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Living With Thyroid Cancer, An Interview With Megan Stendebach - Page 2

© Keri

-How was your cancer treated?

First I had a total thyroidectomy to remove my whole thyroid gland and two tumors. Recovery for me was painful, and I remember foolishly being afraid that my head would fall off if I turned too far!

Then I had radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment. Thyroid cancer treatment is unusual: we are given RAI by mouth rather than by an IV like typical chemotherapy. Since we emit radiation which poses a threat to other people's health, I spent 2 days in an isolation room in the hospital until my radiation levels dropped. It is a weird feeling to know that you are a danger to other people!

Once the treatment was over, I started taking thyroid hormone pills which I will take for the rest of my life. Finding the correct dose was a challenge and I spent months feeling rotten. I finally found a doctor who cared about my quality of life. We worked together to find a dose that made me feel normal again. I learned a lot about empowerment that year.

-After the surgery and RAI treatment, are you cured?

Well, I thought I was. But one year later a scan showed cancer. I was devastated. I had to repeat the RAI treatment. And then one year after that, I got more bad news. The cancer was back. The disappointment was incredible.

My radiation specialist presented my case at a conference, asking his colleagues for their opinions. I felt like I had a whole team of experts on my side. We hit it harder that time and I was given a larger dose of RAI. Thankfully, one year later I had my first clean scan. That was last year. This October I will have my annual scan and I am hoping to hear good news again.

You asked if I was cured. Well, thyroid cancer has a nasty way of coming back, sometimes many, many years later. For that reason, patients are never considered "cured." We must be tested and monitored for the rest of our lives. That was a difficult thing to accept at first. I didn't want to have to think about cancer forever. I just wanted to be done with it! But I notice now that weeks go by when I don’t even think about cancer. I am not consumed by worry anymore.

copyright 2001 Keri Frey Blankenship

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