Lika’s Log

My quarantine protocal aka big word for “instructions” call for on the fourth day to wash all clothing & linen I have used for the past 3 days. Not just once but run it twice. So I am busy washing. So I may as well clean everything right.

Ok half of the things. The things I polluted. LOL My toilet & sink is always clean thanks to Lysol Sanitizing Wipes. Everytime I use da bathroom I gotta flush 2 or 3 times da instructions say. I do’em twice. I going get big watah bill. *L* Anden I gotta wipe down the toilet & sink area.

Well since the last time I had treatment; I always keep the Lysol Sanitizing Wipes right where I can reach’um and I’ve continued to da wipe down at least a couple of times a day on a regular basis so I learned a new good habit from all of this. I was tinking if I makidiedead my house might be kapulu as hell but my battroom stay clean yeah. LOL

I must be way less toxic today because I am less lathagic and functioning way more normally then I have the past couple of days. I must of peepee-ed out most of the radioactive iodine. Although the literature says it last up to two weeks in the body its the frist three days thats the most toxic. It diminishes with your body fluids aka peepee, sweat, tears and hanabuttah if its fluid. *L*

Well I gotta go do some maid duty now. I would rather go to work then clean house. But you do wot ya’gotta do yeah.*L*

SSDD. No, actually less shitty different day. As in what a difference a day makes; sort of kinda. Just feeling better then yesterday, maybe the radioactivity has been flushed out of me. Or its not as strong as it was yesterday or whatever the case maybe.

I’m still not hungry. How strange is that. Part of it is cause I can’t taste. I ate a whole thingee of strawberry sorbet though. I guess I’ll have some fruit soon. Maybe this diet has made me fruity. LOL

I think I should be at work. If I could I would. Work is a good distraction from just staying home and they pay me. I don’t get paid for staying home. *L* Do you know in Australia they pay you if you’re stay at home mom? Then again I still wouldn’t qualify I think cause I don’t have no little ones at home but they could pay me for doing a good job. My kids are productive citizens; they aren’t in jail on anykind of assistance. *L*

Work sounds like a good distraction from being sick until you go to work and don’t feel like you should be there. You should be in bed healing. I learned that the hard way. After my first surgery that was done on a Wednesday, I went back the following Tuesday. After getting my neck sliced open no less. Now that was a big mistake. But I managed, slowly. So after my second surgery 3 weeks later; I took a whole month off. Made use of short term disability. That was a good thing for my mind, body and soul.

Really I should shut up. I am better off then most Cancer survivors. I know because I read the stories on the Cancer Survivors Network and I’m way more fortunate then most. Reading the struggles of other and their caretakerss makes me appreciate what I have.

Thats what Cancer or any disease does, I think. Not appreciating and accepting what one has is what makes life harder. So much easier to go with the flow. Lord knows I’m good at flowing with the flow. *L*

I feel crappy. Or is it shitty. Regardless, totally feeling junk. But yeah this too shall past.

I don’t have an appetite. Imagine dat? Yet even so I won’t loose weight. Even if I don’t eat I don’t loose weight, so whats the point? Oh yeah its called health. Hello.

Anyway I have the dry mouth thing going on. Need to drink plenny liquids. Suck on hard candy or hard da kine, nah nah nah. Made you laugh? Only people who tink “la dat.” All you guyz “tink la dat.” Touchy feely not allowed. LOL

Da key board and mouse is covered with cling wrap/plastic wrap woteva its called. Just a reminder that I should wear gloves cause someone else use it to. I have disposable gloves I use so I no touch stuff directly. I use all paper plate & utensils and just trow’em away. The nurse reminded me to throw my tooth brush away and get a new one after next Monday.

I’m the most “toxic” for the first three days and it become depleted. But just as precautions they tell you a week because the radioactive stuff can be in you for two but it lessens with time. Its just that its bad for hapai women & little kids and others cause its like being exposed to Xrays.

I use to think I would glow in the dark but not. Shucks. I thought I would leave like Predator green slime where I touch or something, but not. Shucks. Too much TV I tell you.

I’m still on my low idodine diet. Probably will last one more week depends what the doctor says on Monday. I think one of the reasons I’m feeling so seriously shitty is that I have been off my medicaiton all this time also.

