2013 has been an interesting year health wise. I've always been so very healthy that this year's cancer diagnosis has been quite a shock. I have heard it said that thyroid cancer is a 'good cancer'. I'm not sure that any cancer could be considered 'good'. I will say that to this point it has had very little affect on my life. I feel 100% normal with my usual energy.
Because Medullary Thyroid Cancer is so rare the primary directive is to get to a 'Center of Excellence' where they treat many "Meddies", as people with this type of cancer call themselves. I thought that would mean trips to MD Anderson in Houston or Mayo Clinic in Minnesota or Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Amazingly a doctor who is considered an expert just moved to Oregon Health Sciences University right here in Portland. I won't have to go anywhere for consultation or treatment. That is happy news.
I saw her a couple of months ago and really liked her. While my cancer marker numbers have never gone to 0 (and according to her, won't go to 0) they have stayed quite stable at around 30. Patients with a spread of the disease have counts of into the 10,000 and even higher. For now all I have to do is to have regular blood work and neck ultrasounds every six months. If the numbers start to rise or something shows up on the ultrasound, then more tests will be warranted. Most likely places where it would spread are the lymph nodes of the neck, the liver, or lungs. Even if the cancer does rear its ugly head somewhere else, it is normally a slow growing sort. Medullary Thyroid cancer is treated more like a chronic disease than a normal cancer. So for now we just wait and watch and pray.
One of George's mother's favorite hymns was "Lead Kindly Light". A phrase from the 1st verse has become my mantra.
Because Medullary Thyroid Cancer is so rare the primary directive is to get to a 'Center of Excellence' where they treat many "Meddies", as people with this type of cancer call themselves. I thought that would mean trips to MD Anderson in Houston or Mayo Clinic in Minnesota or Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Amazingly a doctor who is considered an expert just moved to Oregon Health Sciences University right here in Portland. I won't have to go anywhere for consultation or treatment. That is happy news.
I saw her a couple of months ago and really liked her. While my cancer marker numbers have never gone to 0 (and according to her, won't go to 0) they have stayed quite stable at around 30. Patients with a spread of the disease have counts of into the 10,000 and even higher. For now all I have to do is to have regular blood work and neck ultrasounds every six months. If the numbers start to rise or something shows up on the ultrasound, then more tests will be warranted. Most likely places where it would spread are the lymph nodes of the neck, the liver, or lungs. Even if the cancer does rear its ugly head somewhere else, it is normally a slow growing sort. Medullary Thyroid cancer is treated more like a chronic disease than a normal cancer. So for now we just wait and watch and pray.
One of George's mother's favorite hymns was "Lead Kindly Light". A phrase from the 1st verse has become my mantra.
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene - one step enough for me.
I'm glad things are going well!
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