Thyroid Cancer : Part Three
So much has happened medically and physically since I wrote my last thyroid post.
I had to be on a strict low/no iodine diet for three weeks. The first week was fine but it got really old the final two weeks.
A week and a half ago, I received two injections that reversed my thyroid medication on Monday and Tuesday morning. That Wednesday, I went to Nuclear Medicine to take my 104mCi pill of I-131 that made me radioactive.
I drove home with gloves and a towel over my seat because the radiation leaves your body through your pores.
I immediately went to my room where I had to be in complete isolation. Side note: I got a a lot of questions about how I ate. I felt sick most of the time but, when I did eat, Andrew would leave food at the door. He would then text me when he was downstairs and I would go open the door and grab it.
All my clothes were laid out for the week and I wore slippers so my feet didn't touch the carpet. I covered a lot of handles (toilet, doors, shower, etc.) with rubber gloves just to make the cleaning process a little easier.
I didn't feel horrible right away but was pretty nauseous. I couldn't sleep....ever...and got about 5 hours a night and couldn't nap. My face and neck were very swollen, I was achy, and I didn't want to eat much. Sometimes, all I could do was lay there or listen to music.
My salivary glands got really messed up during treatment though and I still don't have my full taste back. They say to suck on lemon drops (which I did religiously) but I'm pretty sure it didn't do anything.
Radioactive iodine kicked my butt though. Not in a horrible, barfing way but more in an exhausted, nauseous, lonely, achy way. With my personality, it was hard not to tackle my to-do list :( But man, oh, man, did I journal a lot, listen to worship, and pray through so much. Basically, it was like a week of counseling with the Holy Spirit...while wanting to puke every hour.
The boys were well taken care of, too, and had 7 different people and couples come over to love on them!
We are SO grateful for our community here already and can't believe God has brought so many people into our lives in such a short time. The southern hospitality is real and these friendships are deep. We are so thankful for you guys who helped. And not just those who watched the kids, but those who brought dinners, sent care packages, and even got me things to do while I was isolated. You know who you are and we love you so much!
Towards the end of treatment, I was able to lift my window up and talk to the boys in the backyard while they were playing. That was literally the highlight of my week. They bring so much joy to our lives and it was healing to just hear them squeal when they were playing with water balloons and laugh when they threw one at daddy :)
After treatment was over (6 full days), I had to clean everything and be super thorough. I shoved everything I wore, used, or slept on (linens, wash cloths, towels, etc.) into a garbage bag and let it sit outside for a week. Afterwards, I had to wash it all in the washing machine twice. Finally, I ran the wash on empty twice to make sure all radiation was cleared. Everything else that I touched, I cleaned or wiped down.
Over all, the worst part for me was feeling so nauseous and being away from family.
But it's over and I'm SO THANKFUL. I pray I never have to go through that again...ever. Now I'm healing from treatment and celebrating Wesley's 5th birthday with my grandparents in town!!! Next step....PET scan.