General Conference April 2020

This weekend we watched General Conference from the comforts of our home--nothing new--we've been able to watch from our home for many years.  

But this year felt a bit different.  It was nice to know that thousands of people were doing this also.  And it was interesting seeing the pictures of "behind the scenes"

Photos Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints via AP

My kids played Conference Bingo while listening to the many wonderful happenings of conference this weekend.  And the highlight (one of many), was participating in the Solemn Assembly and the Hosanna Shout.

We used our hankies from the re-dedication of the Idaho Falls Temple back in 2017.

We discussed all of the "new" things that occurred during conference--and how Pres. Nelson does NOT look like he's 95 years old!! (And he definitely doesn't act that old!).  We printed off the new proclamation about the Restoration & can't wait to re-read it & watch the video of Pres. Nelson reading it from the Sacred Grove.

I hope all of my family relished & enjoyed this weekend's uplift of general conference.

Internet Problems? = Cleaning Up

On Friday, April 3rd, our internet started to give us problems.  I was trying to help Emmalee set up an Echo Dot (Alexa) in her bedroom and Callum was going to try to set up a soundbar for the TV in the living room.

About every 30-60 seconds, the internet would shut off, so Emmalee would go and reset the internet box.

And after a few minutes, the internet would work again for about 5 minutes.  And then it would shut off.  So Emmalee would unplug/re-start the box again.  I think we did it for at least 10 times.  She was getting frustrated (because she really wanted to get Alexa set up in her bedroom).

I finally said that I would have to clean the area by the computer/piano.  It was a "piling" place for the last couple of weeks amid the chaos of "shelter-in-place".  Rusty and I had a lot of school "stuff" there; when we cleaned out the white car before taking it to the junk yard, we put all of the "stuff" in a tote & left it behind the couch.  There was also a tote of arrow-making "stuff", which I moved to the workshop (another "piling" place--but that's another post). And when Ben cleaned his room & went through his toys, we sorted & stored the ones that needed to be put away in that area also.  So needless to say, it was hard to get into that area.

So I spent all Saturday morning organizing, putting stuff away, and cleaning the area by the piano & computer.  As I got to "puzzle table", I cleaned on top and under it.  And then I looked at the power strip by it.  There were 2 cords that were unplugged.  As I traced where these cords led to, I discovered that one of them was my extra computer cord--and the other one was...to the "battery" pack for the internet. 

(It's the cord that has yellow on it).  I looked at the battery pack and there was no lights lit up.  The box works for a few hours without power, but then it stops working.

I plugged it back it and--like magic--our internet started working again.  Not only did we have internet working again in our house, but the area by the piano was cleaned out and we could get to the piano to actually sit down and play!

Everything under the puzzle table (on the right side of the picture) is school stuff Rusty & I had to bring home & then under that (on the floor) are the puzzles we have put together or need to still put together.  (Okay--the blue box is the empty sound bar box that I need to throw away & the totes next to it are just empty--ready to be used).

I didn't take a before picture, but there was no way to get to the piano without climbing on top of stuff!  

So--I thanked Callum for "inspiring" me to clean that area.  He even sat down to play the piano yesterday. And I plan on learning one of the "new" songs inspired by Pres. Russell Nelson's "Hear Him" initiative, "My Own Sacred Grove".  

My Own Sacred Grove by Angie Killian

I also love the new song by Michael McLean.

He Looked Up by Michael McLean

Whole Body Scan

Today I had my whole body scan (WBS).  

 I had to lay still on the table for about 25 minutes.

 The machine slowly "scanned" down from my head to my toes.

You can't see the screen very well, but there are 3 main "spots" in my neck area. 

I don't have an appointment with my doctor until Aug. 14th, so I don't know if I'll have any more information until then. 

But from what I can tell, there is still cancer in my neck (where the radioactive iodine has "attached/attacked").

