Re: New Cancer Patient - Issues

[Guest guest]

Hi -

I'm very familiar with the " I'm too young and way too healthy to have

cancer " thoughts. I was diagnosed in April of 2000 when I was 28. I

had just run the Boston Marathon 2 1/2 weeks earlier which was my 3rd

marathon in 10 months. I was feeling at my peak in terms of health.

One of the ironic things was I ran my first marathon with Team in

Training and raised over $5000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

One of my friends from the event made a comment that he could do his

next race for me and it totally freaked me out. I felt like my kind

of cancer was not nearly as terrible as the little 7 year old girl who

had leukemia that I had done my marathon for not to mention the fact

that I was still having trouble grasping the fact that I had cancer.

First off, I'm thankful that I was in such good shape because I think

it made a huge difference in the healing process. As far as the

medication, I have not really had any problems. I think it just

depends because I've read posts here about it taking months, maybe

even a year to get the medication right. For me I only had to make

one adjustment and that was just based on labs not because I was

feeling bad or anything. Recently though, I'm wondering if increased

activity can have an affect. Up until now I have continued to workout

but nothing too major. Now I'm training for my first triathlon and

working out 5-6 times a week. I notice that I'm feeling a little

weird lately and am anxious to get my labwork done so I can see where

I'm at. I'll let you know when I do that and talk to my Dr.

As far as being a cancer survivor, I think it takes some time to come

to terms with it all. When it's all still so new and you are going

through tests and surgery and drinking radioactive stuff out of a 30

lb lead container that a technician is barely able to hold (I don't

know if you had to do this since you had a lower dose but when I was

in hospital isolation that is how I received my dose), it's hard to

see past that word...cancer. You look in the mirror and see this 8

1/2 inch smiley scar across your neck and think how am I ever going to

hide this! I'm at the point where I see nothing to hide, but that

didn't happen overnight. I was very angry that this whole thing

happened to me in the first place. I felt like it was messing up all

my plans and ruining my life. Keeping a sense of humor and positive

attitude was essential for me. Life-long monitoring is just something

we have to accept, but it doesn't mean you can't live your life.

Stay Active!!

Lara

5/00 pap ca TT w/ neck dissection

6/00 152 mCi RAI

6/01 Clean Scan

> Greetings, All ~

>

> My name is and I'm brand new to this list, so, please excuse any

> inadvertent faux-pas I may make, and also, I don't know all of the

correct

> medical terms and dosages, as you all seem to, being I'm very new to

all of

> this business and still learning!!

>

> I was diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma on 3/14/02,

following the

> excision of a thyro-glossal duct cyst on 3/7/02 that had come up

benign on

> the initial cyst aspiration pathology. The focus of cancer was very

small,

> and the ensuing thyroid MRI was clear, but as a necessary precaution, I

> underwent a total thyroidectomy and exploratory surgery on 3/28/02 -

which

> showed a small focus of cancer in the left lobe of my thyroid, but

no other

> areas of spread were detected. I started Cytomel immediately after the

> surgery and then stopped it 9 days prior to my I-131 treatment, which I

> underwent yesterday afternoon, 4/24/02, and which was a very low

dose - 50

> something or other. I follow-up the treatment with a full body scan (for

> gamma radiation) in one week. Both my Endocrinologist and Nuclear

Medicine

> Docs feel very confident that this will be the last of my thyroid

cancer,

> and that my risk for recurrence is very low - which is all great

news!! : )

> But even so, doubts still linger, and the emotional effects of being

> diagnosed with " The Big C " have been difficult to grapple with.

