March
Mar 09, 2008 12:11AM
- 7 comments
The oldest dachshund is healing well from her last round of cancer surgery. She does have another (sigh - this makes #9) lump growing on her chest. Took her to the vet a few days ago and the needle biopsy showed lipoma but it continues to grow - rapidly. She also had an enlarged lymph node biopsied and it showed lymph tissue but we need to have it rechecked in a week if it hasn't gone down. She wakes up hyperventilating a couple times each night so I was concerned that the cancer has spread to her lungs - the x-ray showed no tumors in the lungs. Maybe it's the new growth compressing her trachea. I'm going to get it biopsied again 'cause if anyone knows that needle biopsies can miss the cancer, it's me.
New dachshund puppy, Ozzie, is here - has been for about a week. He's wonderful! He's the black/tan dapple puppy in the photo. Bailey (the 5 month old cream dachshund in the photo) just loves him and loves having someone to wrestle with. Sienna (my older, cancer-patient dachshund) loves Ozzie too and *really* likes having someone to keep Bailey busy. She's just not up to the ongoing energy and games of puppies.
My son's thyroid ultrasound and labs came back perfect. I'm so relieved. He's the same age now that his sister was when we had her thyroid removed (precancerous and a nodule compressing her jugular). I really hope that it doesn't affect the males of the family. Four sisters with thyroid cancer, the other with "precancer" and my daughter with "precancer" (oh, and let's not forget my mother's insane, cancerous thyroid that's being treated with "herbs" and homeopathic stuff) is ENOUGH!
My youngest sister (the one with the Stage II cancer and three recurrences) is celebrating a milestone this month. Her "miracle" baby - the one conceived just 6 months after her last RAI - turns 2 (also the 2nd anniversary of the same sister's emergency gallbladder surgery just 1 hour after the delivery but that's a different story)! My niece is just beautiful and so very, very smart. This kid has even figured out how to call us on her mom's cell phone (the down side of having family photos as caller IDs) and we all live long-distance. She'll call and start rambling about *something* (some of it is understandable - this kid talks *fast*). We have to tell her we love her and hang up then call her mom on the home phone to tell her to get the cell phone back from the baby. :-)
Now for the not-so-fantastic stuff. My TSH and Tg are climbing again. Not a ton but still a climb even though I'm on stable doses of Synthroid. My TSH is now up from 0.09 to 1.67 (in three months) and my Tg has gone to .4 (up from .2 six months ago). Yeah, frustrating - may be looking at *another* recurrence and RAI this year. Also, the spot in my sinuses that keeps showing up on scans (nuclear bone scan, I-131 scan) which my ENT has been treating continues to bleed. I've had MRIs and CT scans - nothing "significant" shows up so whatever it is "it's small". Okay - but if it's metastases in my head, I really don't want it to become "significant" or "large". Also having ongoing bone pain and pain/inflammation in my ankle. The rheumatologist can't figure it out but something is causing problems. None of the meds even touch it.
At least I have all my cyber friends to complain to and to bring a smile to my face.
Man, the 40s suck! :-)
New dachshund puppy, Ozzie, is here - has been for about a week. He's wonderful! He's the black/tan dapple puppy in the photo. Bailey (the 5 month old cream dachshund in the photo) just loves him and loves having someone to wrestle with. Sienna (my older, cancer-patient dachshund) loves Ozzie too and *really* likes having someone to keep Bailey busy. She's just not up to the ongoing energy and games of puppies.
My son's thyroid ultrasound and labs came back perfect. I'm so relieved. He's the same age now that his sister was when we had her thyroid removed (precancerous and a nodule compressing her jugular). I really hope that it doesn't affect the males of the family. Four sisters with thyroid cancer, the other with "precancer" and my daughter with "precancer" (oh, and let's not forget my mother's insane, cancerous thyroid that's being treated with "herbs" and homeopathic stuff) is ENOUGH!
