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Cancer Family & Friends Health Me Mothering Parenting

Thyroid Cancer- What is Next

I have been trying to follow my surgeon’s orders and take it easy and rest as much as possible since my thyroid surgery and neck dissection on June 12th.

I have been at my dad and step-mom, Jean’s, house recovering during this time while Ryan and Cole have been spending some scheduled vacation time with their dad.

My surgeon, Dr. S, had been right- the pain in my shoulder has been brutal.  I slept on it funny the other night and I couldn’t even raise my arm enough to comb my hair yesterday. 

The thyroid controls metabolism and my surgeon warned me that I could gain a lot of weight during this time, but the opposite seems to be happening. I have no appetite at all. Nothing sounds good, and some foods are making me sick to my stomach.  My appetite is gone- I have been drinking Ensure (another Dr. suggestion) and trying to eat. 

The pain medication makes me feel nauseated if I don’t eat, so I have been trying to eat as much as I can.   Some of my friends have pointed out that Ensure really isn’t much more than sugar and have been giving me some healthier suggestions on other sources of food and protein I can eat.  I am planning on trying these and will keep you updated on how that goes. 

I had an awful day on Tuesday.  I almost fainted while I was out walking.  I got hot and sweaty and felt like I was going to be sick.  I stopped into a store near my dad’s house and the sales lady helped me sit down, and got me some water.  I fortunately was only about half a block away from home, and made it back and laid down the rest of the afternoon.

Some days the pain is fine- I can go six or seven hours between pain medication, but the last few days, I think I have overdone it and now have been watching the clock for the every four hours until it is time for the medication again.

I have been doing the exercises the rehab. physical therapists have given me to do, and those help. I have been trying to help out around the house too, by doing small chores that use my shoulder, like cleaning mirrors and sweeping.

I can’t even imagine if I had to have the neck dissection on the right side of my neck like my Dr. originally thought.  It would be so much worse and I am grateful I am healing overall.  It is not as fast as I would like it to be though, but I am getting there. 

I have had so many kind e-mails and well wishes, and those help too.  I have had people ask me what is next so here is what I know at this point.

Ryan and Cole are going to come back to the house with me on July 5th, and my mom is coming in from Minnesota to stay with us for a few days to help me.  My wonderful friends have been mowing my lawn, doing some light housekeeping, and are going to cook some meals for us. 

I am planning on taking the time my mom is out here to get back into a routine with the boys and take advantage of her help and the help of my friends to get our lives back to “normal” as much as possible.

I want to do some fun things with the boys this summer- take them swimming, take them to the zoo, take them to the park, and take them to play-dates.  This sounds exhausting even as I write this but, I am determined, and I will take it one day at a time.

I have a follow up with my surgeon on July 9th, for him to check the scar and the overall healing from the surgery.  I could not be more thrilled on how how the scar is healing.  It is still looks awful to me but this is what it looked like last week:

scar-1_edited

I developed a rash to the antibiotic on the last day I had to take it so that is why my neck is red and shows the rash, but the scar had been that red.

On Monday, this is is what the scar looked liked:

scar-2_edited

The rash is fading and so is so much of the red from the scar.  I have been putting Neosporion on the incision every day, and I just received a product yesterday that I am going to blog more about- it is actually to heal C-section and other surgery scars, but I want to take pictures and document the scar healing before I blog more about it.

I meet with my endocrinologist on July 21st.  At that point they will tell me the diet I need to be on to get my body ready for the one dose of radioactive iodine I will have to take, in order to kill any remaining cancer cells in my lymph nodes.

For now, I am not on any special diet except for watching my iodine intake, no kelp, kale, or flax seed.  As I understand it for a few weeks, I will have to take in a lot of iodine, and then none at all for a few weeks in order to “starve” these cancer cells of iodine.  They warn me my hormones will be out of whack and I could become depressed (fair warning to everyone).

The thyroid is the only organ that can absorb iodine, so when I finally take the radioactive iodine my cells and lymph nodes will absorb up the iodine like crazy.  But since it will be poison, it is a very effective treatment in killing off any remaining thyroid cancer cells in my body.

I will have to be quarantined for about 48 hours, and not around anyone. I will have to take the radioactive iodine in the form of a pill. Depending on my blood work, the endocrinologist will determine how strong the treatment has to be.

