Cancer, Again

Well, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  I am 5 months out from a lap RNY and have lost 91 pounds post-op.  My thyroid surgery was done by the same surgeon who did my WLS so I am very comfortable with him.  I guess my fear is that I won't lose any weight while they are trying to figure out the correct dosage of thyroid medication. 

I am also 5 years out from ovarian cancer- so this is deja vu all over again, although treatment for this cancer is easier.

Please send positive thoughts and prayers!

Reenie

Reenie,

I'm so sorry to hear about your most recent diagnosis.  Cancer sucks.

You'll be in my prayers.

By the way I'm 4 years 8 months out from breast cancer.

Good luck,

Edie

Thanks Edie!!

I came home from my 2nd surgery today.  I am much calmer about the diagnosis now that I know the treatment and have read a lot about how curable thyroid cancer is.

I just wonder how much my obesity had to do with both of these battles with cancer.

Reenie

Hey, Reenie.  That's got to be tough, diagnosed again. 

I'm glad to hear that you're comfortable with the treatment.  I too have heard that thyroid cancer is highly curable.

I'm also glad to hear that you were able to get WLS as a cancer survivor. I'm 3 years 2 month out from breast cancer, and some people have said that approval for surgery was hard for them to get as survivors.

I thank God for your good prognosis, and I pray right now that He will manifest healing in your body once again.

Please keep us posted.

Thanks for your note and positive prayers! 

I did have to wait until I was 5 years out from my ovarian cancer to get my approval for WLS.  My surgeon took me a few months early, but only with permission from my oncologist.

Good luck on your journey and congratulations on being a survivor!!

Reenie

I am 1 year out from my battle with Ovarian cancer. I just attended a WLS seminar and have an appt with the surgeon set up for next week. He did not say anything about not being able to have the surgery due to my cancer and I did tell him. Is this an individual surgeon thing or an insurance thing? I need this surgery so bad I hope and pray my bubble isn't burst again (I have been trying to get this surgery for the last 5 years but never had insurance that would cover it until now.

I had just finished all the hoops for wls when I had emergency surgery for a ruptured ovarian cyst that turned out to be ovarian cancer.  I was diagnosed 1c and have had an all clear from my gyn-onc.  My wls surgeon said 5 years, but then I was diagnosed with type2 diabetes and that moved me up on the list.  My gyn-onc wrote letters to my surgeon to clear me for surgery.  I think that ovarian cancer has such a high rate of recurrance that he didnt want to take any chances of having my system compromised by wls if I had to deal with a recurrance. So now I am at the 3.5 yr mark and I am scheduled for wls on 2/1/11.

Congrats on being cancer free and also on getting your WLS scheduled! I know Ovarian cancer is considered the "silent killer" and I have heard of other people that were in remission and then it came back in a major organ and they didn't survive. However I believe those people had like stage 3 or stage 4. My oncologist cleared me for WLS as she also mentioned that many female gynecologic cancers are fueled by excess estrogen which is stored in fat cells. Therefore if you are obese you have major excess estrogen. I am 14 months cancer free (my last chemo treatment was in November of '09). It is scary to think that it might come back but also scary to think that my size may keep my doctor from feeling any pelvic tumors. I am so large that I have to have open MRI's because I cannot fit in the regular MRI machine. So my personal opinion is that having WLS to lose  this excess weight will help my health rather than hinder it. Lets face it, if the cancer comes back, 9 times out of 10 it will be metastasized to a major organ and more difficult to treat anyways. Also, for me, if I don't have the WLS I believe my obesity or the many co-morbid conditions will kill me anyways. But I wish you the best of luck and a cancer free future.
Tammy

Reenie,

I had my right kidney removed due to cancer and 2 years later I had surgery to remove 2 small spots from my liver. I'm currently 1 year without any new cancers and I just met with my bariatric surgeon yesterday and he refuses to to do the procedure unless I have at leat 2 years of cancer free health. 

I'm so frustrated becasue he told me that he was almost removed from the podium during a conferance because he brought up the subject of some having the by-pass that had previously had cancer surgery; he said that they were non-suportive of anyone who would even consider doing either the bypass or lapband on anyone that did not have multiple years of cancer free health.

So I decided to find out what I could on-line and imagine my surprise at finding that others had cancer and afterwards had the bypass surgery! 

I'm going to continue to read the replies and find out more so I can get back to him , thanks for your posting. Stay healthy. Button 

Thanks for sharing information ...