It doesn't appear to have spread anywhere else (from an amateur's perspective) & from what I've read, I'll probably just have blood work done about every 3 months & another scan in 6 months.

I could "feel" the scan and could tell where it was on my body.  The best way I could describe it is how I would imagine it would feel if I had little magnetic fibers trying to attach to a bigger magnet.  I could feel the scan as it went down my body and it felt like I had something in my body trying to connect to the scanner machine.  I know--weird!

Out of Isolation!

 Today I'm officially out of isolation!  I almost feel human again--but honestly I'm totally exhausted.

 2 months ago was my surgery--my scar looks great!

I took a shower this morning (so Ben could hug me) and started wiping down everything to decontaminate what I've touched.

 This is my "I'm happy to be out of isolation" face, but also "I'm so tired already from trying to clean" face so I'll just fake it face.

 Ben happy to be able to be around me!!!

And this is closer to how I feel.

I'm ready to go back to bed, but can't because I'm washing the sheets & mattress cover and have to wait for them to dry.  And I also will need to make the bed again before I could go back to bed!!

I can tell this is going to take more than one day to get all the cleaning done!

So--mixed feelings.  Happy to be out of isolation, but honestly it wasn't too "bad"!  Ben was thrilled he didn't have to make me breakfast & lunch again and I'm also glad I can make my own food now too.  

What I've done so far today:  showered, wiped down everything in the bathroom, gathered all the towels/rugs from the ground (in my room), stripped the bed down, started the 1st load of laundry, fixed my own breakfast, got dressed ("real" clothes), and drove to get the mail.  It's lunch time, but I'm going to rest a bit before I get lunch ready.  Time to go do another load of laundry. 

I'm Officially Radio-Active!!

 Waiting for lunch--Subway doesn't use iodized salt in their bread & so I was able to get a ham sandwich!

 Only 3 more days on my LID!!

Got my hospital tag & waiting for the pill.

 Gotta take a true "Stewart" selfie ;)

Rusty has been so amazing during this "journey"!! 

 Tons of paperwork--every nuclear medicine dispersed is audited so there was a lot of paperwork!

 Didn't have time to take pictures because the Nuke techs didn't want me hanging around!!

All the paperwork & questions had to be answered BEFORE they would even bring the medicine in.

When I was done signing my life away the paperwork, they "kicked" Rusty out.  (He had to go bring the truck to the back door--literally!!)

As soon as he left, they brought my medicine in a thermos-looking container, took out a little vial

It looked similar to this--and quickly had swallow the capsule then sent me out the back door!!  

 I had to sit in the back seat.  On towels.

 I don't look like I'm glowing, but inside I am!!

Based on my dosage (125.7 mci), I should be isolated from adults for 8 days, and kids, pets, & pregnant women for 12 days. So I should be "safe" on the late afternoon of Tuesday, July 25th :)

I do get to start taking my thyroid replacement medicine Monday morning (July 17th) and hopefully within a week or 2 I'll start feeling better! (plus that will also be the end of my LID!!!) 45 days on the LID has been long!

My Whole Body Scan (WBS) is scheduled for Friday, July 28th to see how the radioactive iodine is working (where the uptake is). 

My Radio-Active Iodine Pill Treatment

I will be getting my RAI pill on Thursday, at 3:30 pm.  The hospital (EIRMC) could not get it tomorrow (as we had first planned), so 1 more day before I can start my "glow"

Ironically--I will be getting my pill exactly 1 year from my hysterectomy surgery.  Last year, I was in surgery on Wednesday, July 13, 2016.

This year--on Thursday, July 13, 2017, I will be in the hospital getting my RAI pill to kill off the rest of the cancer!!

On day 3 after treatment starts, I will begin taking my Thyroid Hormone Replacement medicines and hopefully get my body back to hyper-thyroid-ism (tricking my body into thinking my thyroid doesn't need to work at all--since I have no thyroid!!) 

AND...I can stop my LID & eat "normal"!!!