I have to take my drugs for the rest of my life. It replaces the duty of my thyroid, since I don’t have one. BUT I have thyroid cells which is a bad thing because they not suppose t be there cause thats where the papillary cancer is. So the radioactive iodine adheres to the to thyroid cells and makidiedead’um. Anden pau. Until they check me again. Maybe six months maybe a year depends on the percentage of thyroid cells if any.

Then I go thru the whole low iodine diet process again. At least I live in a state that they send you home for quarantine/house arrest style. There are some states that with RAI you gotta spend the week in a hospital and everything is shrink wrapped in plastic except you. You gotta eat their food too, no visitors, just hanapa insane asylum style. Who wouldn’t go nuts.

At least I am comfortable in my own bed and get da computer and frig. Even doe I not hungry. Go Figgah. I am da fat anorexic of da week. *L*

It’s official, today is my first day of quarentine. I done did my nuclear medicine. All I do is pop two pills of radioactive iodine. They take a “reading” see how “toxic” I is anden go home.

So how come I didn’t get home till 2pm when my appointment was at 10 pm? Because they asked me if I’m sure “I’m not not pregnant.” I’m like I’m sure sure, I got my rags sure. The nurse looks at me with big eyes; “You’re not menopaused?” I’m like not totally not at this moment, I mean I was then I wasn’t than I am then it shows up, hey I’m trying. I sure as hell am certain I ain’t hapai doe. She looks at me and says, “Ok it has to do with protocal, you need to go to the lab and get a blood test, we can give you the medicine soon as we get the reults back.

So finally pau. I’m home under self imposed house arrest. I’m the most “toxic” the first 3 days and it dissipates little by little. It flushes outta my system thru the body fluids. In the mean time no touch, feely nobody nothing. Take precautions what have you.

Not such a big deal really. Any surgery or diet is harder then the RAI part. I think the one wierd thing that happens is that it messes up your saliva glands so they tell you to suck on lemon drops to keep the saliva glands stimulated. I like butterscotch myself.

I waited so long for in the waiting room that I finished my book I was reading. I have two more waiting. Anyway I just need to focus on not being bored and getting cabin fever. *L*

I may be Blessed but I still feel like crap. I think one can be blessed and still feel shitty. Total medically challenged on my part. But still kicking none the less…..

I feel junk. I think I’m getting my rags. *L* I thought I was menopaused. Obviously it just pauses, when IT wants to pause, it doesn’t completely stop. That pisses me off. I thought menopause means pau stop all ready. But its like this long drawn out process of may be you’ll get your rags or maybe not. I was so comfortable not having it for 6 months I thought I was so done then outta the frkng blue or should I say red; IT shows up. Every other month. Maybe every forty days. Every month for 6 months. No moe for 2 or 3. I swear no wonder menopausal women are bitches. LOL But I digress…..

So I do go to the doctor….. and the nurse takes my pulse and says…… “You have a very faint pulse.” I’m like ok I ain’t dead, I don’t feel even close to dead and I had a cup of coffee that I shouldn’t of had, wouldn’t caffine shock my body into going moe fast. So the nurse switches from my right wrist to my left wrist. She moves her fingers around, she makes funny faces tryng to find my pulse. And I’m thinking of cartoons with Sylvester the cat playing the harp and da buggah dorono he stay makidiedead. Could I be Sylvester? Not yet, lolo.

I’m still typing here so my pulse isn’t so faint that its faded. Maybe it was her, da nurse. Maybe she was a rookie.

The scale did not move. 4 weeks of low iodine dieting and no wieght loss. What did I expect, miracles? Yes. 10 lbs would have been a nice reward, or even 5 but zero. Wotsupwitdat? Nature of the beast of no metabolism, no thyroid, no thermostat. Oh well. I’m still present and accounted for. Thats a good thing.

I go to the bloodsuckers I mean Lab on Friday. Givem’ my 3 or 4 viles of blood. Anden Monday I go in to get scanned. Sort of an MRI thingee. Oh wait wait wait, I gotta take da radioactive glow in da dark pill first anden go in da machine. Anden its quarantine aka house arrest. Seriously. For da week. Den get scanned da following Monday den da docta give me da ok to escape from my cabin fever. Or something to that effect.

