Late Returns

My Oncologist called earlier today, or maybe it was yesterday while we were at work, and left a message with three additional lab results.

My thyroid level is functioning normally.  This was as far as I can remember the first time my thyroid function has ever been tested.  My Oncologist explained that he liked to begin annual testing of the thyroid when a patient reached my age.  I’m not sure how to take that (grin).  I mean, 59 is an odd year to pick to begin testing something.  I might think 50 or 55 or 60, but 59?  Kind of reminds me of things that sell for $1.99.  Why not just say $2.00?  Anyway, I digress.  I don’t know much about thyroid function or what it may mean to me personally.  I know that Marvina’s is dead ergo she has to take daily Synthroid to replace what her thyroid should be producing.  I also know that thyroid and cancer are somehow closely connected.  I think I’ll have to do some more research on this one to better understand why and dispel the shadows in the back of my mind whispering that the Oncologist isn’t being completely forthwith with me.

I also was told that my Creatinine levels were good.  They came in at 1.3.  Okay, some might remember me explaining but at the risk of being repetitive, Creatinine is essentially waste floating around in the blood stream, usually from muscle breakdown.  Happens to everyone, we work, loose muscle mass but grow new muscle to replace what we burn off through exercise.  Our kidneys filter the Creatinine out of our blood stream and eliminates it from the body through our urine output.  Checking Creatinine levels is an excellent measure of kidney function.  “Normal” human Creatinine levels range somewhere between .8 and 1.2 milligrams per deciliter of blood.  In addition to the bladder cancer I also have iGA Nephropathy, a condition where the kidneys ability to filter the blood stream is damaged.  It is incurable and pretty much untreatable.  As my level is 1.3 I’m only slightly high.  Truth be told, 1.3 is excellent for me so I’m happy with this result.

He also tells me I am not anemic.  Now this is one test that makes me sit up and take notice.  Anemia, at least for me, was one of the symptoms I had just before they found my cancer.  If I recall correctly, my bone marrow had stopped producing red blood cells, part of the beginning stage of death had they not found it in time.  To hear that I’m not anemic is a good sign, a very good sign.

So three good results along with the good results from the office visit.  Now all I have left is the CT to I hope remove concern that the cancer has moved to another lymph node.  In a past conversation with my Oncologist he told me I was the best judge of how I felt and that I would be the best at raising a red flag since I know my body so well.  This is what I did during the office visit.

It may be nothing at all.  It may be something.  Until I have the scan and it is interpreted, I’ll have to just take a deep breath and continue to live each day the best that I can.