>

> I am writing to bring up a few subjects that have been bothering me,

and see

> if anyone else has also been plagued by these troublesome thoughts,

or, who

> might have some advice for me. I realize, of course, that everyone's

> experiences are different, and won't necessarily match my own. Thank

you in

> advance for your time!! : )

>

> 1) I'm very concerned about my life-long thyroid replacement

therapy, and

> it's effects on my metabolism (specifically, weight control, energy

levels,

> fertility issues), as I am an extremely active and athletic gal, and

want to

> be a mom some day (soon!) (Btw, I haven't resumed my thyroid medication

> yet - will start this Sat., 4/27, with a new medication - can't

remember the

> name of it.) Has anyone had problems with proper regulation of their med

> levels, and if so, how was eventual regulation obtained? How did

improper

> levels affect you?? Or, is this such an exact science that I won't even

> notice my thyroid is gone??! (So far, I haven't really noticed any

> significant effects.)

>

> 2) This may sound silly - but I'm concerned about my cat while I'm

currently

> " Radioactive Girl " !! : } The Doc said she can stay with me, but to

avoid

> contact with her for three days, and don't let her sleep on my bed -

which

> is proving difficult, but we're making it. Has anyone heard of any

> statistics on the danger to pets following an I-131 treatment??

>

> 3) I've been having moderate to severe vision disturbances in my

left eye -

> ever since my TT surgery. I've been to my ophthalmologist twice

already, and

> he said my vision is right on, and he doesn't know what's causing the

> disturbances, neither does my Endocrinologist. Has anyone else

experienced

> this?? Or, any ideas on what's causing this?? (It's very

bothersome!! Sort

> of feels like muscle strain.)

>

> 4) Now that all of the worst parts are over, I've started freaking

out over

> being labeled with the term " Cancer Survivor " and all that this

implies (and

> I also feel silly for getting so upset, when my form of cancer has

been so

> " mellow " compared to what it could have been - breast cancer, testicular

> cancer, etc.) But I keep thinking - How can this be?? This isn't

me!! In the

> words of a " Talking Heads " song, " This is not my beautiful life!! "

Cancer

> wasn't supposed to be part of my life story!! I'm young, extremely

healthy,

> very active - how could this happen to me??!! And I'm pretty much okay

> during the days, but at night, everything closes in on me and my

anxieties

> run wild - it's a very scary time!! I'm starting to dread sundown!!

Anyway,

> I was just wondering how others of you are coping with your

diagnosis and

> life-long cancer monitoring, and how you've obtained the emotional

support

> you've needed to accept and deal with your situation (other than

this list,

> of course!) Should I seek out a counselor who specializes in the

recovery

> from serious diseases?? (I'm near Los Angeles, CA, btw.)

>

> Once again, thank you very much for your time and any comments you

may have

> will be greatly appreciated!! : )

>

> ~ : )

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

> Has anyone had problems with proper regulation of their med levels,

> and if so, how was eventual regulation obtained?

I suspect that many of us had problems getting our meds regulated at

the beginning. It's a trial-and-error process, and since each trial

takes 6-8 weeks it can be a frustrating experience for the patient.

If you take the same dose of meds conscientiously for 8 weeks and

still don't feel " right " at the end of that time, ask your doctor to

do a blood test and adjust the dose. Repeat every 8 weeks until you

feel like yourself again (if your doctor gets tired of this drill, it's

up to you to insist).

> 2) This may sound silly - but I'm concerned about my cat while I'm currently

> " Radioactive Girl " !!

It's not silly at all; you can easily ablate your cat's thyroid if

you're not careful. Keep her well away from your neck and don't touch

her food or her bowls with your bare hands (if there's nobody else who

can feed her for you, wear gloves when handling her food and water

bowls and the litter box). The easiest way to keep her safe for a few

days is to keep a closed door between you at all times. The cat won't

like it, but she'll forgive you eventually :-).

> 3) I've been having moderate to severe vision disturbances in my left eye -

> ever since my TT surgery.

You don't say what kind of vision disturbances you're experiencing.

When I'm off meds (hypo) I always have terrible problems with blurred

vision. I don't focus very well, and changing focus from near to far

doesn't work at all. It's very annoying, but the ophthalmologist

never finds anything amiss and my vision always clears up on its own

after I've been back on meds for a few weeks.

> I'm pretty much okay during the days, but at night, everything

> closes in on me and my anxieties run wild - it's a very scary time!!

