Life After Thyroid Cancer – Update

It's been some time since I've provided an update to my life post thyroid cancer/thyroidectomy. Here's a glimpse of it...


LMAO! Yes, a roller-coaster ride; not too bad. It really depends on how you interpret it. Most see a roller-coaster as a thrill and an adrenaline rush. Others may interpret it being up and down - good and bad. For me, it's been both...lol. Not much in the bad department, considering that my body has done some things that I've never imagined doing (will share those stories for later posts). As for bad, the only thing I can reference is that once I think I'm on track with my physical goals and have a good grasp on my body minus a thyroid, then something comes along and changes the direction. Which is fine...really it is...keeps me on my toes for sure. 

Since my last post on the subject, Life After Thyroid Cancer, back in December 2013, I've been on such an adventure of rediscovery. See, I've had to learn so many new things about my body - this slightly modified version...lol. I'm very protective of this "asset" of mine. Besides, it's the only body I have, so why wouldn't I be protective. 






In July of 2015, I was asked to share my story at the VeloSano - Bike to Cure opening ceremony. 

Making this video left me revisiting many of the emotions that I was going through at the time and had me reflecting back on those emotions. It's very humbling. I'm very grateful that I can say that I'm a cancer survivor. You realize that so many others have challenges far greater than yours and it's up to you to overcome your challenges. I am no different when it comes to the ups and downs that life brings our way. But, I tell you what, I will not let things define me or take control over me. As I see it, I have a modified version of myself after having the thyroidectomy. I have to re-learn this body; retrain my mind to let go of how I was and focus on how I am now. Look at it when you upgrade your phone, you have to learn all the new features - good and bad. 

Smile, laugh and be well! 

Life After Thyroid Cancer – Watch Your Foods and COFFEE!

As you have read in my previous posts regarding the goiter, thyroid cancer and thyroidectomy.  Life doesn’t end. It begins.  You have to reprogram your body because it’s adjusting to a hormone that it can’t produce anymore.  You have to teach your body to not be jealous of the hormone and learn to love it just as you do.  Everyone must play together.

My weight and size was slowly decreasing.  My cholesterol levels were coming back to normal, TSH levels stayed fine and I was really feeling and seeing a difference with myself.  My energy level was great.  I finally was feeling like I was on the right track.  Now into 2013, I re-started training clients, but kept the number to just a few.  I still had to fully figure this Synthroid life out. 

One day, I had my bodyfat % checked to compare to one of my previous readings.  I was still a bit disappointed.  Though, you could clearly see that I was getting smaller, I wasn’t toning normally. Back to reading through my notes of foods to avoid, and visiting sites for updated information. Something was still holding me back.

I looked through my food journals and nothing was clicking. Then, one day, I read an article that talked about caffeine and it’s affects on thyroid medication.  Well, that got my attention.  I'm a Starbucks queen – yes, non-fat, no whip or some days light whip. Additionally, I made my favorite coffee at home too.  As I was reading the article, I found out that I needed to greatly minimize my caffeine consumption. 

I thought, how in the world will I be able to handle this too. No caffeine – [SCREAMING]. I convinced myself to go decaf with my coffee.  That was where I consumed the most caffeine. I was on the last leg of my regular coffee beans, so I tossed them and purchased decaf coffee beans from World Market.  Talk about a limited variety in stores when it comes to decaf. 

That was it! Going to decaf made such a difference.  Because, I’m an avid fitness person, my energy level did not decrease.  Working out and “eating” right provides your body with such a beautiful energy boost as needed.  So, the adjustment wasn’t really noticed at all.  I couldn’t believe that something so simple would make the type of difference that it has. 

The best thing was going to both my primary and endocrinologist and watching them look at my current weight and then compare it to my previous weight.  Their faces were priceless.  Funny thing they questioned me on how did I lose so much weight (20 pounds).  I found myself telling them about eating “right”.

To this day, I’m 5 pounds away from being the weight that I was at just before all of this started.  I’m thankful for being cancer-free. I’m thankful for being a voice to others of this experience and to let you know, you’re worth the effort to make the adjustments.

Big hug to all who are experiencing thyroid problems, and/or have had thyroid cancer, and those who shared their tips on the web. We can overcome. 

Life After Thyroid Cancer – Weight Gain

If you have read my Life with a Goiter entries, you now know what happened with the goiter.  After my total thyroidectomy, following a low-iodine diet, and radioactive iodine treatment, my next hurdle was this crazy weight gain! Though, I worked out and thought I was eating right, my clothes started getting tighter and tighter and my body was feeling squishy. Things just wasn't making sense. My doctor visits resulted in my readings being normal and where they needed to be, but my body was growing!

