Good news

[kipland]

Oh my gosh, you guys.  I couldn't take the nausia anymore and called the nurse at Nuclear Meds.  I said "I know that by the time we all see you, we're pretty sick - but is it normal to have nausia so bad that you can't eat?".  He said that the nausia was a pretty normal side effect, but that most people will still eat.  Amazingly enough, I wasn't - which is very unlike me!  I went to bed last night really early because I couldn't stand the feeling anymore.  Then I couldn't get to sleep because it was so nasty.  Anyway, he called in a script for some anti-nausia medication and I took some as soon as I got home from work.  Aside from feeling drained and my legs and feet hurting, I feel almost human again!!!  And it worked really fast!  I'm so happy, that if I had the energy and could actually DO cartwheels, I'd be doing them.

As a side note, I talked to him some more about the LID diet, because I was really confused about it.  I had asked before about peanut butter, because it said I could have that.  I asked if it had to be unsalted, and he said no.  Hmmm....  So today, I asked further and he explained to me that it's the iodized salt that I need to stay away from.  Quoting from the paperwork I have it says "National food manufacturers and processors usually use non-iodized salt, not iodized salt.   If iodized salt has been used, the product's ingredient label must, by law, state this.  However, not all food companies follow this rule, especially small, local companies.  We recommend not eating foods from local bakeries, farmers' markets, and other small, local food preparers unless you are sure that only "allowed" ingredients have been used".  So basically, I can't have any dairy, eggs, fish, I have to limit my starches to 4/day and my meat to 5oz/day.  Unlimited fruits and veggies, but I can have salad dressing as long as it's not milk based and doesn't have iodized or sea salt.  My list also says unlimited potato chips, corn chips or popcorn.  Strange, huh?  But given that, it's not so bad - but I do miss my yogurt.

Another week to go before my "treatment dose" then two days later I can have whatever I want to eat- PLUS, I get to go on the meds.  BONUS!!!  I just hope and pray that it doesn't take forever to get my dosage right.

Sorry for the rambling.  I'm just so happy to not feel sick!!

Lori

[kipland]

I'm thinking so.  He had narcolepsy.....which I've been teased by the people near and dear to me that I have.  I've been teased about only seeing the FBI Warning on all movies that I watch after oh....around 4:00 in the afternoon!!  I do well watching movies in the morning, though!!

[DLA]

Didn't Mr Bean then pass out?  LOL  Sounds about right!  ~: > )=  BACAAACK!!

[kipland]

Bless your little heart, Betsy!  That makes me think of that movie "Rat Race" where Mr. Bean says "I weeen, I weeen!!".  And yes, I plan on a celebration.  My fiance's twin sister was diagnosed with lung cancer a little over a year ago.  They were able to get it all, and I was JUST talking about that to her, because she's having a scan next week to see how she's doing.  We're gonna celebrate!!

Thank you SO much!  I'm thinking of you too, and hoping you finally get in to someone who listens to you and gets to the bottom of your problem as well.

Lori

[zaksmom]

You know, until I read JoBa's post, I hadn't even thought that after next week you'll officially be a survivor!  That would be such an emotional high for you!  It's like you won a marathon -- you did it!  you're the winner!  That will require a well deserved celebration!!  Maybe after you're feeling better on thyroid meds!! lol

just wanted you to know I'm thinkin' of ya!
betsy

[kipland]

They prescribed Compazine, and it's been wonderful.  Hindsite, I should have called sooner.  I feel SO much better, it's unbelievable.

That's great news on the "being a survivor after RAI".  I'm normally a regular blood donor, and they tell me I have to be 5 years cancer free before I can give again.  So I guess I count from next week!  Thanks for the info!

You know, maybe I should wear a big bib because I've been known to drool on the keyboard!  You're too funny!!!!

Lori

[JoBa]

So glad to hear you are feeling better. Just curious, what did they give you for the nausea? I want to be able to ask for the same thing if the need arises (although there are probably a number of options).

I read on the Memorial Sloan-Kettering website that you are considered a cancer survivor when you are no longer undergoing active treatment (monitoring doesn't count). So once you complete the RAI, you will be officially a survivor.

If you wear latex gloves I should think you would not contaminate the keyboard (unless maybe you drool on the keys or something).

Just a couple of random thoughts.

Jo

[At The End of My Rope]

Lori- I am sure you will do just find, and yes it is one step closer to being cancer free- let me tell you that is a wonderful feeling. Good Luck Keep us posted. Take Care-Pam

[kipland]

Darla ~ I always wait too long.  I guess I was thinking it would just go away by itself.  I know.....kind of dumb.

