Monday, January 24, 2011

Emotional Weather Report

Here we are, pretty much in the thick of it. Exactly three weeks into my diet, starting my week of treatment, and I've got PMS. Sweet.

The diet is really so unfun, and I've totally been letting myself complain about it. Normally I feel like a jerk if I whine about anything - but I think it's allowed right now, and at any rate there's a point soon at which the diet will be over and all complaining will cease. Because I'll be too busy eating.

The ridiculousness of the situation is that it's a pretty darn healthy diet. It renders me effectively vegan, (tho I also can't eat soy.) But the kicker is that I also can't eat anything that might contain iodized salt. Since it's nearly impossible to tell for certain what contains it, and iodized salt is pretty much the worst thing I could consume right now, I can't eat in restaurants or eat anything that has "salt" anywhere in its ingredients list. This is everything sold in grocery stores. Seriously, I think there's a conspiracy at work by the salt industry. (Ok, not seriously. But why does everything have salt in it?! Crazy.)

Add to this the fact that I suck at meal planning even on a good day, and you may get an idea of the constant frustration I face. I'm fortunate in that I have a fridge full of fresh food, but somehow I never feel quite prepared to cook a tasty meal. I've muddled thru, tho - and this diet has gotten me & JB eating much healthier - we were eating pale overcooked food on a regular basis, now it's sauteed kale and homemade salsa fresca for us. Let's hope this all sticks. I'm sure I said something similar last time, but if this is the worst that life hands me, well, I'm one lucky duck. Forced to cook healthy food at home. Boo hoo. (I will say tho that my digestive system still doesn't approve. Probably because I keep throwing new foods at it. Bland food, bland food, FRESH FOOD FRESH FOOD! omg!)


On to this week's fabulous plans!

It goes a little something like this: Today, injection; tomorrow, injection; Wednesday, blood test and radioactive iodine pill; Thursday, full body scan to see if any thyroid cancer still lurks within me. The doctor has told me not to worry about this. I am worrying about this. How could you not?!
The injections are of Thyrogen - which, long story short, raises my TSH level without me having to go off my meds. Pretty simple procedure - two shots in my hip, two days apart. No side effects as far as I can tell, which is why so many folks love the Thyrogen option. I'm tired and cranky, but hey, that's an average day for me. I did want to point out that the literature the nurse gave me states: "Thyropin alfa (the generic name of the hormone) is synthesized in a genetically modified Chinese hamster ovary cell line." I think this means I have a bit of Chinese hamster in me. They certainly had to be tested on. Sorry, little guys. Truly.

Had to wait a while this morning for my number to be called, but: a) The nurses were all patient and friendly, b) they didn't charge me for the injection, and c) they made an appointment for me tomorrow so I won't have to wait. I do like Kaiser. Wednesday I give them my blood, then I walk over to Nuclear Medicine and swallow another radioactive pill. Less radioactive than last time, so I can go back into work right away. The next day they'll scan me, and then JB & I will spend the rest of the day in San Francisco looking at art. I can't remember how long I have to wait for scan results - I'm expecting sometime early next week I'll hear from the doctor.

I think I can eat delicious restaurant food on Friday. I'm hoping. But I'm also excited about cooking more at home - minus the worry that I'll accidentally eat the wrong thing. Medical drama - what fun!

3 comments:

  1. Wow! I am sure the diet is a bear (sorry, maybe not..) but I have to say that going through a Gamma Camera scan after 3 weeks of taking Zero thyroxin was , for me, the worst part of having thyroid cancer. I referred to the way I was feeling as "You know, like when you are up all night snorting coke and are so spun you can just drink glass after glass of straight tequila? Then around 10 am you finally get to sleep and wake up at 7pm with the worlds worst hangover, on top of amphetamine-induced jet lag? That is pretty much how I felt, in an increasing way, for the 3 weeks I was off my meds. Ask the folks I had to work with, it Sucked! But like you so eloquently stated, if this is the worst thing I ever have to go through, bring it on!

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  2. It's almost Thursday, which means it's almost time for your scan! My thoughts from this point onward are directed toward hoping you are thyroid-free! And hopefully cocaine/alcohol/lack-of-sleep metaphors won't describe your experience, either.

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