to my house as I may be radio-active and in isolation on Christmas.
This will be a lesson in trust for me and I have little trust in the medical profession. She didn’t give me a number or name to follow-up with in case no one calls me about the ultrasound. I have no idea how long to give them before I bug her about it. She said she would get back to me on the blood test results but she said that last time and didn’t. I may need to rattle some cages if I don’t hear from her.
I ask about my low potassium levels and she said that is something my primary doctor needs to manage. Hope I can keep straight who to call about what. She did give me a printout of foods high in potassium. A fast food cheeseburger and French fries are two of the higher foods listed. I can do that! However I gained six pounds since I was in her office last time six weeks ago. All of that came on over the last two weeks as I was still losing weight when I was at my primary doctor’s office two weeks ago. Oh the joys of hypothyroidism. Weight gain is a normal occurrence even with strict diet and lots of exercise (which I am not doing). Guess it is time to start watching my diet and get my ass moving again. Betting my thyroid levels are low now and they will increase the amount of thyroid medication I am taking.
I told her I was going to Peru for two weeks the first of December and she said they could get what they need done even with me gone for two weeks. I ask if I could do the radio-active iodine treatment when I got back and she said I could wait until then. I will only have three weeks to get it in when I get home. There is that trust thing again. Do I trust they can get it scheduled in that short window of time? Not sure why the ninety day goal. Kathy and I were wondering who created that timeline – doctors, insurance companies, drug companies? Why 90 days? Why not 60 or 120? If 90 days is so important why did she make me wait three weeks after surgery to see her? See my trust thing here?
Now I need to get hold of the guy running the retreat in Peru and decide if I am going to be able to partake of the plant medicine. Their rules ask that you do not use any prescription drugs for three weeks before the retreat starts and for thirty days afterwards. He gave me an exception for my thyroid pills but not sure how he is going to feel about me taking radio-active iodine the week after I get back. If it causes a problem then I guess I can have it done before I leave. Not sure if he will let me come if I can’t do the plant medicine or if they can adjust to fit my needs. Oh my! It will all work out some way or other. We might end up on the beach in Lima instead of in the mountains by Cusco.
I have to have blood draws again in three months. That puts a damper on being away for most of January and February as I have an appointment February 2 to have that done. I made ten trips to Wichita to get my feet taken care of earlier this year. Today was my fourth trip to Topeka for my thyroid and it sounds like I will be going several more times over the next sixty days. Need to remember to deduct medical miles on this year’s income tax. Good thing I have met my out-of-pocket deductible for the year. I’ll very gladly let the insurance company pay for all the APRN and my primary doctor wants to do in the next sixty days. If they keep this up I will exceed my out-of-pocket limits for next year too.
I’m sure it isn’t as complicated as it feels to me in this moment. The nurse was probably right in saying to take it one step at a time. I like details and plans but guess I will have to put that aside and go with the flow that someone else is in charge of. Hard to give up control – especially when you don’t trust the medical field. Hard to know for sure if they are doing what is necessary or doing something so someone down the line makes more money. She didn’t use scare tactics to get me to do anything but I also didn’t decline anything other than a flu shot. Wish I felt more comfortable knowing what was absolutely necessary and what is not.
The good news of the day was my heating company called me and the burner heads came in. They sent a guy out while I was gone this afternoon to install them. I have a working furnace again! Love good service like that.
I had such a good time last night. Seven of us gathered around the fireplace inside and enjoyed a glass of wine, good food and visited with each other. It was so fun. I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends. This was Kathy’s idea and it was a good one. Need to remember to do it again. Something very healing about being in the company of other like-minded women.
One step at a time is my new mantra. All is well on the prairie!