Its very simple. So simple its tedious. Very doable. I gotta plan though cause there are all these protocals to follow. I can’t rememba all of’em right now. I need a refresher course. But the thing I do remember is dat whenever I use the bathroom I have to flush’um twice anden wipe down the toilet and sink. So I end up wit one clean bathroom that only a gieger counter would know its polluted. LOL

Which reminds me I gotta go buy a box of latex gloves! *L*

Sometimes or a lot of times; my body will just shut down. Well thats the way I think of it. I will go for a nap that will last longer then any nap ever. I will go to sleep and really sleep. My body won’t move. I literally am dead to the world, kinda of sort of but not really. Obviously I wake up. I’m writing, aren’t I? LOL

I look at sleep as part of the process of healing. The body knows it needs its rest. Or it doesn’t need to move or whatever. Maybe its true and maybe its not, its one way I look at it. I suppose I could look at sleep in a negative way…….. My Dad, maternal Grandma and a maternal Unco died in their sleep. I could look at sleep as a precursor to death but I don’t. Whats the point? Everybody has to sleep no sense fearing it.

I like to think Sleep is a good thing. I suppose it could be bad if thats all you do. Thats NOT all I do. But my body sometimes think it I think. *L* I think the most sleep I’ve done was in the hospital. Oh they drugged me too thats why and respectfully so. Surgery is hard on ones body. Well I know it was is on mines. I still feel I’m recuperating and it’ll be 2 years in June.

None the less its all good. *L*

My body aches. I can’t figure out if I did it to my body or is my body doing it to me? Ok both but ha’come? Age is one. Workout is two and I bet there is more to it then that but I ain’t sure. I always wonder.

My joints hurt. Oh, I think thats one of the symptoms of all this hypo-land trip. My diet has changed drastically and did I mention all “drugs” medication, over the counter stuff had/has to stop. So I’m off my medication which is a lifetime deal unless of course times like this when the doctors says stop ~ Lets test your mental capacity too. *L*

I’m feeling slow. Ok I know I am slow sometmes but I don’t usually feel it even when I show it, I don’t FEEL it. The reason I feel it is cause some body tell me, “you lolo” anden I’m like oh duh, ohyeahnohuh? *L* Feeling slow is like da body not functioning up to speed with the mind or vice versa. I’m lathargic, I think its deprivation of medication, chocolate, rice, Happy Meal…… thats why not so happy da body. All this fruit and vegetables is getting me fruity maybe. Its a thyroid issue, I know but still….

*L* Everythings related.*L*

As I cruise thru hypo-land aka hypohell (the time and space of hypothyroidism) I cannot help but think I’m different. LOL Don’t we all? The more I read about the “issue” the more I understand, yes it is me even if I say NOT. *L* Queen of denial.

I guess because it effects everyone in a different way, yet there are more similarities then differences. So why do I think I’m so different, when I’m more like what the “book” says then not. I’m not. I juss like ack, I guess. I’m retahded like that. LOL

One of the bibles of hypothyroidism, is LIVING WELL WITH HYPOTHROIDISM by Mary J. Shomon. Its like you can’t have thyroid issues and not have this book. Its very helpful with a lot of resourses, stories and expectations. There’s a lot of do’s and don’t contributed by people who have gone thru the hypothyroid trip.

Some of the stuff I find funny. Funny as is how in-how-in-thee-hell funny. *L* For instance under survial tips:

Avoid: stressful conversations, difficult people, malls, rush-hour commuting, even if you’re sitting on the passernger’s side of the car [I’m good at the mall. LOL]

Expect to:
–be very cold; carry a sweater at all times, even in the summer [I am/I do]
–be a jerk to the people around you: apologize ahead of time [I am not/but I’m sorry if I am]
–loose your car and house keys often [knock on wood, I’ve only lost one key]
–forget the name of your spouse and children [Na-uh? *L*]
–get lost driving familiar roads [I ain’t done this yet/knock on wood som’moe]

These are just a few things. Image there are chapters of this stuff. The one story I do identify with talks about not feeling a lot of the symptoms till right before treatment. They attribute it to going to the gym regularly and doing weights at least 5 times a week.

The things I share with this person is gaining weight, problems concentrating, being irritated by things that don’t normally bother me and sudden exhausiton, then rebounding.

