Update Time!

It has been awhile!  In a nutshell, here is what has been going on….

I went to see my Endo in June for a follow up.  I had still been having a lot of issues with lack of energy, always sleepy, emotional (more than usual!) So, he decided to up my Synthroid dosage….again.  As my appointment was ending, he says, “Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, I am leaving the practice, and there will no longer be an Endo on staff here, so we need to get you into another Dr.”.  Part of me was excited, because I had been wanting to get in with someone in San Antonio, rather than having to drive almost to Austin for Dr. appointments.  Another part of me was nervous because I know how hard it is to get in with an Endo in San Antonio (hence why I was going out of town to begin with). 

So, I decided to try to get in with the Dr. in San Antonio that I had wanted to see from the beginning.  Wouldn’t you know, 3 ½ month waiting list.  I explained that I had a Dr. Referral, and that I needed to be seen sooner since we needed to do blood work, refill meds, etc.  Finally they scheduled me for August 10^th (this was around July 1^st).  So then I get a call cancelling my August 10^th appointment, and trying to reschedule me for October 23^rd.  I threw a fit (remember I said I was extra emotional right now???).  Long story short, they got me in due to a cancelation last Wednesday, August 1^st.

Let me start by saying I LOVE MY NEW DR.!!!  It is no wonder her waiting lists are so long.  She is wonderful.  She personally sat with me for almost an hour, going over my history, explaining her concerns about the care (or lack thereof) that I had been receiving, and she explained everything that had been going on with me in a way it had never been explained before.  In a way I could understand it, and in a way that showed me that she knew exactly what she was talking about. 

I don’t want to bash my old Dr., but he really had no clue what he was doing with me.  My new Dr. says that looking at the method of treatment he was giving me, she really didn’t think that he had dealt with many thyroid cancer cases, nor total thyroidectomies.  She was very concerned with the fact that he treated my cancer, and then that was it.  We never talked about the cancer again.  But the fact of the matter is, this cancer has a likely chance of reoccurring.  And if we aren’t vigilant with our scans, and blood work, we might not catch it early.  So the first thing she did was make a “cancer game plan” with me.  While her initial comment about the cancer reoccurring scared me, the fact that she followed that with a game plan gave me a calming feeling about it all.

The next thing she did was order A BUNCH of blood work.  She told me that she would call me with the results the following Wednesday.  So, I made myself a note to call her, because I don’t think a Dr. has ever followed up on this promise with me.  So imagine my surprise when my phone rang last night, and it was my Dr. with my results.  My first thought, “My actual Dr. is calling me, a day earlier than she said she would….must be bad news.”

But it wasn’t!  GOOD NEWS:  my tumor markers are LOW!  That is great news, and a relief to me since the Dr. was so concerned that my old Dr. hadn’t checked this since my radiation back in Jan/Feb.  Next, she is keeping my Synthroid dose where it is for now.  But she is also adding a T3 supplement.  This will only make sense to those of you who understand the thyroid issues, but basically, the Synthroid has my T4 & TSH levels in an “ok” range for my condition.  However, my T3 levels are extremely low.  (which explains the sluggish/drowsy/blah feeling that I have been having)  She says that once I start taking the T3 I will feel a BURST of energy.  She said it will be noticeable since I have been so low for so long.  I am looking forward to that!

So, what comes next?  Well, I will go back for more blood work in October.  We will check tumor markers again.  If they are still low, we will go about with our game plan.  They will also check my other levels (T3, T4, TSH) and make any adjustments to my meds that might be needed.  Then we will do that again in a couple of months.  As far as the “cancer game plan”, as long as the tumor markers stay low, I will have full body scans in January of the next 3 years (2013, ’14, ’15)  After that, it changes, but that is so far away, we will cross that bridge when we get there.  I have been told many times, by many different people, with different thyroid issues, that the most frustrating part of it all is getting your meds where they need to be.  And this will always change, because we as humans are constantly changing.  All I know is I long for the day when I feel normal again.  When I have the energy to keep my house clean.  When I can stay awake to watch a movie with my husband after the kids go to bed.  When people aren’t constantly asking me what is wrong because I always look tired, and like I am about to cry.  I long for normal.  And I know I will get normal, someday. 

How is everything else going???  GOOD!  The girls are growing and changing every day.  Brilyn starts Kindergarten in 2 ½ weeks.  She is beyond excited, and I am starting to stress about it….uniforms, school supplies, bus routes, afterschool pick up….etc.  Jacelyn will be 2 on October 1^st.  I can’t believe it.  Where have the last 2 years gone?  She is such a ham, and keeps us laughing.  She is definitely different than her big sister.  The differences in their personalities amazes me.  But they are BFFs. I see lots of memories being made between those 2.  Steve is doing good.    He is still with Preferred Landscape & Lighting and he recently got a promotion.  It is keeping him busy.  But I think that he is enjoying doing something a little different than he had been.  I guess that is all.  I will try to update in the next couple of weeks and let you all know how the new meds are working, and how Brilyn likes school!  J