It will be 6 weeks & 3 days when I can stop my Low-Iodine Diet=45 days!!  I cannot wait!!!

About 2 weeks after treatment, I will go in for a whole body scan (WBS) & see where the RAI attached & where it will be "fighting/killing off" the rest of the cancer.  (This is called uptake)

Every 3 months I will be checked & at 6 & 12 months more scans. 

I will be "buddies" with my cancer doctors for the next 20 years.

Some Quick 4-1-1 (info.) about Thyroid, ThyCa & RAI

Thyroid

The job of the thyroid gland is to make hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight.

Radioactive iodine treatment

Your thyroid gland absorbs nearly all the iodine in your body. When a high dose of radioactive iodine (RAI), also called I-131, is taken into the body it collects in thyroid cells. The radiation then destroys all the thyroid cells, even the ones that are cancer, with little effect on the rest of your body.

For RAI therapy to be most effective, patients must have high levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH or thyrotropin) in the blood. This substance stimulates thyroid tissue (and cancer cells) to take up radioactive iodine. If the thyroid has been removed, one way to raise TSH levels is to not take thyroid hormone pills for several weeks. This causes very low thyroid hormone levels (a condition known as hypothyroidism), which in turn causes the pituitary gland to release more TSH. This intentional hypothyroidism is temporary, but it often causes symptoms like tiredness, depression, fatigue, weight gain, constipation, muscle aches, vision problems, and reduced concentration. 

Most doctors also recommend that the patient follow a low iodine diet (LID) for 1 or 2 weeks before treatment. (Except my doctor wants 4 weeks of the LID before he tests your iodine level!!)  This means avoiding foods that contain iodized salt and red dye #3, as well as dairy products, egg yolks, anything from the sea, and soy.

Risks and side effects

Your body will give off radiation for some time after you get RAI therapy. Depending on the dose of radio active iodine used, you need to stay isolated to prevent others from being exposed to radiation.  (I will be 8-14 days).  6 foot bubble around me.

Thyroid hormone replacement

If all or part of the thyroid gland is taken out with surgery or destroyed with radiation, you will need to take pills of thyroid hormone to replace the missing thyroid hormones your body needs.

Life After Surgery & Treatment

Most people do very well after treatment, but you may need follow-up care for the rest of your life. This is because most thyroid cancers (ThyCa) grow slowly and can come back even 10 to 20 years after treatment.

I'm Going to Laugh so I don't Cry!!

 I don't get very good cell phone reception inside the house, so when my cell phone rang, I was in the middle of getting dressed (had my top on, but no pants yet).  I thought of just stepping outside on the back porch because no one would be able to see me, but I last second just decided to pull my pants on quickly.

So by the time I tried to answer the phone, I had missed the call.  I quickly called Amy back (she was my ride to town to get my tooth fixed) & then turned around to go back inside.

And the darn door was LOCKED!!!  It opens from the inside, but it's locked from the outside!!  So I was locked out!

 And I was barefoot!

Callum's window was opened, but there was nooooo way I could squeeze in there (if I could have even climbed in that high off the ground!)

My shoe options

Where I can find a hidden house key (I know--it's not hidden anymore if I announce it to the world)--but at least I know the combination to the lock on the door (and don't need a KEY).

But ewwww!!!  Gross pigeon coup poop!!

Yucky!  So that should be the end of my story--right??  Nope!

There was NO hidden key!!  Arrrggg!

And this is when I was sooooo happy that I had decided to put my pants on.  Because I had to go over to Grandpa's to get the house key he has.  So thankfully he was able to find it (after about 10 minutes of looking through his tin box full of 100's of keys).

So the moral of the story:  put the hidden key back kids!!  or maybe always wear pants if you're going outside.

Or make sure the door is unlocked when you go outside.

Anyways--that was my adventure yesterday.

If you want to see the video I put together about this adventure, click here.