My youngest sister (the one with the Stage II cancer and three recurrences) is celebrating a milestone this month. Her "miracle" baby - the one conceived just 6 months after her last RAI - turns 2 (also the 2nd anniversary of the same sister's emergency gallbladder surgery just 1 hour after the delivery but that's a different story)! My niece is just beautiful and so very, very smart. This kid has even figured out how to call us on her mom's cell phone (the down side of having family photos as caller IDs) and we all live long-distance. She'll call and start rambling about *something* (some of it is understandable - this kid talks *fast*). We have to tell her we love her and hang up then call her mom on the home phone to tell her to get the cell phone back from the baby. :-)
Now for the not-so-fantastic stuff. My TSH and Tg are climbing again. Not a ton but still a climb even though I'm on stable doses of Synthroid. My TSH is now up from 0.09 to 1.67 (in three months) and my Tg has gone to .4 (up from .2 six months ago). Yeah, frustrating - may be looking at *another* recurrence and RAI this year. Also, the spot in my sinuses that keeps showing up on scans (nuclear bone scan, I-131 scan) which my ENT has been treating continues to bleed. I've had MRIs and CT scans - nothing "significant" shows up so whatever it is "it's small". Okay - but if it's metastases in my head, I really don't want it to become "significant" or "large". Also having ongoing bone pain and pain/inflammation in my ankle. The rheumatologist can't figure it out but something is causing problems. None of the meds even touch it.
At least I have all my cyber friends to complain to and to bring a smile to my face.
Man, the 40s suck! :-)
Oh Utah - That sucks for you. Sometimes this stuff feels like a dream. You will kick this too. I just know it.
Good news for everyone else though.
Love ya ---- you mean ugly chicken
Nikki
Good news for everyone else though.
Love ya ---- you mean ugly chicken
Nikki
utah i know what must be like my mum said she hopes it doesnt reaccure on me in the future ive always been positive but end up being hit with cancer ive eated propley exersised and all that and these things still happen we have to fight this thing and cant let us be taken away from it. my necks still sore and swollwen im still waiting to say what they say on wednesday im asking all questions. did the rai kill u last cancer . thyroxine does weird things .from michelle u friend.
I'm trying to remember. . .this could take a while. . . . A while back I was watching a show on the fallout from all the nuclear tests they did in Nevada way back when and I believe one of the worst drift areas was Utah. Ended up watching it b/c they showed a drift map and unbelievably one of the locations on this map was the area I live in, something about upper atmospheric flow. There is a HIGH risk of cancer where I live.
Also this big drift area covered an area in Oklahoma and Kansas that runs north and south. It is the only place in the world for this one kind of lymphoma which is highly deadly. Almost 100% mortality rate. I've known 2 people with it, one's still fighting years later and the other died quickly.
There just has to be something going on for your family to be affected like this other than genetics. There was a 3 block area in our town where within 6 months 5 men came down with Parkinson's. These things make me think there has to be reason for them, just like your family.
Am thrilled to hear about your son. Am sorry about your poor old doggie. Am really sorry you're doing worse again. Do you wonder if we'll ever get a break or if this is as good as it gets? People want me to name off everything that is wrong with me. I don't do it b/c it's absolutely ridiculous. Some times saying them out loud is too much to deal with all at once. =^[
Funny thing you mentioned your ankle. It's not your right one, is it? My right ankle and heel are giving me fits and I can't figure out why. Just hit the other day when I stood up and it driving me crazy. Mine is not nearly as bad as your's.
HUGE HUGS!!
Dac
Also this big drift area covered an area in Oklahoma and Kansas that runs north and south. It is the only place in the world for this one kind of lymphoma which is highly deadly. Almost 100% mortality rate. I've known 2 people with it, one's still fighting years later and the other died quickly.
There just has to be something going on for your family to be affected like this other than genetics. There was a 3 block area in our town where within 6 months 5 men came down with Parkinson's. These things make me think there has to be reason for them, just like your family.