I can relate; I coped well during the day, but my nights were pretty

awful for a while after my dx. I was beginning to think that I'd

never be able to lie down and just go to sleep without exhausting

myself with thoughts of death and debility first. But it passed.

I think everyone who's diagnosed with a serious illness experiences

these anxieties. My personal choice was not to attempt to medicate

them away as long as they weren't impairing my ability to function.

By and by I noticed that I was still alive and feeling more like

myself every day, and the nighttime anxiety faded away on its own.

I think it's one of those rites of passage that all cancer patients

have to go through :-(.

> Should I seek out a counselor who specializes in the recovery

> from serious diseases??

Only you can answer that question. It can be very important to your

recovery to be able to talk to someone about your feelings. If you're

lucky enough to have a friend or relative who can listen sympathetically,

that may be enough. If not, finding a support group or a professional

counselor may be a good idea. The hospital where you had your

treatment would be a good place to enquire, as many now offer support

services for cancer patients.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

ellen

--

mailto:ellen@...

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I am going to start with your last question because I think it will

offer you the most stability as a new patient. Before seeing a

therapist, attend the local thyca meeting where everyone there has had

the surgery, RAI and fears that you have.There is a meeting this

weekend in Calabassas It will go a long way to inspiring you!! Check

out www.thyca.org and look at the local support to find the meeting

nearest you! And certainly attend the conference next Oct. in LA!

After an RAI treatment it takes time for the level to reach suppression

0.10. No two patients are identical in their response but all feel

fine....eventually! For some it is a month, others 2 months and we've

even had some much longer than that.

With regard to your cat, you need to keep that pet away from you and

the contaminated area. Their thyroid can be damaged from your

contamination. My son in law is a vet and he told me they isolate cats

who receive RAI treatment ( cats are prone to thyroid disease).

There is a period of adjustment for all cancer patients reckoning with

the hard facts. You are barely out of the gate so it is understandable

all the pent up worries you have. But once you get through that,

understand the ongoing treatment and learn all that you can about the

disease, thyca just becomes an extension of your daily needs. You need

to take a pill everyday, you need to be vigilant about changes and you

need to make sure you are followed correctly. I've been at this now for

34 years. The alternative would not have been very desireable. Life

does return to normal. If you think it's difficult considering

yourself a cancer survivor right now....you won't in time. Cancer has a

way of adding pluses to our lives that we never imagined. You have to

live it to understand the changes. I honestly feel my life has been

changed for the better as a result of having had cancer and I know

there are others on this list who feel the same way. But that feeling

takes time, it doesn't happen overnight. For some of us who are long

term survivors there was no such thing as a support group or even

another thyca patient to speak to. I went 30 years before I met

another thyca patient. So even out there alone with no support

patients get through the trauma of the diagnosis and get on with

leading a normal life. I'm sure, with your excellent prognosis, this

is exactly what will happen to you. Have faith!!

Gail

dx: 1968, TT, pap. & foll. well differentiated

w/hurthle cell, RAI, rad.neck dissection,lung surgery,

hashimoto, tg antibody 575, iodine resistant,existing

thyca nodules in lungs. Last surgery 1972

> . I started Cytomel immediately after the

> surgery and then stopped it 9 days prior to my I-131 treatment, which

>>

> 1) I'm very concerned about my life-long thyroid replacement therapy, and

> it's effects on my metabolism (specifically, weight control, energy levels,

> fertility issues), as I am an extremely active and athletic gal, and want to

> be a mom some day (soon!) (Btw, I haven't resumed my thyroid medication

> yet - will start this Sat., 4/27, with a new medication - can't remember the

> name of it.) Has anyone had problems with proper regulation of their med

> levels, and if so, how was eventual regulation obtained? How did improper

> levels affect you?? Or, is this such an exact science that I won't even

> notice my thyroid is gone??! (So far, I haven't really noticed any

> significant effects.)

