That Sick Feeling...

Almost one year ago - August 28, 2015 to be exact -  I got the phone call that my biopsy results were abnormal.  That is a day I will never forget. The sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and the strength of the emotions I felt that day are indescribable. 

Recently, that sick feeling has begun to creep back into my life again. And it wasn't until a conversation with some close friends at the lake last week that I realized I haven't shared this update publicly yet.  I'm hopeful that writing about this today will help calm some of my anxieties and bring me a little bit of peace. 

In late June, my labs didn't come back with the results we would have liked to see. My TSH was up to 1.77 from 0.18 back in March and Tg (Thyroglobulin) rose from undetectable to 1.8, which is the most concerning piece of the puzzle. The thyroglobulin test is also known as the tumor marker because it measures the amount of active thyroid tissue in my body. Theoretically, I shouldn't have any thyroid tissue left due to the RAI treatment I had last November.  When the Tg levels rise after RAI, it can indicate that the cancer is returning (cue the sick feeling). 

In the spring, my doctor reduced my Levothyroxine dosage back down to 88 mcg from 100 because I was having frequent and strong palpitations on the higher dose.  We are hoping that this change is the cause of my numbers being off.  It's like a chain reaction.  The medicine isn't high enough to suppress the TSH, so it stimulates the thyroid tissue (both cancerous and non-cancerous), thus the Tg goes up. Since my June appointment, I have been back on the 100 mcg dosage in the hopes that my levels will return to normal here in a few weeks.  He also put me on a beta blocker to reduce the side effects of the heart palpitations. 

As I am now approaching the one year anniversary of receiving that phone call, I can't shake the thought of how significant this next set of labs (planned for the last week of August) will be.  I am hopeful that August 28, 2016 will be a much more joyful one than last year's.  I would appreciate your positive thoughts, prayers, and good vibes over the next few weeks as I brace myself for the results.