So many of you know, Melissa's journey with thyroid began a few years ago when she was diagnosed with Hoshimoto's Disease (degnerative thyroid). She just had a thryoidectomy almost 3 weeks ago now and received her papilary results just last week which showed cancer of the trachea. She will start pre-op treatment immediately and the real test starts Feb 15 when she will be COMPLETELY off her hormone replacement meds and an extrenely strict diet to prep her body to be as responsive to the radioactive iodine treatment as possible. I didn't realize how much the thyroid does until we spoke yesterday and now realize how crappy she's felt the last few years and just dealt with it. She will be extremely fatigued during February and emotionally on a roller coaster, so please pray for her and her family, but also if you feel inclined, I will be arranging for meal delivery service for her and housecleaning. Thank you for your continue words of encouragement, thoughts and prayers. We're in this together!

In Melissa's words, this is what transpired as of yesterday (Jan 31, 2017):

Yesterday, I had my consult with Head of Nuclear Medicine at UCSD. We scheduled my RAI treatment for March 1st, 4 week's away.
Today I am starting my uptake in TSH and no longer taking Hormone Replacement Therapy medication until 3 day's after R A I treatment.
At my 2 week marker, 2 week's prior to treatment, I start a NO Iodine diet, NO dairy, NO fish diet to prime the cancer cells to absorb and obliterate the cancer. I have a PET scan ordered to determine if there are any other areas affected by cancer. Then, a full body scan, day before tteatment, to determine exactly where this particular cancer is in my body. I have a suspicious lymph node in the base of my skull, on my neck. Great news is that RAI will kill any cancer cells relating to papillary cancer. This should eliminate any cancer in the lymph system as well. The 2 week marker will be rough for me as I will not have any hormones in my body that are produced synthetically or naturally by a thyroid gland.
Once I receive the treatment, I can not be around humans for up to a distance of 3-6 feet. This is for 7 day's. I can not sleep, Co sleep for a total of 13 day's.
So today marks my journey of challenging cancer to a duel, winning and getting back to life.