MJ ~ thanks for the good ideas/recipes!  I'll let you know if I try them.  Thank you for the well wishes too.  Yes, I'll be glad when it's over and you're right.  I'd even deal with the nausea above cancer!

imedicmommy ~ my RAI is next week, yes.  Monday through Wednesday are scans, then Thursday I get my treatment dose.  I had my blood drawn yesterday to have the TSH checked.  It'll be interesting.  I just feel......whipped.  All the time.  Am I scared?  Yes.  I'm scared because I don't know how I'm going to react to the RAI, don't know how I'll do in the scanning machine, scared that they're going to find something I don't want to know about, scared that I have to stay away from my kids and pets for a while, just plain scared of the unknown.  But like MJ said, it's one step closer to making sure we're cancer free.  I was going to say that I'll let you know on Friday how I'm feeling after having it, but can I be on the computer or will I contaminate the keyboard?  See?  Those kinds of things, I'm worried about too!!

Lori

[imedicmommy]

Glad to hear you are feeling better...you're RAI is at the end of next week isn't it? Mine is friday and I'm the same kind of anxiety that I had prior to surgery, I know everyone says it's fairly easy but I HATE the unknown. I miss cereal with milk. Who knew I loved my rice krispies that much! LOL. I also HATE the thought of being away from my kids, but there is no way I could keep them off of me they are just too little. I got labs redrawn today so I'll be interested in seeing where my TSH is now, I was feeling better for a few days but now I'm really cold all the time so maybe my body is behaving.
Are you scared? I mean I know its the best thing and all that but still....just wondering since we are having ours so close to the same time.

[MJ13]

Kipland,
Yep, I understand what you're saying about salt in things and how the manufacturers are SUPPOSE to label it correctly if it is iodized salt.  On most things I would trust labels, but anything I could do to better the odds of my leftover thyroid cells sucking  up all the iodine they could, I wanted to stay away from any kind of foods with salt or sodium in the label.  I did get a box on uniodized salt for cooking and a little "to go" or "picnic" size of salt substitute to take to work and keep in my purse. One of my favorite snacks was the natural peanut butter with pure maple syrup, heated in microwave a few seconds then spreand on Matzo crackers or the sodium free bread I found.  I too craved for yogurt.  I'm addicted to Yoplait's Light Boston Cream Pie flavored with some dices walnuts (good for omego-3).  I have 2 or 3 of those each day.  I got addicted to yogurt when I was doing Jenny Craig and you could substitute yogurt for a milk serving.  I just thankful that I never had any nausia while I was in hypohe//.  A real good homemade salad dressing is olive oil, red wine vinegar, crushed garlic, italian seasoning, a liitle dijon mustard, and some Splenda.

Another good dish is cube some chicken breast and saute it in some olive oil.  Pull the chicken out of the pan.  Saute some carrots, celery, and onions, return chicken to skillet.  Add some wine, red or white, it really doesn't matte and sodium free chicken broth. I usually use italian bread crumbs to thicken the sauce  but since that has salt in it, just use a little corn starch to thicken the wine and chicken broth.  Serve that over the rice that is in the LID cookbook.  It's real tasty and easy and quick to make.  If you try, let me know how it turns out?

Good luck on the LID.  Hope you feel really crappy really quick,,,cause that means RAI is that much sooner and you're one more step closer to ensure you are cancer free!!!

[DarlaLOU]

I am so glad you called.... again, like me, we are too patient and too hard on ourselves. I wish I'd called 3 days prior and I could have been feeling SO much better too! My dr felt so bad today when we talked about that and apparently he said he had told dh to call him if I had troubles with nausea, but too little too late.....ugh.
Anyway, glad you are doing better and hope the meds keep working for ya! Hope the diet portion goes by fast too. BIG HUGS!
Darla

[kipland]

Thanks for all of your input!  

MJ & Nurseynurse ~ I printed out the thyca LID cookbook and even made a recipe from it.  But, it's all NO salt.  I discussed this with the nurse in Nuclear Meds, and that's when he told me basically what I wrote above.  I do not have to stay away from salt - just iodized or sea salt.  And by law, they have to label what kind of salt is used.  If it says "salt", it's just that - which I can have.  If they use iodized or sea salt, it has to say that.  That's why I was so confused, because this whole cookbook is no salt stuff.  So I stocked up on no salt stuff, and from what I was told at the hospital, that was unnecessary.  Oh well.