>

> 2) This may sound silly - but I'm concerned about my cat while I'm currently

> " Radioactive Girl " !! : } The Doc said she can stay with me, but to avoid

> contact with her for three days, and don't let her sleep on my bed - which

> is proving difficult, but we're making it. Has anyone heard of any

> statistics on the danger to pets following an I-131 treatment??

>

> 3) I've been having moderate to severe vision disturbances in my left eye -

> ever since my TT surgery. I've been to my ophthalmologist twice already, and

> he said my vision is right on, and he doesn't know what's causing the

> disturbances, neither does my Endocrinologist. Has anyone else experienced

> this?? Or, any ideas on what's causing this?? (It's very bothersome!! Sort

> of feels like muscle strain.)

>

> 4) Now that all of the worst parts are over, I've started freaking out over

> being labeled with the term " Cancer Survivor " and all that this implies (and

> I also feel silly for getting so upset, when my form of cancer has been so

> " mellow " compared to what it could have been - breast cancer, testicular

> cancer, etc.) But I keep thinking - How can this be?? This isn't me!! In the

> words of a " Talking Heads " song, " This is not my beautiful life!! " Cancer

> wasn't supposed to be part of my life story!! I'm young, extremely healthy,

> very active - how could this happen to me??!! And I'm pretty much okay

> during the days, but at night, everything closes in on me and my anxieties

> run wild - it's a very scary time!! I'm starting to dread sundown!! Anyway,

> I was just wondering how others of you are coping with your diagnosis and

> life-long cancer monitoring, and how you've obtained the emotional support

> you've needed to accept and deal with your situation (other than this list,

> of course!) Should I seek out a counselor who specializes in the recovery

> from serious diseases?? (I'm near Los Angeles, CA, btw.)

>

> Once again, thank you very much for your time and any comments you may have

> will be greatly appreciated!! : )

>

> ~ : )

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear :

i was dx 9-01follic/with METs to bones ! i did have a healthy life style

never smoke drink or did any drugs loved life and all people around !'-)

cancer had no right to be in my life but it is ! thanx God it is thy ca and

not the other kinds!

how i feel is to be grateful to be here! everyday i wake up i thank God for

another day! Every moment with my kids / friends and family or here with my

thyca buddy is blessing!

I used to say if I don't win lottery ticket its OK as long as I don't have

some other awful thing happen to me '-) so now I expect to win the lotto too!

Jolie /ca/ l.a,

goo Lakerssssssss ;-))

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

> I was just wondering how others of you are coping with your

> diagnosis and life-long cancer monitoring...(snip)

I was diagnosed a few weeks before my 16th birthday, in my final

school year. Even though back then my family and doctors couldn't

bring themselves to mention the " C " word, I saw the future I had

dreamed for myself shutting down before me, but oddly, because people

didn't talk about cancer back then, and because I had no more

problems after recovering from surgery, it took me only a short while

to " forget " about it.

That was more than 36 years ago - years in which I completed school

and university on schedule, married, embarked on an ambitious career,

and had two wonderful and healthy children. And became a fitness and

aerobics freak a bit late in life, in my 40's.

When I had a recurrence 17 years later I found the " cancer " diagnosis

even more difficult to deal with because by then I had a one-year-old

child. As one doctor said to me " You've been confronted with your own

mortality " . The acknowledgment that someone understood how I felt

helped me take the first step towards recovery. I feel that far from

damaging my life, my life has - is - all the richer for the

experience.

Wishing you a beautiful and healthy life,

Judith (in Holland)

dx 1965 T4-N1-M0 pap thy ca

PT London 09/1965

TT The Netherlands 04/1982

RAI 75 mCi The Netherlands 04/1982

clean WBS 09/1982

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Most of your concerns have been addressed, but I wanted to chime in and say that

I too, am a long term survivor and I'll wear the shirt proudly as I walk the

survivor's lap of our local Relay for Life next week. I was diagnosed at age 21.

I use to think that I didn't have the " right " to think about the big " C " word,

(it wasn't discussed back then) but to go ahead and live life. There is no

" worse than " case scenerio. Cancer is cancer and I also thought I would die in

the beginning. Ours is usually more responsive to treatment than other forms.

