The Caterpillar/ Doctor Visits and More Tests

I am 23 years old at this point. Had never been to the doctor more than once every other year if even that many and now I had to visit three different doctors in a span of three weeks. First visit after surgery was to the endocrinologist for my levothyroxine dosage, the pill that functions as my new thyroid gland. Next visit was to my surgeon Dr. Lim for the removal of the stitches. The final visit was to my PCP, Dr. Retsagi to test calcium levels and see my physical state after surgery. All check ups were fine, but I still got great anxiety from the not knowing. It was time to get help for my emotional recovery, one of my closest friends having worked for Cancer Care as an intern, suggested I contact someone over there. I was happy to know that my social worker was someone close to my age. I felt like I was talking to a friend and she helped me deal with my fears and anxieties. But it was sad knowing that she would only have a few sessions with me since she was an intern and would be leaving the job at the end of July. I attended a visit with the endocrinologist, we had previously discussed he would begin the process required for the total body scan on this visit. He acted as though he did not remember my case. I immediately contacted Dr. Retsagi and told him I needed a new endocrinologist. In June, two months after my surgery when I was supposed to have known the results of my scan, I had to start the process over and get a new endocrinologist. Best thing that ever happened to me! Dr. Barandes, my new endocrinologist, assured me that I was in good hands, I had a 99% cure rate and that this was all just a really bad episode that would soon be over. He explained what the next steps would be. First, we needed to make me hypothyroid (low thyroid hormone level) for the scan since I could not have any thyroid hormones present in my body. Next, a week prior to the scan I needed to get on the low iodine diet. Finally, I would come in for the radioactive iodine pill, and 48 hours later I would come in for the scan.  The scan determines whether there is any more cancer present in my body and if it has spread to any vital organs which in thyroid cancer tends to be in the bones, lungs, and on rare occasion, the liver.