today's inventory

The salivary glands are holding steady at "might annoying", occasionally (afternoons, usually) ratcheting up into the "making me feel sick" range. I've discovered that the Altoids Sours that I used during my RAI are a help now, too. It's difficult to explain but it's like when your nose is stuffed up, sometimes menthol and eucalyptus can help free things up. With the salivaries, having something very sour near my taste buds just makes the glands go crazy, and it pushes through the congestion. Then I end up with a mouthful of salt, but at least the glands feel better.

I'm seeing the ENT on March 11 about all this, and I will also quiz him on the lump I'm feeling mid-throat (way, way above where any scarring should be from the surgery.) Also my weak & raspy voice. One of the folks on the Yahoo ThyCa forum suggested an ultrasound might be the way to go, and I tend to agree. We'll see what the ENT says.

Monday bright and early at 6:45 I report for the MRI of my lower spine, which has been killing me lately. Probably because I from time to time do something like pickup one of the younger kids, or a bag of groceries or something. You know, I have a life to get on with here, and being super super careful wasn't netting me any improvement. Of course it's stupid to think that doing whatever I want won't make it worse; I do not, in fact, think that, and am very careful about when and how I decide to lift something.

Dermatologist's office called today to say that both biopsies showed regular old compound nevii -- no melanoma on my feet. Yay! I actually put some heat on them this morning to encourage circulation down there. The last thing I want is for these things to get infected -- I went through a really terrible time with the biopsy on my ankle, and the dr said these were in just as bad a spot, even though it doesn't seem that way to me.

My ThyCa advisor has sent me the information for getting my pathology reports from my surgery redone. I don't know whether or not there's any need for a second opinion, but it's nice to know the option exists.