Am thrilled to hear about your son. Am sorry about your poor old doggie. Am really sorry you're doing worse again. Do you wonder if we'll ever get a break or if this is as good as it gets? People want me to name off everything that is wrong with me. I don't do it b/c it's absolutely ridiculous. Some times saying them out loud is too much to deal with all at once. =^[
Funny thing you mentioned your ankle. It's not your right one, is it? My right ankle and heel are giving me fits and I can't figure out why. Just hit the other day when I stood up and it driving me crazy. Mine is not nearly as bad as your's.
HUGE HUGS!!
Dac
Utah
I thought my life was going topsy turvey lately. I'm sorry about your dog. I love dogs and hope that he will get better soon. I'm glad that everything turned out alright for your son. That would have done me in. My son is the most important thing to me. As far as your sister goes, it is good that she is doing well. It sounds like her daughter is a shedevil LOL. I am sure she is the apple of your sisters eye.As for you don't give up. Things can always turned around. I have much faith in God and I am sure he is looking out for you. Good Luck and Take Care.
Barb
I thought my life was going topsy turvey lately. I'm sorry about your dog. I love dogs and hope that he will get better soon. I'm glad that everything turned out alright for your son. That would have done me in. My son is the most important thing to me. As far as your sister goes, it is good that she is doing well. It sounds like her daughter is a shedevil LOL. I am sure she is the apple of your sisters eye.As for you don't give up. Things can always turned around. I have much faith in God and I am sure he is looking out for you. Good Luck and Take Care.
Barb
Hang in there Utah...we need you here with your strength and inspiration. You will be fine...one day at a time...it will all work out.
I'm with you on the 40's just s*cking! That's when the feces really hit the fan with my own health. No more pretending it was going to get better. No more pretending I could keep up with my usual activities. No more pretending I could survive and work full time. Accepting my limitations instead of fighting them made a big difference. Now I prefer to focus on what I CAN do, and celebrate the good days - like yesterday. I managed to turn over my veggie garden and get it ready for planting. Could I get my husband to put one hand on a spade? No. He'll dig all day long for a friend, but not for me. Yeah, I'm just a tad POd with the man today, but I digress...
Is surgery a possibility for Sienna on that big tumor? If it's putting so much pressure on her esophogus, I would think it'll have to come out sooner or later. Sooner would seem to be better than later since the surgery would be less of a big deal. Is she too old to risk anesthesia?
Those sure are some cute pups you've got there! We like bigger dogs, but I think even I have reached my limit this week. We've got custody of King the 120-pound Lab from next door, and that means 250 pounds of canine rolling around in the house. Of course, it's raining today and I'm in store for a whole lot of mud coming in the doggy door for the next couple of days. And no, Hubby's attitude toward mops and the vacuum cleaner is no different than his attitude toward shovels. *&&?!!$)#?!!
Is surgery a possibility for Sienna on that big tumor? If it's putting so much pressure on her esophogus, I would think it'll have to come out sooner or later. Sooner would seem to be better than later since the surgery would be less of a big deal. Is she too old to risk anesthesia?
Those sure are some cute pups you've got there! We like bigger dogs, but I think even I have reached my limit this week. We've got custody of King the 120-pound Lab from next door, and that means 250 pounds of canine rolling around in the house. Of course, it's raining today and I'm in store for a whole lot of mud coming in the doggy door for the next couple of days. And no, Hubby's attitude toward mops and the vacuum cleaner is no different than his attitude toward shovels. *&&?!!$)#?!!
Thanks everyone!!!
Jaybay: she's had so many surgeries and sutures in the past 6 months that the vets (I've had both look at her) want to just biopsy unless things get too out of hand or there is a bad biopsy result. She had a very difficult time last surgery.
Jaybay: she's had so many surgeries and sutures in the past 6 months that the vets (I've had both look at her) want to just biopsy unless things get too out of hand or there is a bad biopsy result. She had a very difficult time last surgery.
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