I started researching more and more. I just couldn’t figure this out. I’m a personal trainer and how in the world am I getting this wrong? To make matters worse, every visit with my primary and endocrinologist, when I would inquire if the medication was working, they would reply with yes, your levels are fine, perhaps you should exercise and watch what you eat. UGH‼‼

In a nutshell, they were very little help.  At one point, my cholesterol was high and my primary wanted to put me on cholesterol medication. At which, I nicely rejected. I told her, if my cholesterol is high, something is not working. I was getting so frustrated and very concerned. 

For the whole year of 2011, I was struggling. I stopped with my fitness classes, stopped training with my clients and took time to figure this out.  It wasn’t that I had never had weight issues in the past.  This one was making me feel like I would have no control and I might as well watch myself grow. NOT!

In the spring of 2012, I visited the Synthroid website. I was going to read all the fine print that I could to fully understand the medication and the interactions. I researched what foods and beverages interacted with the medication. It finally clicked and my eyes were wide open now. I was taking the medication first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, but I was eating soon after.

I found myself, testing theories that I discovered. First one was, taking the medication in the middle of the night, around 3:30 a.m. for me.  I know, many can’t imagine waking up just to take a medication. But, I did and have been doing it since April 2012.  Yes, I go right back to sleep.  Why that time? It allows for the medication to be fully absorbed in the body with no interruptions. Make sense?

I was also taking calcium. I would take it in the morning, so I changed it to dinner time.  It needs at least 4 hours prior to taking thyroid medication because calcium causes the Synthroid to not be fully absorbed as well.  I was getting on a routine now.  My workouts were going well, but the scale was moving really slow and the inches were decreasing by what seemed as millimeters. UGH! At least the scale was not moving in the wrong direction.  I must have been doing something right.

My next visit with my primary, she had noticed that my cholesterol was down. REALLY??? I thought. She asked me what I was doing and I told her about the 3:30 a.m. med time.  Well, guess that wasn’t in any of the medical classes, but she realized that if your thyroid medication isn’t being fully absorbed, it will cause your cholesterol to rise. [I wish you could have seen my face]. I’m sure you can imagine the look. Good thing for me not taking the cholesterol medication – RIGHT???‼‼

Life with a Goiter - Now, Cancer Survivor

Now, the RIT, I had to visit the office and they give you instructions on what you can and cannot do.  Such as, having to sleep alone, eat alone, being secluded from family, using a separate bathroom (if possible), staying away from pets, you can’t expose others to the radiation.  Though, some may think of scheduling lunch with less favorable people in your life, you still can’t do that either.

Funny how when you are on restrictions, that is when you want to do so much and go EVERYWHERE. So, I picked a bedroom to stay in for 3 FULL DAYS. I figured that I would catch up on reading and some of my shows that were on the DVR.  Now mind you, I still haven’t come off the low-iodine diet. Wouldn’t you know, most of my shows were from the cooking channel and the Food Network.  Talk about HUNGRY! All I could think of was a Pizza Hut meat lover’s pan pizza – YES‼‼


The days went by and my meals were set outside the bedroom door.  It reminded me of a scene in The Color Purple when Celie and Mister were feeding Shug and how they placed the food outside the door and ran away. LOL!

By day three, I was to start on my thyroid medication and could get off the diet. Yes, I got the pizza for my dinner on that Sunday. But, I couldn’t come in contact with anyone until the next day. Monday morning, I felt so free.  In the back of my mind, I knew my body was going to need some time to adjust to this medication. I had read that people experienced weight gain problems, lack of energy and I was determined to go into this with a game plan.

I resumed teaching my fitness classes as well as continuing on my regular workouts. Little did I know, working out was going to take on a whole new meaning. 

Life with a Goiter - Part 3

Going into surgery this time was much different. There were more things on my mind and knowing that I have thyroid cancer made the thoughts uncontrollable. I kept thinking about if it had spread. I was just thinking about what else may be wrong. What if things are much worse than they are? How will my life be now? Will the cancer come back? Etc...etc...etc...
So, just as the first surgery, I had limited talking and pretty much followed the same protocol as before. I knew I would be on medication the rest of my life to replace the hormone that my body can no longer produce without a thyroid.

Goiter - Left Side

As you can see in the pictures, there is the goiter and the right thyroid gland. Immediately, I noticed a huge difference in my neck. I can't believe how small it is now. I was told that my recommended medication would be Synthroid.  I mentally prepared myself as it was to be my life-long partner.

After a few weeks, I was place on a low-iodine diet to prepare for my radioactive iodine treatment (RIT).  Having thyroid cancer doesn't mean radiation. But, it was necessary for me to have the RIT. OMG!

Right Side

The low-iodine diet completely drained me. I was teaching my fitness classes and thinking where do I pull the energy to do so.  It was like functioning on a drained internal battery. All I wanted to do was NOTHING!

Figuring out what eat and what not to eat was, actually pretty interesting.  I learned even more about discipline and my cooking skills.  Found myself making my own sausage. When you’re on limited foods and the foods you buy contain things you can’t consume, you find yourself getting very creative and resourceful.