I got an MRI last week that revealed I no longer have thyroid cancer. This was a huge relief for me. What happened before and after getting this news created a new level of uncertainty. The final stage of the radioactive iodine therapy that was meant to eliminate any possible remaining cancer cells involved taking a radiation pill at my doctor’s office and staying isolated in my apartment for seven days with no company. While this was a tolerable experience, the night before I was scheduled to have an MRI, I felt nauseous. I initially thought this might be a normal side effect at first, but when I went in for the MRI the next day, my nuclear radiologist said that it was unlikely that the radiation pill would be causing the nausea since it had been seven days since I took the radioactive pill.
I panicked and called my Internist’s office. I told them I needed some urgent feedback as I did not know what was making me feel like I was about to vomit. I wound up getting snappy with both my internist’s secretary and the radiology nurses and technicians, which is something I try not to do unless I have reason to believe my health could be in imminent danger. Although I was eager to find out about my cancer status and hated having to be impatient with the medical staff, it seemed most important that I rule out any immediate threats. Luckily, I was taken to the NYU emergency room by two people from the radiology department and once I found myself checked in, I knew the staff would at the very least act should I find myself on the brink of losing consciousness.
Thankfully, that did not happen. My blood tests came back normal, which felt like a relief. After five hours of examination from a physician assistant and an emergency medicine doctor, I was discharged and instructed to follow up with my internist about the nausea. I was glad that I turned out not to be in danger of passing out but discouraged that there was no explanation for this sudden nausea. The next morning, I woke up early and got an MRI of my neck. Due to NYU’s speed and my Endocrinologist making himself available to answer questions, I found out later that afternoon, my thyroid cancer was non-existent, which was a big relief. When I met with my internist his immediate response was that my GERD, which stands for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, had worsened during the treatment. He and I agreed I should take stronger medication until I see my gastroenterologist next month and he prescribed medication for the nausea.
I have been experiencing varying levels of GERD-related heartburn for ten years, but it had been a while since symptoms like this have occurred. I wound up getting extremely dizzy after taking the nausea medicine in addition to my evening doses of antipsychotics, antianxiety, and sleep medicines. I made a willful decision that tolerating the physical discomfort of being nauseous was better than being as dizzy as I was that night because the amount of anxiety and potential risks seemed to outweigh the discomfort associated with worsening nausea. I had also skipped a Ketamine appointment to finish off my cancer treatment with radioactive iodine therapy, which did not help the situation.
I do not know how much of this is reflux related and how much is psychiatric or neurological, but my hope is that by next month, I will have an idea about that. My internist and I agree that this will take a gastroenterologist and a neurologist to address these issues, but unfortunately getting either one on short notice is difficult. Either way, having beaten the cancer has put me on a path that was unexpected. Although I question what will happen next, I have found myself feeling strong enough to return to work as a screenwriter, which makes me feel very productive and I intend to take more projects as time goes on.
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