Moffitt Update

I am overdue for an update on my Moffitt appointment(s). Sorry for not updating sooner. I've even gotten e-mail asking for an update(SORRY!) I am SO SO SO THRILLED with the entire experience so far. Everyone there is so wonderful & caring! Such a change from some of the doctors I've dealt with. My first appointment actually began disasterously. We left home on time, but being a 2hr drive, you never know what you're going to encounter. We hit MAJOR road construction back-ups and I think, a traffic accident...We ended up being over an hour late for my appointment. I was MEGA stressed, as I was getting out of the van I spilled an ENTIRE mug of ice water on myself. I spent the entire drive there fighting with the website trying to get my new patient questionairre filled out because I'd had problems with their server. I didn't get it done before the appointment...Needless to say, I was STRESSED...I got in, knew I wasn't going to get to SEE the doctor, but I hoped that I could at least get my paperwork done, meet with the nurse and get into the system to re-schedule my appointment. This is not what happened...The receptionist ran down the hall and caught the doctor just as he was walking out the door and asked him to talk with me before he left. She left the paperwork for after I talked with him, gave me my wrist band and brought me back to a room with the nurse. As stressed as I was, I was immediately relieved. Dr T. took time out to talk to me about the history of my Thyroid nodules, what tests I've had done and what tests were most likely immediately needed. He did an exam of my Thyroid and reassured me that we'd get things started right away. I gave him the copies of all my records that I had made for him & he ordered all the tests to get started. He wanted to see me back in a week! I've never had a doctor want to see me back that soon. I know he had somewhere he was supposed to be, he made HIMSELF late for an appointment to see ME...It took a whole lot of stress off...After the very brief meeting with him, I had to run to the lab & get bloodwork before they closed & then come back to the clinic and fill out all my paperwork. The wonderful staff in the clinic had me do the paperwork LAST so that I could finish everything else that needed to be done that day. They scheduled my Thyroid ultrasound for just a couple days later. I had that done and had the followup appointment on the 10th. My follow-up appointment was as wonderful an experience as my initial experience. Not surprising, the nodule on the right side has been followed all along has gotten larger, but what I didn't expect is that the small nodule on the left side has gotten to a significant size as well. I'm having a Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy on both sides this coming thurs(Nov 17th). This is the first time that the left side will be biopsied. I've been through these biopsies before, so I'm not nervous about the procedure, but I am nervous about the outcome...Also at my appointment last week I talked to Dr T about the Adrenal Dysfunction question that has gone back and forth a few times and that I've felt better when I've been on the supplements and on the Hydrocortisone when I was on it for a short time. I explained that the Endo that I was seeing last just flat out denied that it was a possibility. Dr T seemed shocked and appalled that a doc would brush off the possibility of an Adrenal problem with my symptoms. He ordered the bloodwork to be done immediately, so I had that done right after my appointment. Depending on how that initial bloodwork comes back, there is a secondary test that is done that involves an injection and waiting around for a few blood draws over a few hour time frames, but we suspect that I'll be having that test in the next week or so as well. I just have to wait for the results from the first test. Dr T's nurse also wrote me a referral to the GI clinic so that I can start seeing the GI docs there and hopefully get some more in depth testing and some ANSWERS to what's been going on. My current GI doctor has not been co-operative in finding answers, she has just wanted to treat symptoms, which is not OK with me, especially since I've been hospitalized no less than 4 times since she's been my GI doctor. Something is seriously wrong...Also this week I see my neuro-surgeon for follow-up on the x-rays I had taken about 6 weeks ago. Hope all is good with my spine and my hardware, last appointment he said there is a *chance* of some tethering of my spinal cord, but the MRI was really hard to read, there was a lot of scar tissue. This could be contributing to some of the weakness issues I've been having, but any residual effects from tethering would level out & not continue to get worse, so if that's the case, I shouldn't continue to get weaker. It does not explain the peripherial weakness I get in my wrists though. I'm optimistic that everything will be good with Dr R when I see him for my follow-up, but there is still questions about the tethering and how to tell what's going on there.

I think that covers most everything right now. Obviously, lots of appointments as of late, I'm sorry I've not updated sooner...y'all have to keep on me to do so sometimes.. :)