spring at last!

**updated** I have no idea why the formatting did what it did...it wasn't intentional.  I think it took all my words and alphabetized them.  I promise I wasn't trying to convey feeling confused about everything, though I suppose I was feeling that way.  I've been frustrated about the "wasted" time I took to write the initial post...I will do my best to replicate the information, though the emotion has likely changed somewhat.
 
I know a post has been a long time in coming...as has spring.  And since Spring has arrived, it seems appropriate that I should finally update.  New flowers in my yard have come and gone and the tulips made a surprise visit too.

I think my hesitation is that I anticipated feeling more definitively after the whole body scan and thyroglobulin test...but I don't.  The great news is that there are no distant metastases and all of the glow from the iodine was in the thyroid bed (where we expected it to be).  There was also the expected uptake in a few other systems (hence the possible negative effects of radiation).  The  thyroglobulin level was also good (less than 2).  I was hoping for less than 1.  In fact, I had made a deal that I would do radiation (RAI) if it was more than 2 and not if it was less than 1.  But alas, that is not how my cancer chooses to be.  I don't get that clarity.  In fact, other guidelines talk about suggesting RAI in select patients if they have more than 3-5 lymph nodes involved, I had 4...really you couldn't just pick one number to go with? Nope, that would be more precise than we currently seem to have in this field.  

Part of the issue is that the prognosis is so good.  This means that a lot of very different situations are all "stage 1", which is again where I fit.  So this is of course excellent...my prognosis is excellent no matter what I do, but it doesn't make the picture clearer--just brighter!

My plan is to get a second opinion from an endocrinologist (who is also an MD/PhD and published in the field) about what to do.  This will also allow me to visit friends and family which is certainly a nice benefit.  I thought about where to go and for multiple reasons, it seemed that Ann Arbor would be best. I see him mid June and will post an update when that information all comes in.

(**updated side note:  as I have been deleting all the alphabetized words I note that I had words like decided, decision, discuss, either, and exact...perhaps conveying the desire for precision that I will not have).

I've got time.  This type of cancer grows very slowly so I can still do RAI (radiation) for months to come, or not.  If I don't do it, then there are tests (the thyroglobulin and neck ultrasounds) that wiill allow us to find it before it's a problem and treat it at that time (with no worse prognosis).  There is a very helpful website (THYCA) for additional information about thyroid cancer and various approaches.

School is wrapping up, I'm beginning a garden, and just got some outdoor furniture.  Hopefully this summer will be a time of reflecting and working on my health, house, relationships, and scholarship.   I will also try not to be so long between posts and I appreciate all the continued support.  I hope that this spring finds you all enjoying the warmth, sunshine, and time with outside!