Thread: Ironwoods cancer saga continues....

I now know a little bit about how you must feel, about the uncertainty and the fears. Gook luck and keep your chin up.

Let us know how you get on.


Peter.

Thanks Peter.

I have followed your thread, I hope all is going well for you.

Yes I'm fine at this stage. Just started my hormonal treatment today.


Peter.

You've been through the wringer Ironwood. All the best for your continued treatment and a good outcome.

Originally Posted by prozac

You've been through the wringer Ironwood. All the best for your continued treatment and a good outcome.

I went from a supposedly healthy, hard working, hard playing Diesel Fitter, to a physical wreck in the space of a few months.

Thanks for the thoughts Prozac.

Originally Posted by Ironwood

I went from a supposedly healthy, hard working, hard playing Diesel Fitter, to a physical wreck in the space of a few months.

I should add that after recovering from the surgery, and things settling down from the loss of my Thyroid Gland, I did start to feel all right again after about 6 months. Just not quite my old active self.
I struggled a bit with the rigors of working as a Diesel Fitter, The heat was the worst thing, I seem to feel the heat a lot more now, cold doesnt seem to worry me though.
Anyway I gave up the Diesel Fitting after 26 years of it, and now own a Newsagency.

The results of the biopsy I had the other day were not good news. I have the cancer back in the Lymphatic Glands in my neck.

The surgeon who did my earlier operation, called this morning to discuss whats next. So it looks like more surgery in a few weeks back down at Brisbane to remove the offending parts, and then more Radioactive Iodine treatment later on once I recover from the surgery.

Originally Posted by Ironwood

The results of the biopsy I had the other day were not good news. I have the cancer back in the Lymphatic Glands in my neck.

Sorry to hear it.

Peter.

Not good at all Ironwood.
I hope that things can be sorted out for you.

Keep up a positive attitude, we're all barracking for you.

Thanks for the thoughts Guys, they are appreciated.

My GP rang this morning to discuss a few things that she was talking about with the Surgeon.
Its good to be in the hands of caring and very professonal doctors.

I am too busy these days to let this depress me like it did last time round, though if I stop and dwell on what is going on, I do feel a bit down.

I should be hearing from the surgeon some time today, to work out dates and times, it sounds like he wants me down there for about a week and a half. I will try and talk him into condensing it down to under a week if I can, there sounds like a couple of days wasted in the schedule he has so far.

Well I'm back.

I went down to Brisbane last Tuesday had a CT scan and Utrasound on my neck and chest. They could only find the one node on the tests.
Went into surgery on Wednesday, they took out the enlarged node and a few other close by, tests came back the enlarged node was cancerous, but the others were clear. The Doctors were happy with that, so I guess I am too.

Only a small scar this time, about 4 inches long, from near my Adams Apple to around under my right ear. Its healing well.

They let me out of Hospital on Friday, went to stay at my Sons place near the RNA showgrounds, the garden show was on so I went and had a bit of a look around in there (pity the Wood show didnt line up for me like that).

At this stage it looks like I will go back down to Brisbane in July for another round of Radioactive Iodine Treatment.
I have to wait that long because they injected me with some dye for the CT scan, and I have to wait for it to fully leave my system, or it will clash with the Radioactive Iodine.

It is good to hear that the doctors are happy - like most professionals, most of them that I have dealt with are hard-working, professional and caring and get a bum rap from the few careless, greedy or callous ones that make the media headlines. Best of luck on the recovery trail.

Well I am off to Brisbane again next week to go through the Radioactive Iodine treatment routine, this will be the 4th time now.

Saw my GP the other day, my blood tests since the last operation to remove the cancerous lympth node in my neck have come back good.
The Thyroid Antibodies are <1 (considered undetectable), so that is good news.

I have been off my medication now for 3 weeks, (I have to go off the Oroxine tablets and stop eating seafood and other iodine rich foods for a month before the treatment), so I am feeling really run down and tired lately, very cranky too apparently.

Anyway I should be down there in the isolation cell for only 3 days, then back home and back on the tablets, I've got my fingers crossed that this is the last time.

I've made an Ironwood Burl black titanium Sierra (pen) for the Dr that looks after me during the treatment. He has been using an old Blackbean slimline for the last 3 years that I have known him, all the gold plating has worn off, but the wood has a beautiful patina now, given to him by a former patient. I am hoping he will pension it off and use mine.