Like Spiderman But Without Tobey Maguire

It occurs to me that I could blog about something other than cancer or bakery drama... but I don't need the catharsis from anything else.

Last week, I trekked out to UAB for a post-radiation remission check. I hate the drive to UAB because it takes forever and is usually accompanied by a sense of dread that just gets worse and worse as I approach the Birmingham city limit. I love the drive to UAB because it's alone time with music and antique stores along the way. Eh, you take the good, you take the bad, and then you open a bakery just like Mrs. Garrett did.

Now, as we recall from a previous episode of "Cancer Is A Huge Pain In The Ass", I did radiation back in April/May. The goal of the RAI was twofold: one, to kill any cancer that was left, and two: to make it easier for the doctor to check for cancer recurrence. I did the radiation, did the scan, did the tests and it looked like all was quiet.

 It is important to note that, despite my best efforts, this exposure to radiation did not give me super powers.

The goals of this recent visit to the big city were to make sure nothing is growing in my neck, make sure my levels are down, and to check out what's new at the antique malls along 280. Indeed, nothing is growing in my neck.

Thanks to these handy plastic thyroid models, I am now an expert in checking for thyroid disease... or I would be if I still had a thyroid.

And the Powder Box had this awesome spinning wheel a la Rumpelstiltskin for sale (but I didn't buy it because I have superior self control... and it wouldn't fit in the car).

Have you seen Once Upon a Time? So good.

As for the testing of cancer recurrence, here we are a week later and that test result isn't in yet. I know! Turns out, the thyroglobulin (who you will remember as the villain in the first Spiderman movie) test takes longer than the TSH or free T4.

Green Globulin

But that doesn't mean the wait has been dull. Heavens, no! Why, just last night, as we were enjoying a family dinner at a local greasy spoon, my phone rang. It was UAB calling to remind me about my radiology appointment on Wednesday.

Yeah, I didn't know anything about an appointment in radiology on Wednesday. In fact, the only reason I would need to visit radiology would be because the thyroglobulin came back high, and we need to look for tumors. But I hadn't heard any thyroglobulin numbers, so I didn't know if the cancer was back... if it was a miscommunication and they entered my lab orders six months early... if I'd heard the robo-call wrong over the din in the restaurant... It caused some stress. And, of course, the clinic's not open at 8 p.m., so I couldn't call and find out.

After much waiting and re-dialing, I finally found out the deal: the doctor did, in fact, order an ultrasound just in case the thyroglobulin came back high.

I can't believe how easy this image was to find. Thanks, Rowsdowr!

Since the results aren't back yet, we don't know if I need the ultrasound. But hey, snaps to the radiology department for being on top of things and hooking me right up with an appointment! Just... a little premature... and terrifying there for a few hours. But they were super nice on the phone, and I'm looking forward to seeing them in six months regardless.

The real results of the thyroglobulin (and the answer to whether or not I need an ultrasound this time) will be here in the next week or so. Hopefully sooner.