Thankfully, since my pathology report from my surgery did show I have stage I papillary thyroid cancer, I can be quarantined at home, and not in the hospital.  Obviously my boys will go to their dad’s house during this time.

After the radioactive iodine, they will start me on the thyroid replacement hormone that I will have to take for the rest of my life.   I will also have to have ultrasounds and blood work every six months to watch for re-occurrences.  I am expecting to find out more details after I meet with the endocrinologist, but my chances for survival are excellent and since my surgeon was able to remove so many of my lymph nodes, he feels the chances of re-occurrences are very small.

I am still taking it day by day, but things are getting better for the most part every day as well.  I am not done with the process yet, and won’t ever really will be, but I know there is no other cancer in my body and the radioactive iodine will ensure no more cancer in my lymph nodes.

I know I have been saying this a lot, but I can’t just thank everyone enough for all the support. Thank you isn’t enough- but I hope the gratitude in my heart I have for all my family, friends, and well-wishers shines through. 

I’ll continue to keep you all posted, and in the meantime I hope everyone is having a fun, safe, and healthy summer with your families. 

Love, Heather

Categories
Current Events Family & Friends Mothering Parenting

Michael Jackson- Victim or Victimizer?

With the passing of Michael Jackson today, one of our generation’s biggest icons, my initial response was sad.

A few minutes later that had passed and I started to think about the child abuse allegations that he had been accused of in the last few years. 

I loved Michael Jackson growing up. I think he had talent.  I think he was an amazing dancer and entertainer and he took “rock star” to a new level.  I still turn the radio up when I hear his songs.  I am not questioning his talent nor his contributions to the entertainment industry, but as a mother his child abuse allegations are extremely disturbing to me.

Michael Jackson was a great singer and a pop icon- I liked his music and my family and I actually met him through a family friend in 1984. 

However, I feel Michael Jackson (MJ) was a *serial* child molester / pedophile, or whatever term you want to use.  

Non-molesters don’t have young boys over to sleep in their beds & then pay out millions to keep it quiet. Michael Jackson befriended young boys, sometimes from disadvantaged backgrounds, and then took them to his ranch, banning their parents.

This is a HUGE red flag.  If MJ loved children so much, why didn’t he befriend them at Disneyland? Take them to public places, have their parents along, or just even go hang out at these children’s homes?

Giving MJ the benefit of the doubt, and assuming he was victimized by these families out to destroy him and get money from him, which is what MJ claimed, he should have never had put himself in a situation like this again after the first allegation. But he did, and he chose to do this- still taking the boys to his private ranch.  

It is interesting how so many other celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Madonna, Meg Ryan, Mia Farrow, etc., can have big hearts for children and work with them, and yet none of them have been “victimized” claiming they have been falsely accused of molestation for money.  No child can describe Brad Pitt’s genitalia like one of  Michael Jackson’s alleged abuser could. I don’t consider Michael Jackson bigger than “Brangelina”, and there have been no claims of inappropriate sleep overs from the Jolie-Pitt house.  So I don’t buy into the money claim.  

The FACTS are MJ was arrested once and accused twice of child molestation.  He settled out of court once, and found not guilty once. Both times the details have been sealed, and millions of dollars were paid out.  If he had nothing to hide, why not let the facts get out there to clear his name? Celebrities get accused of false things all the time, but very few of them get arrested, and hide the details-twice.

The case would never have gone to trial without sufficient evidence in the 2005 case, where Michael and the boy were discovered sleeping in bed together. How many other celebrities are having sleep overs with minor children in their houses with doors locked, and parents banned?

How many just normal parents have sleepovers like this with their children’s friends?    I can imagine the outrage if a Boy Scout leader was found sleeping in his tent with boy scouts on on an overnight camping trip.  Parents and the public would be outraged-as we should be.  But since this is MJ and he could do the moon-walk, these facts are pushed to the background-suddenly a 40 year old man who has 13 year old boys sleep with him in bed, doesn’t matter.   

I view this like OJ Simpson. He never got convicted and was found not guilty either of killing his wife and Ron Goldman, but he had a lot of money, and was able to create doubt. Even if he could run with a football.  Are there any people out there ten plus years later that don’t think OJ had something to do with the murders of his wife and her friend?  Even though the jury said he didn’t?   

