What a day...

krystiesq
krystiesq Member Posts: 240 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I got my mom's thyroid biopsy results back today. She has a new primary cancer. Papillary Thyroid cancer. She does not know yet and will find out on the 6th. Her ENT wants a ct scan of the neck and will have to coordinate with her oncologist for colon cancer to decide how to progress. She may take a further break from chemo so that she can build her immunity and so she can heal.

Comments

  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    My heart goes out to you
    My heart goes out to you and your mom- what a lot to deal with! It seems coincidental, though, that I have a friend who has rectal cancer (stage 3), and is scheduled to have a biopsy soon of her thyroid because they found "multiple nodules" on it. She's worried to death now that she's going to find out that she also has thyroid cancer. I've never heard of these two cancers going together before, so it's weird to hear this about your mom just as the same time that I just heard about this possibility in my friend.

    Best wishes to you and your mom & I'll be interested in hearing what the oncologist decides to do so far as coordinating the treatment plan for both kinds of cancers.

    God bless,
    Lisa
  • krystiesq
    krystiesq Member Posts: 240 Member
    lisa42 said:

    My heart goes out to you
    My heart goes out to you and your mom- what a lot to deal with! It seems coincidental, though, that I have a friend who has rectal cancer (stage 3), and is scheduled to have a biopsy soon of her thyroid because they found "multiple nodules" on it. She's worried to death now that she's going to find out that she also has thyroid cancer. I've never heard of these two cancers going together before, so it's weird to hear this about your mom just as the same time that I just heard about this possibility in my friend.

    Best wishes to you and your mom & I'll be interested in hearing what the oncologist decides to do so far as coordinating the treatment plan for both kinds of cancers.

    God bless,
    Lisa

    treatment
    There won't be any chemo/treatment for the thyroid. It will be a thyroidectomy if it can be done. Thyroid cancer is usually treated with radioactive iodine since they are the only cells in the body that absorb iodine.

    I just worry about her finding out and it dashing her hopes.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    Aw, Krystie.....
    I am sending big hugs.

    Also, I, too, got the 'you have cancer' speech twice. It kinda knocked the wind out of me for a minute, but then I got MAD!!!! The treatments for the two primary cancers were different, so they decided I should do the worst one (worse prognosis) first, then the other. (implication was that if I survived the first, we could hit the second).

    I got a break between the two to heal, and then into surgery for the lumpectomy and further treatment for breast cancer. I tried to always keep the thought that these both were just something to get thru...I was part of the 37% on the rectal, and 97% on the breast...dying just wasn't an option...and still isn't.

    Sending good vibes to both you and mom!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • pamness
    pamness Member Posts: 524 Member
    Absolutely not fair
    I don't know quite what to say. All my prayers going to your Mom.

    I don't know if this is relevant at all, but my friend who was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer, had her thryoid shut down during chemo. They took a long time to figure this out and finally fixed it.

    I guess this is different.

    Pam
  • MoonDragon
    MoonDragon Member Posts: 183
    Sending Hugs
    Blessings and hugs to both you and your mom. I two had two simultaneous cancers of different kinds. While the news is a blow, it made me more determined to live and get through it. I hope your mom will find it to be the same!
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    Praying
    I know this must be such tough news for you,and of course you're worried about how your mom will react. I will say many prayers for you, dear. Your mother is so fortunate to have you looking out for her.

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • kmygil
    kmygil Member Posts: 876 Member
    So Sorry
    I'm so sorry about this new curveball. Sometimes it seems like it just won't stop coming at you. Just remember that prayers are coming at you both from all directions.

    Hugs,
    Kirsten
  • krystiesq
    krystiesq Member Posts: 240 Member
    thank you all
    Your prayers and support mean a lot to me. My mom finds out tomorrow. I'll update later tomorrow.
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    SUCKS!
    Kristi, I am so sorry for this new bend in the road ... your mother will feel like she's got a target on her back with a C in the middle of it 2 feet wide! At least thyroid cancer is easily treated and they undoubtedly found it early. I am praying for strength and comfort through the coming weeks. She WILL prevail, it's just a real bummer having to muster up MORE strength to continue the fight with new kinks. Listen to what she has to say, making sure that if she sounds like she's giving up you get her to a counselor PRONTO! Hopefully this will just deepen her resolve to NOT LET cancer WIN! Take care of yourself, and we will be waiting to see how tomorrow goes. I need to get a 2009 page a day... i feel like i don't know what day it is!
    mary
  • dorookie
    dorookie Member Posts: 1,731 Member
    krystiesq said:

    thank you all
    Your prayers and support mean a lot to me. My mom finds out tomorrow. I'll update later tomorrow.

