The latest

Hi,

Well I went to the hospital and I never got the RAI date I was hoping for. I had been squeezed into see Mr Radioactive and his right hand woman was not there with the diary. What ever next! What about online calendars? Obviously not in the NHS!

Tigger fell off his tail after the last post - pretty quickly unfortunately and I spent a day with my mysterious companion - tummy ache. Not pleased. Well that was Tuesday? Not sure, when not working it is difficult to tie anything to a particular day of the week.

Now just referring to my weekly planner on a classic brown used envelope, I see I had a busy day yesterday. Had an appointment with my talking lady, then my beauty's school harvest festival. This was a lovely event and she sang beautifully - well I couldn't actually hear her, she was the other side of the hall! But I am sure she did. Then a quick dash to hot yoga for the first time since my second op. Had to rest part way through but otherwise I was pretty pleased with my efforts and even managed a snooze on the mat at the end - bliss. Called in at the chinky takeaway for a delicious chicken chow mein which did my lunch and both our teas - that saved a lot of hassle and my beauty was delighted.

Onto the bike shop to reclaim my repaired bike, after some annoying person decided to buckle my rear wheel whilst we were enjoying the Reading Town Meal on Saturday. Up to Mum and Dads to finish the repair I was doing on their 50 year old convector heater, then back to pick up my beauty from a friend's house. She then declined the option of Brownies claiming to be too tired. No problem, just redirected Mum and Dad to come straight to our house for baby sitting. Unfortunately my beauty is very emotional at the moment and decided, on exiting the bath that this was the time to tell me all her school woes. We talked them through and she seemed a little more settled but when it was time for me to go out - oh no, she was feeling very ill now, but of course it was just because she didn't want me to go out. I steeled myself and set off and enjoyed a lovely evening at the rugby club for a Christian gathering. Have to admit I snoozed once again, this time on a very comfy leather settee, but the singing was great - I even joined in and everyone else drowned me out so it didn't matter that I sounded like a strangled horse!

What a busy day - when I am in the middle of days like that I never realise how busy they are but writing it down makes me see what a crazy nutter I am!

To make up for such madness, I chose to return to my bed this morning having said goodbye to my beauty and enjoyed 2 and a half hours cozy sleep. Made a quick lunch and off to pottery - the best drug I have found to date! Started on my second hand for the mounting of my globe and it slowly came together. Then rescued my first hand and forearm from the "wet room". It looked a whole lot better than I remembered and I did some refining. Lots of complimentary comments - always a good ego boost. Made the second forearm and time was up. Put away all ready for Monday morning - can't wait.

Then home, changed into clean clothes and ready to be collected by my PC friend for the long awaited follow up with Mr Lovely! Long wait today, but my companion from hospital came in for her checkup too, so it was great to see how she was getting on. She had a rough time, got an infection, face swelled up and had been back and forth to the hospital more times than me! Got the call from the nurse and was escorted straight to Mr radioactive -no, no, no, I was meant to see Mr Lovely, what happened there? Apparently seeing as radioactive is the way to go for me, no need to see Mr Lovely - deflated, disappointed, what more can I say?!

Mr radioactive is a very sincere man and has a well practised spiel about thyroid cancer and the treatment and human biology and just about everything you could think of. I patiently sat there and listened to what he had to say but I knew 99% of what he was telling me, so nodded appropriately, I hope, until he was finished. Here are the two things I learnt. When we are a foetus our thyroid tissue starts life by our pituitary gland up in our brain. As we develop it travels down each side of our face and neck and then settles at the base of our neck in a lovely butterfly shape. Sometimes it wanders off a little more down the chest. So there could be deposits of thyroid tissue anywhere along that route, hence the RAI to destroy any thyroid tissue that remains. Also in my case they can't be 100% sure they cut out all the dodgy stuff.

The other new piece of knowledge I gleaned was that there is a legal limit of radioactivity that one is allowed out into the world with. So until I am below that limit, when I am having my treatment, I will be in solitary confinement with a motorised door that locks - prison basically!

I have also been warned that I may have to have a second dose of RAI in 6 months time depending on my full body scan and blood tests to make doubly sure that everything is nuked.

I mentioned my dissatisfaction about my duff voice and breathlessness and was in my opinion dismissed and told it should be fine in a few months. However at the end of my session with Mr radioactive, he asked me if I would like to see if it was possible to see Mr Lovely about my voice. OH YES! - result. In comes Mr Lovely who asks if I would like to have another look at my vocal chords, OH YES (that was one of my questions on my white used envelope). Ushered into a small room with my PC friend who is now drooling (he is lovely you know) to have the whole camera up the nose job. All of a sudden he is merrily about to do the job when I enquire about the anaesthetic spray. He says, oh have we not had a go without before - NO, says I, and somehow I agree to try without this time (must have been overcome by seeing him) but I have to say, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME OR ANYWHERE ELSE. It hurts! Wasn't so bad on the way down, but bought tears to my eyes on the way out. Hurt for ages after too and slightly tarnished Mr Lovely's reputation in my opinion. I made it quite plain that if I have to have that done again I am having the spray. He did manage to recover himself though by saying he would see me again in 3 months to see how the voice was and when I then asked if that would be the last time, he said "oh no you will come for check ups for ever now - you and me will grow old together"!!!!! Can't stop laughing now - I am a sad muppet.

Can't write any more now, I feel cheery and happy and that's how I shall leave it for tonight.
Sleep well
x

P.S. Got a sick note for 8 weeks - now that was the best result.