My Diet...Through Poetry

Today marks Day 7 of 8,429 of my low-iodine diet.  Okay, that's an exaggeration.  But it sure seems like it will never end.  I have spent the past week trying to make it seem like a fun adventure, but the truth is that I'm having a really hard time getting through it.  In fact, I have found myself feeling downright grumpy at several points this week.  I miss simple things, like butter and cheese. And it takes every ounce of willpower I have not to sneak bites from that yellow bag of Lays potato chips in the pantry.  I actually LICKED up a tiny bit of pizza sauce that fell off the pizza cutter onto the counter top last night.  It's getting real around here, people. 

The rational part of me is trying my best to stay positive about it because I know this is what's best for my health. So in an effort to keep things upbeat, I have decided to express my feelings about this diet through a series of silly poems.  Enjoy :)

Your Pizza (a haiku)
Longingly I stare
At your pizza topped with cheese
Your plate, it haunts me

What's for Dinner? (a tanka)
I can't have that dish
Far too much dairy and salt
Shall we grill some meat?
Only 6 ounces allowed
With a random piece of fruit 

My Mom (a limerick)
There once was a woman from town
Who didn't want her daughter to frown
She baked up some bread 
So her girl would be fed
Could we please give this lady a crown?

My Mom...Take 2 (another limerick)
There once was a woman named Mary
Whose daughter was banned from all dairy
In a bag she did fill
Some lavosh made with dill
Now this diet seems not quite so scary

Well, wasn't that fun?  No, but seriously.  My family has been so super supportive during all of this, which has made it not as terrible as it could be.  Here is a picture of all the yummy iodine-free things my mom cooked up for me last week (those limericks speak the truth).  It is a huge reminder that I am loved and not alone on this journey.

Adventures in Low-Iodine Shopping

In preparation for my upcoming Radioactive Iodine (RAI) treatment, I am required to be on a low-iodine diet for the next 3 weeks.  As someone who has never had to be on such a restrictive diet before, this has been a very challenging task....but man, have I learned a LOT about the foods I eat.

At first, I was really grumpy about the fact that I wouldn't be able to eat most of the foods I love for so many days.  But by researching and learning more about why this diet is necessary, I have begun to realize that this is the one thing that I have complete control over during this war with those nasty little cancer cells.  The more aware I am of the foods I am eating, the better chance I will have at destroying the things that are trying to take over my body.  Watch out, you ugly little invaders.  This girl is on a mission!

The purpose of the RAI treatment is to ablate (or kill off) any remaining thyroid cells in my body, cancerous or not.  Something you may not know is that your thyroid cells are the only cells in your body that absorb iodine.  The pill that I will take on the day of my treatment will be full of iodine...but in a radioactive form.  The "poison" iodine will seek out and be absorbed into any thyroid cells it can find, which should destroy all of the cancer cells left.  

Here's why my diet is so important to this process.  If I am vigilant about staying away from any foods or ingredients that contain iodine, then I can "starve" all of those thyroid cells so that they will be quick to absorb the iodine from the dosage they give me the day of my treatment.  The tricky thing is that a BUNCH of the foods most of us eat everyday contain iodine in one form or another.  

For us, grocery shopping on a normal week with two young children can feel a little like a circus.  Add in the wait time to stop and carefully analyze every label on every package AND the travel time to multiple stores in search of specific foods, and it was definitely an exhausting adventure.  Luckily, the Butricks are not quitters.  I'm happy to report that we prevailed and conquered the low-iodine shopping list with only minor injuries and minimal tears.  Just kidding.  There were no injuries...this time.

With the exception of the creamer that sneaked its way into the picture, here are all the foods we found that I can eat for the next 3 weeks.  I actually think I can do this!

Recipe Suggestions???

Today I got my RAI treatment scheduled, so beginning Monday, I will be on a low-iodine diet for 2 weeks.  My endo gave me a list of foods I can and can't have during this diet...but I want to do what I can to avoid eating nothing but bananas and rice cakes for 2 weeks.  

I thought I'd see if anyone out there has access to some EASY, but tasty low-iodine recipes or meal ideas that I can add to my menu before I go shopping this weekend.  If you can help, great!  If not, I guess I should look on the bright side - bananas and rice cakes will be a great way to shed a few extra lbs!