LID Day #1

I had 1/2 a cup of oatmeal with some honey and blueberries for breakfast.  Wasn't as good as I thought it would be in my head...  I'll use brown sugar next time.  I think that'll be better.  And maybe cut the blueberries.  It was sour against the warm oat and honey mixture... hm.  I'll try again for breakfast tomorrow as I haven't gotten used to the LID dieting for breakfast yet.

I'm kind of lucky because I usually LOVE salads.  I prefer them over other things most times anyway.  So this diet isn't so bad as I thought it would be.

For lunch I had grilled chicken mixed green salad with balsamic vinegrette, slices of fresh cucumber and celery as snacks.  I also had half corn on the cob with some bread and honey to dip.

Afternoon, I got hungry again so I finished the other half of the corn.

Before 5, I'll probably be hungry again so I left a piece of bread and some honey left so that I could have it before I get home.

Now for dinner... damn. I don't know what to have.  It's really too hot to cook and I've just been very tired since coming back from Baltimore... *sigh.
Maybe I'll just have some fruit and call it a night.

I also have to pack up another meal for lunch to take to work tomorrow as well.

I don't mind the diet so much, but the planning is what takes work.

LID Tomorrow

I officially start my LID (low iodine diet) tomorrow.
I was told I need to just do this for a week, which technically means I could start on Thursday, but I figured I could use the first 2~3 days as practice... make sure I don't screw up!

I went out to the supermarket yesterday with C to pick up my food for the week.
Stocked up on blueberries, strawberries, celery, matzo crackers, applesauce, onions, bell peppers, fresh corn (yum! I love corn season!), etc.
I guess this could help me lose a few pounds! =)
Who knows, maybe I could also change my regular diet into a little more healthier lifestyle.

Also made whole wheat bread last night as well.  I'll be mostly living off of this bread, fruits and fresh vegetables.  Also basmati rice, when I have my carb cravings (which I normally never do).

4 more days of work and I'm outta here! Yay! Took a month off for July for my treatment and do some thinking about my future, my career goals, my path in life.  I really need this.  So I have a pretty busy week next week as well!
I decided to spend Monday with my baby sister to celebrate an early birthday (as I'll be radioactive on her actual birth date - which totally sucks)!
Tuesday, I go for a blood test and first thyrogen shot. Gonna go home after and set up the space in my living room where I'll be sleeping while radioactive.
Wednesday, second thyrogen shot. And will be meeting my friend who came down for the summer from Illinois.
Thursday - 5 mcI of RAI, scan, 100mcI RAI and go home.

Let the isolation time begin.

*

It worked out perfectly that C has a place to stay while I'm in isolation.  A great friend will be moving to a new place in a few days and offered C to stay with him while I am getting treatment.
It's a little unnerving though.  C and I've never been apart for more than 1 night in the last God-knows-how-long.  Sheesh.  I guess this will be good for me as well.  I will be taking this alone time to really figure out who I am, who I want to be, what I want to do, etc.  It's gonna be a total reflection on my life up until this moment, then into the future of who I want to be.

*

Had a tiring weekend driving to/from Baltimore to visit my new niece O.  She's such a sweet little thing.  Had a good time visiting but it's definitely not something I want to do often.  The drive is just so long and tiring.  It really drains you.

Anyway, enough blabbing I guess.  I am very tired today and I feel scatterbrained.  I am having a hard time focusing...

Blood, Bruises, and Scars. Oh my!

I went in for a blood test on Tuesday to measure my TSH levels for the first time since surgery.
I haven't gotten my results yet, I'm hoping I will soon.
Depending on these results, I would either stay on my current 112 mcg dose of Synthroid, or be lowered to 100mcg.  I am really hoping I don't have any side effects from this... This is the part I dread most.

So I go to the hospital to get my blood drawn.  It's a first come first serve basis and they opened at 8:30 a.m.
So I get there 8:30 a.m. thinking I should be 3rd, maybe 4th?
Nope. I am number 10!  Ok, well, it still shouldn't be so bad.  I had a 10:30 appointment with the Nuclear Med doctor which was moved up to 9:45.
I waited over an HOUR.  By the time my name was called, it was 9:35 a.m. 
Only 1 person drawing blood.  But she was just so SLOW!!!!!!!!
On top of that, see what she did to me?

That is the spot I drew blood.  Now, I normally bruise easy, but never in my life had I had a bruise this big.
Damn. Never going back there AGAIN!

*

Anyway, went to see the Nuc Med doctor afterwards.  He was a very nice old man.
He was very confident and that eased my mind a bit.
I am still nervous about what if they find a glowing spot in my lungs? Or my liver? What then?
He said I am low risk and that this ablation dose should most likely "cure" me.
*le sigh*

I don't like wasting my thoughts on such things, but I can't help my thoughts lingering on this...

*

I will be visiting my sister to see her newborn baby girl this weekend.
I am very excited.  I wanted to get this visit over with before I do my RAI so that I don't have to worry about contaminating my baby niece...

I'm blabbering.  I guess I'm just nervous and stressed out about my further treatments...

Ahhh.... my blood test results are still not in.
Damn.

Short Update

It's been over 6 weeks since surgery and I've been doing well.
It was quite a pain in the butt to try to schedule RAI but it's finally done.
I go for 2 days for Thyrogen and 100mci of radioactive iodine starting July 6th.
It's been an annoying, hectic, stressful journey, but I'm glad I am seeing the little light at the end...
I know the full battle isn't over yet, but I have hope.
The Nuclear Medicine doctor was very nice and assuring about my very low chance of reoccurence, that judging by my files, I should be "cured" after this treatment. 

"Cured."

Whatever that means...

It's just a hassle.  Having to always make sure my meds are in check, always making sure to make appointments with doctors on time to make sure I don't run out of meds.  Planning my days, vacations, holidays around these things.  It's a nightmare come true.  But I'm here.  Alive and well.

I read lots of blogs/support groups/etc about surviving Thyroid Cancer and a lot of people go through hell from the getgo.
I was fortunate enough to feel absolutely no change mentally/emotionally throughout this life altering event and is continuously thankful for this. 
I did meet with an Endocrinologist 2 Saturdays ago, and she wants to lower my Synthroid to 100mcg in August.  I am currently on 112 mcg but apparently this is too high for someone my size/height/weight.  I am crossing my fingers that this doesn't affect me in anyway... All these things that I now have to worry about.  It really sucks, but I guess this isn't as bad as it could be.

I've been just busy trying to make it through work everyday, waiting for all this to be over.
I am taking a month break from work next month while doing RAI so I am very looking forward to that. 
It'll be like a well deserved break.  It would be nice if C and I could go on vacation but that won't happen as 2 weeks I'll try to avoid people due to RAI and I actually start pastry school right after that.
I do have much to look forward to in the next coming weeks.

Through this crappy cancer experience, it has taught me so much and I am much a different person due to that.
I appreciate my life, want more out of it and realize that I needed this push to change the course of direction I was headed. 
I guess I was afraid to take chances, make life changing decisions, but now my mind is made.
Once RAI is over, I will be posting a lot more about my new journey in the world of food, any changes in my life due to this cancer, and my future career changes. 
I am very excited for my future endeavors and cannot wait to share it with the world!

Here is a photo of my scar taken on 6/19.  It gets redder when I get hot but mostly it's just like this.
Not bad for 6 weeks, huh?