I don’t care what talent in life you have- if you put yourself in compromising positions when you are under a spotlight, especially with minor children, you create suspicion on yourself.  You have to be even more careful.     If they ever release the evidence and the facts of the cases about these boys and Michel Jackson comes to light that he was completely innocent, I will be the first to apologize for doubting Mr. Jackson’s innocence.  

Michael Jackson’s family has my sympathy- no family should have to lose a loved one, but I am more sorry for the families of MJ’s victims and the position these young boys were put in by an ADULT man who should have known better not to have young boys locked in his bedroom sleeping in the same bed with him. Some things in life, you just don’t get to do- and this is one of them.   

I don’t care if you can throw a football, raise money for children in Africa, run with a football, dance, sing, or are the greatest entertainer in the world.  Putting yourself in compromising positions over and over again with young children, that raises a question of inappropriate behavior with them is wrong.  No matter who you are.   

There is no free pass for taking advantage and molesting children. Don’t take them in your bed to sleep with them.  Don’t lock the door to the bedroom, and don’t ban the parents.  Seems pretty simple to me.  We all make mistakes, and no one is perfect. How could MJ NOT have known or had not been advised to do this-  but he chose to do it anyway.   

The world lost a great entertainer, but his victims have lost their innocence too.  They will never get that back.  Victimizing the most vulnerable in our society is unforgivable, and I for one, can’t help but feel somewhat relieved that there is one less person putting innocent children in compromising situations.

Note: for more information, read The Smoking Gun: The Case Against Michael Jackson: https://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/010605jackson.html

**NOTE: If you don’t share my opinion with me fine-feel free to leave your thoughts.  I don’t allow swearing or profanity on my blog and if you leave profanity in your comments I will delete the comment and block your IP. Let’s discuss but also be civil. Thank you.**

October 19, 2009-

Thank you for all the respectful comments and discussion.  It is very evident from the comments that people feel passionately about MJ’s innocence or guilt, depending on what they personally believe.  Many readers provided evidence for both sides, and these added greatly to the discussion.  My intention on this post was to never debate the legal matters and dig up every document ever produced on the case.  It was my opinion, as a mother, on how I felt about MJ’s behavior with children.  It seems more and more people are becoming very hostile, rude, and disrespectful when offering their opinion, and since I have less and less time to monitor the comments closely, I have decided to close the comments on this post.  I thank everyone again for the civil discussion.

Heather

Categories
Cancer Family & Friends Health Me Mothering

After Thyroid Cancer Surgery

It has been 12 days since my thyroid and lymph node cancer surgery, and the recovery has been slow.  Thanks to my friend, Amy, who has posted a few updates, most of you know the basic details, and I am really exhausted tonight to write a lot. 

The best news by far was the cancer had not spread into my lymph nodes as much as my surgeon, Dr. S., had thought.  During the surgery he had sent for some of the pathology reports, and none of the lymph nodes on the right side of my neck were showing cancer.

This basically saved the right side of my neck from having to be dissected.  The left side of my neck had more cancer in the lymph nodes and he did have to do the dissection, but he was able to save more nerves than he had thought as well.  I have complete feeling on the right side of my neck, but as Dr. S., warned me prior to surgery, my left side of my neck from my earlobe to my collarbone is numb. 

I was recovering really well in the hospital, but after I got out of ICU, I ran into some problems with my medications, that  am still trying to bounce back from. 

I saw Dr. S., on Friday for him to take out some stitches and he had my full pathology report.  He removed 66 lymph nodes and my thyroid.  My thyroid was positive for cancer but out of those lymph nodes, only 7 had cancer.  It seems almost like  a miracle, and I am so happy at that good news.  

Dr. S., credited my nurse practitioner with early detection for my case not being as critical as originally thought.  As you can imagine, I am going to write a lot more about this in the future.  But start now at your annual exams having your health care provider check for any abnormalities in your thyroid and get it checked as soon as you can.

I am fighting through some pain in my shoulders, and I had the boys for a few days, before their dad has them for some vacation time.  My family and friends have been nothing less than wonderful, and I am so lucky to have so many people that have taken such excellent care of me.  I will never be able to repay them- but their loving gifts of time and help are precious to me. 

