Writing for me is cathartic. It helps me sort through my feelings and gain perspective. In that vein, I write about my future.
I recently switched endocrinologists as the one I had since my thyroid surgery 5 years ago seemed to be more interested in creating commercial health plans/foods to sell than doctoring. I decided to get a second opinion and in a roundabout way was directed to a doc that practices out of Johns Hopkins. His specialty is thyroid cancer. After discussing my history, answering his questions, and him reading my 2- inch thick medical file, he bluntly told me that my previous doctor did wrong by me. That was quite a shock for a number of reasons. The first was that he did not ascribe to the "doctor not criticizing another doctor" protocol. The second was that after I was given the first radioactive iodine treatment I never should have been given the other two. The third was that I should be followed for Vitamin D deficiency. The fourth was that after the surgery an ultrasound of my neck should have been performed every 8 to 10 months. I hadn't had one since my surgery.
The blood work proved him correct. I was definitely Vitamin D deficient. That answered the question as to why when I walked down a flight of stairs I felt as if my leg bones would splinter apart.
Tomorrow is the ultrasound.
It took me 3 years to convince my Primary Care doc that there was something wrong. The blood work kept coming back as normal. Through those years I suffered weight gain, hair loss, and extreme fatigue. Also during that time, the cancer grew unchecked moving towards the back of my neck instead towards the front. My surgeon was shocked by what he saw when he opened me up. No one had a clue.
So, my new doc insisted that a Johns Hopkins technician perform the ultrasound. He didn't want to leave it up to anyone else. It will take about an hour. I am nervous not about the test itself but the results.
Something else my previous doctor did was ignore my ever rising test results that indicate any cancer left in my body. Another reason why I left him.
This time tomorrow it will be done. The anticipation alone is making my stomach queasy.
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