After my one year scan, we scheduled another scan for the following year during the summer. During the summer of 2011 we were planning another trip to Maine to see Paul's family so I had called the Stillwater Cancer Care Center to see when my scan was going to be. They were wanting to do it while I was on vacation, I didn't want to be on the low-iodine while in Maine. Well, come to find out they were out of the Thyrogen and they weren't sure when more would be delivered...so my appointment was going to be moved to the early part fall. Perfect...I will be back from vacation by then. But there was a down side...there was going to be a chance that I will be on the low-iodine diet during football. UGH, terrible...on that diet during football...looks like I have no choice. Gotta do what you gotta do...right?
Paul and I went on vacation and of course had a great time. Saw some new things that we missed on the year before and we spent more time in Boston. I have really fallen in love with that city. I don't want to live there but I do love visiting.
When we got home (easier than last year) I recieved a call from the Stillwater Cancer Care Center...they still don't have any Thyrogen. You have got to be kidding me. My nurse said that it had something to do with it being on back order. My poor mom kept trying to blame the Cancer Care Center, but they weren't at fault. It was the manufacture company. My nurse wasn't sure what all was going on and neither did the customer rep, so I decided to google Thyrogen and the company that makes it. Apparently the FDA shut down delivery because the medicine was contaminated and the manufacturer had to clean things up before more could be made and delivered. What type of contamination, where, ect., the company did not have to disclose that information according to the FDA website. Just one more thing I didn't understand about all this cancer stuff. So, we continue to wait.
I finally got a call in October to come in and talk to my doctor. It was yet another doctor...I really don't think I ever saw my original Oncologist after the first year. The Cancer Care Center was changing protocol and those of us who are/were considered stable patients were going to be released and refered to another doctor. They had no idea when more Thyrogen would be delivered and if a patient comes in with a diagnosis of Thyroide Cancer they would have top priority on the medicine. I totally understood that. I then got refered to an Endocrinologist within the Mercy Health Care System.
My appointment was scheduled for December. WhooHooo I didn't have to go through football on the low-iodine diet. The new doctor did some blood work and scheduled an ultra-sound of my neck. I went back in around the middle to end of December to get the results. That is when my heart sank. My blood work showed that the cancer was coming back. My tumor level was higher than the doctor liked. Now, the problem was the doctor didn't know if that was normal for me, or to high...nothing. He asked if I knew what I had been showing and of course I didn't. I asked what my paperwork said and he said according to my file the Cancer Care Center never did blood work. Well I knew that wasn't true. I have had blood drawn a number of times....why didn't they get my whole file? Yet another question. Seems like I have more questions than answers.
Well, this wasn't the news I wanted to hear right before Christmas. So, I was going to have to go through the scan....again I was so scared I would have to go off the Synthroid. The doctor said not to worry about that just yet. He was going to have his nurse call and see if Mercy had the Thyrogen before we went any further and that I would get a call with an answer and we get things scheduled at that time.
Now, while all this was going on I had recieved a call for a job interview. Yep, I was looking for a new job. I had decided not to say anything to my potential new boss until I had dates confirmed and wanted to wait until I knew if I had the job or not. The "C" word is such a tricky thing. You never really know when to mention it when it comes to interviews and possible new jobs. So I decided to wait until I heard from my new nurse. I went to my interview and a couple of days later I accepted the position.
Good news...Mercy has Thyrogen!!! Yes, I can stay on the Synthroid. Bad news...my new doctor wanted me on the low-iodine diet after Christmas and I have a new job. Wait, how am I going to go to the Fiesta Bowl AND be on the diet. That is not going to work. I have never been to Arizona and this is a BCS bowl. I want to be able to have a good time. I told Paul I didn't know what to do. We talked back and forth on what to do...we had the tickets, hotel booked and paid...Ugh. So I asked my dad if he wanted to go in my place and he said no. I also had to decide how I was going to tell my new boss about the Thyroid Cancer and that there was a chance it had come back. Oh boy...what do I do.
I ended up calling the nurse back and asked...if I promise to start the diet on my way home from the game can we still do the scan with the dates she gave me. The dates I had would be perfect. I would have everything over but getting the results before I started my new job. She called back and the doctor said if I promised to start the diet on the way home we could leave the dates alone and not change anything. Yes, I was able to wait. Nice, I can be done with the scan before I start my new job and I can start the diet on my way back from AZ. Praise the Lord!!!!
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