Friday, April 29, 2011

Tori Update

I have delayed doing this update for several reasons. My heart is breaking right now and I am so full of anger I am having a problem keeping myself pulled together and Sunday is Tori's 15th birthday and we want it to be a good one so we are trying to keep some secrets til next week.
This week we got results from blood tests and the scan's Tori had on her throat. I'm sorry, I do not have the correct medical terms to put here right now, Heather hasn't given me the paper reports yet but Tori has a certain type of thyroid cancer. Before I give you details let me say that her M.D. tells us that this is a very treatable form with a high success rate. That's the good news. Now it goes down hill, and I can't tell you what will happen when or how all the Dr.s are going to co-ordinate what is the priority here . She will be seeing an Oncologist this coming week. Her M.D. says probably she will have the thyroid and Lymph nodes removed. After 5 or 6 weeks recovery time from the surgery she will have injections (I am sorry I can't remember what the name of this injection is) but supposedly it should kill any cancer or precancer cells that remain after the removal of the thyroid and lymph nodes. This avoids the need for any type of Chemo or Radiation therapy.
I worry how all this will be co-ordinated with the Neurological surgeries. We will have to try to be a bit patient a bit longer while this is all tackled by the involved Dr.s.

This is so very unfair , my anger is so over the edge. I cannot tell you how many times in the er this past winter Tori tried to tell these Dr.s what she felt in her throat. Even her own M.D. as much as we like him, when I took her for a visit with him in January we both tried to explain the pain in her throat and collarbone, I pointed out the fact that she was living on liquids because aside from the fact that she had no appetite she could not swallow. Every last one of them cut her off and would not listen. Her MD gave her Zoloft that day. My insides are shaking right now and my mind won't stop between figuring out to keep her happy and comfortable, wondering how we tell her this, as it is she is scared to death over the surgery on her back and head. She is going to need alot of care for a while and yes I am rambling so I will stop and I will update this post when I have the terminology to share with you and some kind of plan has been started.

4 comments:

  1. I am so sorry to hear it. What kind of doctors are those? My friend who was about 26 at the time complained about a sore throat to her doctor and thyroid was the first thing they checked and right away. She had to have radiation in her thyroid. Poor kid. I'm sorry you all are going through this.

    PD

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  2. Thanks PD, the Doctors we saw all winter are all the kind that can't be bothered seeing a patient that can't come up with alot of money or great insurance policy. Once we get Tori on the road to being healthy it's time to think about some lawsuits. Thank you for caring, it helps.

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  3. oh, Deb, I am so angry for you & Tori. I am glad it is considered treatable. Please check with a legal aid clinic to figure out the state's statute of limitations on this type of case, so you don't miss any deadlines (should you decide to file a case). In some jurisdictions they are very short

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  4. Thanks Cindy, good to know and I will check this out soon.

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