Another new doctor....or two:

As I mentioned in my last post I'm looking for a new endocrinologist (http://www.hormone.org/Public/endocrinologist.cfm) and I'm now under the care of a pain management doctor.

Why a pain management doctor you ask?  Great question and I will tell you.

When I first started my blog I had made mention that I was rear ended in 2006 and that I had a right neck dissection in 2008 (second cancer surgery).  I believe I also mentioned that since I have the right neck dissection that I have been in pretty consistent pain and have been having problems with my right side.  Well, the issues aren't going away and it's getting to the point that the medication I have been on isn't working.

Well, part of my family has been trying to tell me that they feel the issues is from the car wreck.  I don't discount that isn't a part of the problem, however I feel it's caused from the 2nd surgery.  My doctor who did the second surgery told me he would have to move a nerve that goes from my neck through my shoulder in order to get all the lymph nodes that needed to be removed.

Now my wonderful husband keeps telling me...remember the doctor that did the nerve burn did say that it's possible those nerves could grow back.  That was after the wreck.  I do remember the doctor saying that but I don't remember hurting then like I do now.  That's not to say the issues I'm having now aren't being caused by both.

However, I have been a member of a wonderful Thyroid Cancer Support Group on Facebook and have asked if any other Thyroid Cancer survivors/patients have had the same issue...I quickly found that I'm not alone.  I'm not sure how common or what all the side effects are.  All I know is I'm in pain...a lot and I'm not sleep and can't get comfortable at night.  I haven't been able to sleep on my right side for two years now, I'm getting headaches, I feel that I have lost strength in my right arm and I have tingling and numbness.  When there are weather changes and it's cold is when the problems are worse (arm burns, feels twice it's size and when the wind blows and hits the back of my neck it hurts). 

My my, I sound like a baby.  I'm not, I'm just tired of hurting.

I remember after the second surgery (might have already mentioned), I couldn't lift my right arm and it was hard to open my mouth to eat or talk.  Well, two plus years later I'm still having problems.  I honestly don't remember my doctor saying the problems/issues would be life long.  I thought it would be a temporary issue and would heal on it's own.  It hasn't.

I'm still numb from my jaw down my neck....has yet to return.  And the pain...well, lets just say there is pain.

Time for honesty.  My husband for the longest time didn't believe me when I said there were still certain areas the feeling hadn't returned.  I finally had to let him pinch me in the areas that are numb for him to believe me.  It was rather funny.  I also need to admit, at my previous job I freaked out a couple of student by doing the same thing to them.  Hey, they wouldn't believe me.  Okay, time to move on.

With all this, at my last doctors appointment I finally told my doctor that I have had enough.  Now that my meds aren't touching the pain it's time to do something.  So an MRI was ordered on done, they got the results, they referred me and sent my paperwork to the pain management doctor and I have an appointment on the 29th.  The 29th can't get here fast enough!  I'm hopeing and praying I get some answers and this doctor will be able to help me.

Grand...another doctor and I still have yet to find an endocrinologist.

Not sure what else to say.  I keep thinking that cancer is the gift that keeps giving.  I hate cancer.