    I am so sorry
    It just sickens me to hear this news, I was praying for better results. I dont have any answers and I know its a very hard time for you and for your mom, but somehow we just have to trust in God and believe he has his reasons. I know this too is hard, I am having my own issues in this area. I wish I had better words to help you, or to at least comfort you, just please know I am praying for you as well as many others here are doing too. We are here for you and your mom if you ever need anything, please just let me know!
    *HUGS*
    Beth
  • krystiesq
    krystiesq Member Posts: 240 Member
    dorookie said:

    I am so sorry
    It just sickens me to hear this news, I was praying for better results. I dont have any answers and I know its a very hard time for you and for your mom, but somehow we just have to trust in God and believe he has his reasons. I know this too is hard, I am having my own issues in this area. I wish I had better words to help you, or to at least comfort you, just please know I am praying for you as well as many others here are doing too. We are here for you and your mom if you ever need anything, please just let me know!
    *HUGS*
    Beth

    You're so sweet
    Thank you so much. All I need is prayers right now. I'm really really ok with the news as I've had time to digest it. I've known for about a month that the nodules were either colon cancer met or new primary so it isn't such a shock to have it confirmed, and I'd rather it be thyroid than colon cancer met. I usually try to find out everything before she does so she can feed off my strength and perspective. Then once she is able to hear it, I will educate like crazy with type etc as much as a lay person can without being a doctor. Luckily with the type it is this cancer is curable at a 90% rate so long as it is encapsulated and can be treated by thyroidectomy. Maybe if anything, it will make my mom more confident in beating colon cancer if she beats this one. We'll see tomorrow. I've already rallied the troops (my four nieces) to come strait to nana's house after she gets the news to both distract her and cheer her up.

    I know she welcomes breaks from chemo, so at least we will live it up while she is on "vacation". I'm trying to plan a trip to my aunt's in FL to get my mom out of this cold Ohio weather.

    All my best to you beth.
  • krystiesq
    krystiesq Member Posts: 240 Member
    msccolon said:

    SUCKS!
    Kristi, I am so sorry for this new bend in the road ... your mother will feel like she's got a target on her back with a C in the middle of it 2 feet wide! At least thyroid cancer is easily treated and they undoubtedly found it early. I am praying for strength and comfort through the coming weeks. She WILL prevail, it's just a real bummer having to muster up MORE strength to continue the fight with new kinks. Listen to what she has to say, making sure that if she sounds like she's giving up you get her to a counselor PRONTO! Hopefully this will just deepen her resolve to NOT LET cancer WIN! Take care of yourself, and we will be waiting to see how tomorrow goes. I need to get a 2009 page a day... i feel like i don't know what day it is!
    mary

    what day is it?
    My neighbor always asks me that when she is on vacation. I rarely take a day off so I ALWAYS know what day it is, what the date is and when my next federal holiday is!!!

    Before my mom was dx, i hadn't taken a day off in 2.5 years, save an except federal holidays. My boss had no problem with me taking 23 days in a row off so I could take care of my mom. I think someone up above was looking out for me.

    I long for the days when I ask what day it is!!!
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375
    krystiesq said:

    treatment
    There won't be any chemo/treatment for the thyroid. It will be a thyroidectomy if it can be done. Thyroid cancer is usually treated with radioactive iodine since they are the only cells in the body that absorb iodine.

    I just worry about her finding out and it dashing her hopes.

    Cancer Sucks!
    It's true, Cancer in any form sucks! To be hit with a double whammy of it, well it's very easy to ask, "WHY?? Is once not bad enough???"

    But being one who refuses to give in, I would take the high road and when your mom does find out and if you feel she's starting to slip into a "Oh, what's the point..." you can give her the good news. The fact this IS a new primary cancer, it means the colon cancer has not spread!! And that is excellent news! When I had my first PET scan a few months after I had finished my 8 months of chemo/radiation, it showed that my right adrenal gland lit up and two spots on the lung that lit up. Now, we all know it's common for colon cancer to spread to the lungs or liver... but the adrenal gland?? So, I was really and truly hoping that the adrenal was a primary on it's own and the lungs were a primary on their own. I knew it wouldn't sound good that I had THREE primary cancers... but it would mean the second two were caught very early and the first primary where I was a Stage III, would not have actually spread.

    Alas, it was not meant to be... the adrenal did prove to be a colon cancer spread, and they are pretty sure the mets in the lungs are also colon cancer. Grrrrr!

    But you know in your mom's case, the thyroid is a primary on it's own... and one that is easily treated since it is caught early enough. So all in all, this is actually good news in a very roundabout way!! :)

    Huggggggs,

    Cheryl