The lifelong followup is inconvenient at best, but very doable, especially with

the support of this group.

Regarding your concern about starting a family, it is advised to wait 6 months

to one year out from your RAI treatment to get pregnant. Then your TSH will need

followed while pregnant as you will more than likely need an increase in your

thyroid medicine during the pregnancy. There are several posts on pregnancy at

the group site:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thyca

A thorough checkup after giving birth is also a good thing.

I've never had a giant problem becoming stabilized on meds. I worked strenuous

jobs after thyca, raised a family and now I'm enjoying my grandchildren. I

hardly missed a beat and never knew my thyroid was missing except for the scar.

Like Gail said, find a ThyCa support group. People there (and here) know where

you have been.

Best wishes,

in OH

=====

1965 Radical TT, P/F thyca, No RAI, HPTH

1982 Recurrence in neck & chest, RAI 176 mCi

2001 Clean scan

2002- 37 years survivorship

[Guest guest]

> Now that all of the worst parts are over, I've started freaking out

>over being labeled with the term " Cancer Survivor " and all that this

>implies (and I also feel silly for getting so upset, when my form of

>cancer has been so " mellow " compared to what it could have been -

>breast cancer, testicular cancer, etc.)

,

You're absolutely correct; it could have been alot worse. And while

thyca patients bristle,(and justifiably so), when a non-cancer

patient says this, the fact remains that compared to my mother's bone

cancer or my father's stomach cancer, or most other cancers, your

prognosis is excellent.

Regards,

Miami, FL

[Guest guest]

> Greetings, All ~

>

> My name is and I'm brand new to this list

Hi , welcome.. you've come to a great place for information and

support.

1) I'm very concerned about my life-long thyroid replacement

therapy, and

> it's effects on my metabolism (specifically, weight control, energy

levels,

> fertility issues), as I am an extremely active and athletic gal,

and want to

> be a mom some day (soon!) (Btw, I haven't resumed my thyroid

medication

> yet - will start this Sat., 4/27, with a new medication - can't

remember the

> name of it.) Has anyone had problems with proper regulation of

their med

> levels, and if so, how was eventual regulation obtained? How did

improper

> levels affect you?? Or, is this such an exact science that I won't

even

> notice my thyroid is gone??! (So far, I haven't really noticed any

> significant effects.)

It took me months to get to the right level, but it wasn't too bad a

journey, each dosage change takes 6 weeks to level off in the system

and then for me, my TSH was still too high so i had another change,

all in all it was 4 dose changes so 24 weeks or so. Now 2 1/2 years

later, I forget that i don't have a thyroid, one pill in the morning

and it seems so routine. And I'm as active as ever. I'm heavy but I

don't blame that on the thyroid, I've always been a chunky person, my

weight is the same as it was before i was diagnosed.

> 2) This may sound silly - but I'm concerned about my cat while I'm

currently

> " Radioactive Girl " !! : } The Doc said she can stay with me, but

to avoid

> contact with her for three days, and don't let her sleep on my bed -

which

> is proving difficult, but we're making it. Has anyone heard of any

> statistics on the danger to pets following an I-131 treatment??

I don't have any statistics, but I know they use I131 to ablate the

thyroid of cats who are hyperthyroid. I keep all my pets away from

me when I'm " GLOWING " - when I had my 60mci RAI, the cats were locked

out of my room for a week and they were mad and picketing, but they

got over it, they don't know it yet, but they're out in the hall next

Wed when i get my scanning dose.

>

> 3) I've been having moderate to severe vision disturbances in my

left eye -

> ever since my TT surgery. I've been to my ophthalmologist twice

already, and

> he said my vision is right on, and he doesn't know what's causing

the

> disturbances, neither does my Endocrinologist. Has anyone else

experienced

> this?? Or, any ideas on what's causing this?? (It's very

bothersome!! Sort

> of feels like muscle strain.)

