Thyroid Scan

Back at home, after being out west for several weeks... its always difficult to be separated from family and it was hard being away from home for some time as well. But back to reality of doctor's appointments and treatments and such. Today, i woke up and my left eye felt swollen and I'm having difficulty seeing things again. The situation is getting progressively worse and I am getting more and more frustrated. I could not drive to work today because I could not see. So, I ended up having to cancel my patients. Not a very good thing. I had the first part of they thyroid scan scheduled today. It was frustrating, as they did not tell me that it was at the main hospital. So, I started out at the outpatient center, where, aside from the cancer center, is where I usually have all my tests done. It was not in that location. Fortunately, i can walk through the hospital... 4 buildings later and almost late for my appointment, i found the room they told me to go to. Only to discover that I was at the main pt. registration office. Aaarrrgggghhhh.... fortunately it did not take too long, and after a few minutes, i was tagged and told to go down to nuclear medicine. Finally found it, only to sit in the waiting area for 40 mins before a doctor finally came to talk to me. She was very a nice. A resident... Dr. J and she asked me a bunch of questions and asked how things came about. She told me the eye is classic for Graves disease... optomyopathy, I think is what she called it... but she did not think that medication would help the eye go back to normal. She thought that maybe steroids would. She strongly encouraged me to ask the PCP to refer me to an endocrinologist. I sure hope that this scan works.

I was NPO for over 6 hours prior to this appointment. I was told not to eat more table salt, any seafood or kale for the pass 2 weeks. The tecch checked to see if I was 'radioactive' before I was given 2 pills to take, with radioactive iodine. I was told not to eat for another hour and then I can eat whatever I want except for the things mentioned above. I was so disappointed with what she said about my eye. there has got to be a solution for this because it has now affected my work and I need to be able to go back to work soon. I wanted to break down and cry but I told myself that I will find out the results of the scan, talk to the PCP and hopefully an endocrinologist, look at all the options and come up with a plan. I want to find out if my monthly injections and daily chemo meds are somehow affecting my thyroid function. I really hope that the scan will reveal something... my frustration is mounting and I want some answers and I want my eye to get better :-(

Okay... so that's what's happening so far. I have a drs appointment, my injection and then the scan all scheduled tomorrow... I am tired.. but I am thankful that we are finally getting some answers... more to come tomorrow...