Betsy ~ work hasn't been too bad this week.  I'm tired, but I think that'll be the case for a while until I get some medication in my body.  Thanks, and I'll update you next week!

Dac ~ what do you mean the drinking bird got blown to bits?!?!?!  Poor little thing!!  Yes, I feel much better now that I have some food in me.  It amazes me how worn down you get without any fuel to keep you going.  That on top of being worn out from being hypo was not good.  Not even!

Pam ~ I want a yogurt so bad, my mouth waters just thinking of it.  I miss my dairy!!!

JoBa ~ wonderful explanation!!  It makes perfect sense.  Thank you!

Rayne, Venora & Laura ~ Thank you all for the well wishes.  I'll make it through.  I'm just so glad to not be feeling so nausious now.  That was horrible!!!

[JoBa]

Hope you can suffer through a brief chemistry diatribe to answer your question about sodium and iodine. Sodium is positively charged. To form a salt, the sodium combines with a negatively charged compound. The negatively charged compounds most common are chlorine (sodium chloride is common table salt), citrate (sodium citrate is used as artificial lemon flavor in teas), and iodine (sodium iodide is the iodized form). That is why a product can contain sodium and not necessarily iodine. Does that make sense?

[At The End of My Rope]

It is great that you feel better. The LID is really not that bad, like you said missing the dairy was hard for me. Keep us posted. Take Care-Pam

[JoBa]

I hope you continue to feel better. I just hate being nauseated. Now that I know about this potential complication, I will try to encourage my endo to prescribe something preemptively. I won't be far behind you in this.

Jo

[zaksmom]

Hey there!  Glad you are feeling a little better -- hopefully that continued into today!  How's the week back to work going?  I hope it isn't wearing you out too quickly.

The LID diet would be confusing -- trying to diferentiate between "sodium" and "iodine" -- just because an item is salty or has sodium, doesn't mean it has iodine -- that seems very odd.  At least you can have some meat and fruit/veggies (and heck, potatoe chips for a treat!).

I'm counting down the days with you for your apptointments next week!  I'll be thinkin' of ya!

betsy

[Venora Moonwind]

Good job they gave you some medd that worked fast. I hope you are feeling better now
Love Venora

[Nurseynurse714]

Glad to hear you're feeling better. Just wanted to post this resource in hopes that it may help you or someone else. Can't list the website, but if you google Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc., you'll find it. It's full of great information including information on low-iodine diets and a whole cookbook based on that type of diet. One of the Nurses in Nuc Med at the hospital where I work told me about it when I was prepping for my thyroid uptake scan. Take care all.
  

[DLA]

Yeah, now the drinking bird can eat!!!  BTW, just saw you on TV a while ago.  Poor little drinking birdie got blown to bits!  =+)

Glad you are finally feeling better and can eat now.  Miserable, isn't it.  That is the way I felt with Graves.  Was soooooo hungry ALL the time, no matter how much I ate, that all I wanted to do was cry.

Maybe now that you get some grub in ya you'll get some energy and that weird sense of humor back.

Dac ~: > )=

[MJ13]

Basically if its processed food, you probably shouldn't have it on the LID.  Mainly  because most processed food contains sodium and doesn't say if it's iodized.  I did manage to find a natural peanut butter that had no sodium.  A small local food chain had no sodium bread, so I could eat some sandwiches.  Matza crackers are okay also.  If I remember correctly, you can have egg whites, but not the yokes. Make  your own salad dressing because most bottled dressings have sodium.   Old-fashioned oatmeal is something good for breakfast.  I put pure maple syrup and cinnamon in it and it taked pretty good.  I found some gummi bears (I think they're manufactured in Germany) that didn't have the Red Dye # that the LID says you cant have.  


Hope these few tips help.  The one thing that got me thru the LID was telling myself that a cancer-free future depended on me sticking to the LID.  Knowing how sodium would affect the outcome of my RAI treatment kept me in line.

[lara1228]

I'm glad they gave you something for the nasuea...that's such an awful feeling. Before you know it you'll be on your way to feeling normal again....good luck!

Laura

[rayneweather]

Yay for medicine!!!  I'm glad your doctor called it in for you and that it worked.  Hopefully getting some food into you will help the tiredness someone.  Can't give you any hints on doing the LID because I have never done it.  But I want to give you a big hug!!!  It sounds a bit like doing Atkins (except for the meat & fruit/veggies) being switched.  I know next week can't come quick enough for you.  As my parents always say "this, too, shall pass".  It helps me, especially during dental procedures :-P

Rayne