But other then that I’m just fine. I also think the “problems concentrating” has just always been there since small keed time. LOL

I don’t consider myself a moody person. Then again I’m a Cancer and supposeably they are. Whatever. I think male Cancers are moodier then female Cancers. I say that because I was raised by an Alpha male Cancer aka my Fahdah. LOL Its a moon thing ain’t it, moods and all that psycho stuff. *L*

Imagine if you will not being able to have your favoriete cereal in the morning. What’s your favorite cereal? Mines is Sugar Pops but really the name is Corn Pops, I’ve just always called it Sugar Pops. I’ve been into Cheerios and Special K until I was rudely interrupted by this prescribed diet. But its do it or die. Or worst even maybe, do da diet again.*L*

So anyway I can’t have milk so I can’t have cereal. Dang. I have a recipe for a milk substitute that calls for pure-raying, pure’, blending some nuts and adding water. I don’t think so. Its milk or nothing. Hello nothing. So oatmeal. I wanted grits but I need milk and buttah along with Splenda in my grits, so oatmeal. I love certain nuts, but not enough to make a milk substitue out of it.*L*

Not being able to eat whatver I want to eat makes me have to really think about what I can & cannot eat. Like everything in a supermarket has salt in it. If it doesn’t and it says it doesn’t, it’ll cost more. Eating healthy cost you more then eating whatever. Having to think about what I can eat makes me feel obsessive compulsive not by choice but by prescription. Food becomes a focal point that messes up my mood. LOL

The process I am going thru is called “going hypothyroid.” Its like PMS on steroids in a sense. Speaking of PMS, I thought I was done with this monthly bleeding business, but I guess not. It pisses me off that it can just show up any damn time it pleases. I use to be like clockwork and I was fine with that for decades. I was just getting comfortable and enjoying being rag free for 6 months and its shows up agian. Then it was every other month for lord knows how long. Then sorta regular for three months, then 40 days apart then……enough awreddy. Oh, sorry ~ where was I….lol talk about digressing…..

Going “hypothyroid” is a mental test. Did I ever mention I don’t test well. Yeah well I’ve done this before and I can do this again. I just have to adjust my mentalness. *L*

Went to da doctas. Good news & bad news. Well not that bad. Moe like junk fo’me kine bad. Its not like it was a surprise or anything. I knew I had to do this Low Iodine Diet, but knowing it and doing it; is totally two different levels of mindset, ya’ know.

My blood work was kapakahi but its me, I la dat. My thyroid #’s that should be low is high and my platelet #’s that should be high is low. Regardless, I still need to have a regular Radioactive Iodine treatment. Which is no big deal, its literally just taking a pill & getting scanned by a machine. Done. The tough part is before RAI treatment I have to go on a Low Iodine Diet for 4 weeks. (Last time I did it for 6) But whose counting right?

What’s a Low Iodine Diet you ask? TORTURE! *L* Well not quite, depends on how you look at it. This is a diet test that an Amish person would ace. I ain’t Amish.

I cheatahs sometimes. Hard not to. But I gotta remind myself what my docta told me; if you don’t do it right you’ll have to do it again. OMG once a year nuff, I can do this!

A Low Iodine Diet consists of eating fresh fruits & vegetables, meats from a butcher shop or range free. Thats it.

A Low Idodine Diet is all about da no-nos. As in:

–No dairy products
–No soy products
–No salt (but acutally you can use non-iodized salt)
–No eggs. Egg whites only.
–NOTHIING FROM DA SEA. No fish. (Lucky I no live Hawaii/I will make up for it in April)
–No chocolate
–No bread or bakery products. (Bread is ok IF somebody like myself makes it not one bakery. I know how to make bread but sssshhheeeesh!)
–No processed food.
–No Red dye #3.
And da big kick in da ass ~ NO Restaurants.

I’m probably missing some no-no’s but its depressing to think about muchless write and do it too.

The first time I went thru this, my first question was: Does dairy products mean NO ice cream? My Docta just laughed at me, cause he rolly poley too. “Yes, no ice cream but sorbet is ok.” Whoopee for that one.

In retrospect its a good thing. Rids my body of toxins and all that good stuff. Its a psychologial test. I going get psycho bumbye. Commericals on TV. No drive thru. No rocky road. No rice. No whip cream aka no Starbucks. Looking at FOOD PORN! *L*

The goal is to rid da body, my body of iodine. The reason for no restaurants is because there is no way of knowing that the products they use have no salt or are processed or have red dye or dairy or soy or futnuts.

Speaking of which, I’ve been munching on nuts & berrys all day. I may as well be vegetarian of the month. I did that the last time and it wasn’t as hard as it sounds. I just had to really focus.

Nuts & berries, going make me go nuts yet. *L* See why I ask you guyz fo’pray fo’me? LOL