When I'm hypo I find my eyes get drifty, its like i need new glasses,

i think its caused by the extra fluid build up in being hypo.

>

Anyway, I was just wondering how others of you are coping with your

diagnosis and

> life-long cancer monitoring, and how you've obtained the emotional

support

> you've needed to accept and deal with your situation (other than

this list,

> of course!)

This gets better with time, each day you live as a survivor is proof

to your body and your state of mind that this really is " your

beautiful life " and that it will continue. Right now, it seems like a

mountainous tower in the road of life, it will become more of a hill,

then a speed bump, then a pothole, finally just rough pavement in the

road of life.. Time and distance from it helps. I really only think

about it when I have an appointment or am queing up for a scan - (its

hard NOT to think of the LID :-)

See if you can go to a live thyca group meeting. I found for me,

although I think i only went once, it made a big difference to meet

other living, breathing, walking around, people who had been through

the same thing.

Good luck,

Welcome

barb

tt 8/99 RAI 4/00 Clean Scan 12/00 Thyrogen Scan next Friday...

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Being diagnosed with cancer, especially at a young

age, is a tough one. I was diagnosed with breast

cancer in 1993 at age 44 with a 10 year old! I had a

modified radical mastectomy with reconstruction and 6

months of chemotherapy during which I lost all my

hair, was nauseous constantly and gained 20 lbs (which

I had recently lost). Needless to say it was and is a

devastating diagnosis. However, I have been in

remission for 8 years with a good prognosis, if that

is possible with breast cancer.

In Dec, 2001, I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid

cancer and had a total thyroidectomy. Although a TT

usually results in 95% cure, it is still cancer - not

a " good " cancer like everyone will tell you, but a

" treatable " one. (this is something I learned from

the good people on this site). Another devastating

blow, nonetheless.

My breast cancer diagnosis sent me into such anger

that it almost ruined my marriage and my life. I did

not even realize I was as angry as I was until one of

my breast cancer support buddies asked me why I was so

angry. I stayed in that state for 2-1/2 years and

survived, but not very happily. Then, in what I can

only describe as a " born again " experience (I am not

even Christian), I decided I had had enough and felt

the anger actually leave my body. It started from my

feet and went out throuch my head. Sounds weird, I

know. But boy, did it feel good.

Having breast cancer has taught me how to deal with

other crises, like thryoid cancer. Although I cannot

forget either cancer, the thoughts will eventually

move from the forefront of your daily life, slowly to

the background. It is not an easy process. You have

to be the one to do it and it is way to early in your

illness to even think about doing it. But, it will

happen. Until then, you have to decide whether to be

crazy or not. I always say having cancer is like

walking a tightrope. It is very easy to slip off and

let it make you crazy. You have to work very hard to

prevent it and only you can do it.

I hope I have not been too much of a " downer " . I have

gone through so much in the past 8 years and have

survived and become a stronger person for it. With

hard work, you can too!

Good luck.

Bette

TT 12/01 pap/ w/fol var

RAI 4/24/02 60 mCi

TBS scheduled 4/30/02

--- Cohen wrote:

> Greetings, All ~

>

> My name is and I'm brand new to this list, so,

> please excuse any

> inadvertent faux-pas I may make, and also, I don't

> know all of the correct

> medical terms and dosages, as you all seem to, being

> I'm very new to all of

> this business and still learning!!

>

> I was diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma on

> 3/14/02, following the

> excision of a thyro-glossal duct cyst on 3/7/02 that

> had come up benign on

> the initial cyst aspiration pathology. The focus of

> cancer was very small,

> and the ensuing thyroid MRI was clear, but as a

> necessary precaution, I

> underwent a total thyroidectomy and exploratory

> surgery on 3/28/02 - which

> showed a small focus of cancer in the left lobe of

> my thyroid, but no other

> areas of spread were detected. I started Cytomel

> immediately after the

> surgery and then stopped it 9 days prior to my I-131

> treatment, which I

> underwent yesterday afternoon, 4/24/02, and which

> was a very low dose - 50

> something or other. I follow-up the treatment with a

> full body scan (for

> gamma radiation) in one week. Both my

> Endocrinologist and Nuclear Medicine

> Docs feel very confident that this will be the last

> of my thyroid cancer,

> and that my risk for recurrence is very low - which

> is all great news!! : )

> But even so, doubts still linger, and the emotional

> effects of being

> diagnosed with " The Big C " have been difficult to

> grapple with.

