Sarah Morgan

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Interesting Times: Update 19

Summary: I had a second round of radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment June 3. Now I wait.

No scans – and I’ve had many – have showed metastasis. But my blood work has always showed thyroid/cancer cells left. Not a lot, but increasing, and enough to make RAI worth doing.

So for six weeks I withdrew from my normal medication. For two weeks I went on a low-iodine diet. I took a pill of radioactive iodine and stayed isolated for a week while it passed through my system and was absorbed by any cells that needed killing off. I had another scan to see where that absorption was. And now I wait – for another scan in two weeks and another round of tests in five months.

I find it hard sometimes to find the appropriate balance between positivity and honesty. I am deliberately positive and I’m not lying – but I don’t want to be phony and act like that’s all there is. So let’s be very real.

RAI has sucked. A lot.

I am so lucky:

But I am being both positive and honest, so here’s some honesty. This has been awful in a bunch of ways, it continues to be awful in a few ways, and it will continue to be awful in a couple ways a while longer.

I am trying not to think too much about the future. I could use your prayers to help me.

Background on these interesting times:
First post – Diagnosis
Update 1 – The plan / fear
Update 2 – Giving blood
Update 3 – Post-surgery
Update 4 – The other half of the time
Update 5 – Infection
Update 6 – Grossly unremarkable
Update 7 – All about RAI
Update 8 – Withdrawing
Update 9 – Isolation
Update 10 – A neck, in 5 pictures
Update 11 – Don’t look up
Update 12 – Business as usual
Update 14 – Yes, I skipped 13
Update 15 – Copy paste
Update 16 – What Allison said
Update 17 – Good results don’t get you off the hook
Update 18 – Here we go again

Comments

JM

I just want to squeeze you so hard! I am thinking of you from all the way over here. XOXOXOXO

Kerrin's mom

Kerrin’s sweetest friend. I wish there was more I could do than “just pray” . You are always in our prayers. You have shown incredible strength. You are a woman of courage.

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