Now a lot of it is up to me.  I am going to start walking more every day (per doctor’s orders) and try to eat more, even though I do not feel like it.  I am going to rest more and and not push myself like I usually do.

Dr. S., told me sometimes a drain has to stay in for up to two weeks to catch the fluid, but I had the last of my four drains out the night before  I left the hospital.  He also said I was somewhat of a medical miracle in that my calcium levels barely dropped at all, once my thyroid was out.  It is very common for the calcium to take huge drops.  If the calcium drops too low, you can go into cardiac arrest.  Dr. S., said he had never had a patient whose calcium hardly dropped at all like mine did. 

This has been a very hard, painful cancer, and surgery to cope with, but as I hope to document, the recovery is coming along well, and I feel very optimistic.  This will be a life-long issue for me from this point.  My life will never be quite the same, but I have been cancer free now for 12 days,  there is no more cancer in my body, so this is a new start for my family, friends, and I.  

The picture below is a picture of me on June 12th, just after my surgery.  I am sharing it to show that thyroid cancer is still cancer- it shouldn’t be ignored.  It is a big deal. 

The next pictures  I share on my blog of me post-surgery will be much better.  Cancer can be beaten, but insist your provider checks your thyroid at your exams, and hopefully you will never have to have a picture of yourself like I do after a thyroidectomy.     

I will continue to keep you all updated, and once again thanks for the prayers and well wishes. I am not a huge “God” person, but I know He has looked out for me, and has taken care of me through this experience.  All the prayers, healing energy, and positive thoughts, have helped-and I thank you again for all of these you have sent to me.  

 I read before my surgery that cancer is a word-not a sentence, and it was all of you who helped me remember that.  I love you all. 

surgery-june-12-09  Thyroidectomy & lymph node surgery removal June 12, 2009

Categories
c-sections Mothering Pregnancy & Birth

The “Best Of” C-section Recovery Tips

I was recently contacted by Elizabeth McGee, who runs the website, Worryfree C-section.com.  Elizabeth’s purpose was very intriguing to me- she isn’t promoting C-sections, but is helping women understand what is involved in a C-section.  Elizabeth writes “Whether your c-section is planned or comes as a surprise, I’d like to help it be as momentous as possible by informing, educating and familiarizing you with the physical and emotional aspects of preparing, having and recovering from a c-section.”

I was honored that Elizabeth decided to post my blog article, Recovering After a C-section, on the site’s blog collection of the “Best Of” C-section Recovery Tips.  I also like Elizabeth’s article, Emotional Recovery After a C-section.  I feel this is one area that women are usually not very well informed on regarding C-sections, and it good to see it addressed. 

I always encourage women to find out as much as they can before hand about C-sections. If you are researching C-sections, I think you will find the information Elizabeth has compiled at her website and blog, from other moms and professionals very informative and helpful.

Categories
Cancer Cole Health Mothering Ryan

What to Tell Kids About Cancer

One of the biggest concerns on my mind right now are my boys, Ryan and Cole.  Not only are they adjusting to a divorce, but they also will have to deal with my cancer, the surgery, my being away from them for at least a week, and my recovery.

It is hard to know how much to tell them regarding my health and surgery. I don’t want them to be scared or wonder why no one is talking about what is happening with Mommy.  On the other hand, I don’t want to scare them or give them reason to worry unnecessarily.  Ryan picks up on everything, and Cole is right behind him. 

So far, I have told both boys that I have an owie in my throat.  I have told them I have to go to the hospital for an operation, and that will make the owie better.  I have told them I have to stay in the hospital for a few days, but they get to have special time with their dad, and their grandparents.

They both seemed okay with this, but Ryan told his dad that my condition is serious and I could be in the hospital for a long time.  That wasn’t the easy going attitude I was hoping for, so I am going to have to adjust my comments and work with Ryan so he isn’t so concerned about it. 

This is the hardest part- trying to make my boys feel secure about my health, when I don’t feel that myself.  One of my friends tells me she thinks there is a little Superhero in every mom.  I hope she is right, because I need my Superhero Mom-Knows-What-the-Right-Thing-to-Say-to-my-Boys powers right now. 

On a happier note, I was finally able to get Ryan’s five year pictures, and Cole’s three year pictures done.  I will be taking these to the hospital with me.  I will look at them often to remind me- this will all be worth while if  I can be healthy for Ryan and Cole.

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