>

> I am writing to bring up a few subjects that have

> been bothering me, and see

> if anyone else has also been plagued by these

> troublesome thoughts, or, who

> might have some advice for me. I realize, of course,

> that everyone's

> experiences are different, and won't necessarily

> match my own. Thank you in

> advance for your time!! : )

>

> 1) I'm very concerned about my life-long thyroid

> replacement therapy, and

> it's effects on my metabolism (specifically, weight

> control, energy levels,

> fertility issues), as I am an extremely active and

> athletic gal, and want to

> be a mom some day (soon!) (Btw, I haven't resumed my

> thyroid medication

> yet - will start this Sat., 4/27, with a new

> medication - can't remember the

> name of it.) Has anyone had problems with proper

> regulation of their med

> levels, and if so, how was eventual regulation

> obtained? How did improper

> levels affect you?? Or, is this such an exact

> science that I won't even

> notice my thyroid is gone??! (So far, I haven't

> really noticed any

> significant effects.)

>

> 2) This may sound silly - but I'm concerned about my

> cat while I'm currently

> " Radioactive Girl " !! : } The Doc said she can stay

> with me, but to avoid

> contact with her for three days, and don't let her

> sleep on my bed - which

> is proving difficult, but we're making it. Has

> anyone heard of any

> statistics on the danger to pets following an I-131

> treatment??

>

> 3) I've been having moderate to severe vision

> disturbances in my left eye -

> ever since my TT surgery. I've been to my

> ophthalmologist twice already, and

> he said my vision is right on, and he doesn't know

> what's causing the

> disturbances, neither does my Endocrinologist. Has

> anyone else experienced

> this?? Or, any ideas on what's causing this?? (It's

> very bothersome!! Sort

> of feels like muscle strain.)

>

> 4) Now that all of the worst parts are over, I've

> started freaking out over

> being labeled with the term " Cancer Survivor " and

> all that this implies (and

> I also feel silly for getting so upset, when my form

> of cancer has been so

> " mellow " compared to what it could have been -

> breast cancer, testicular

> cancer, etc.) But I keep thinking - How can this

> be?? This isn't me!! In the

> words of a " Talking Heads " song, " This is not my

> beautiful life!! " Cancer

> wasn't supposed to be part of my life story!! I'm

> young, extremely healthy,

> very active - how could this happen to me??!! And

> I'm pretty much okay

> during the days, but at night, everything closes in

> on me and my anxieties

> run wild - it's a very scary time!! I'm starting to

> dread sundown!! Anyway,

> I was just wondering how others of you are coping

> with your diagnosis and

> life-long cancer monitoring, and how you've obtained

> the emotional support

> you've needed to accept and deal with your situation

> (other than this list,

> of course!) Should I seek out a counselor who

> specializes in the recovery

> from serious diseases?? (I'm near Los Angeles, CA,

> btw.)

>

> Once again, thank you very much for your time and

> any comments you may have

> will be greatly appreciated!! : )

>

> ~ : )

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

trejolie10@... wrote:

Dear :

i was dx 9-01follic/with METs to bones ! i did have a healthy life style

never smoke drink or did any drugs loved life and all people around !'-)

cancer had no right to be in my life but it is ! thanx God it is thy ca and

not the other kinds!

how i feel is to be grateful to be here! everyday i wake up i thank God for

another day! Every moment with my kids / friends and family or here with my

thyca buddy is blessing!

I used to say if I don't win lottery ticket its OK as long as I don't have

some other awful thing happen to me '-) so now I expect to win the lotto too!

Jolie /ca/ l.a,

goo Lakerssssssss ;-))