Author: Susie Taylor

having a room- a studio- a space- to go to the past three months has been a game changer to me . A room for no other real reason but to meet myself as myself. A room with my things and a mirror…myself.

we are approaching a lock down due to the Corona Virus that has stopped the world…We are trying to remain calm we are keenly aware life has forever changed.

Spending is both halting and not, people are both isolated and united, I am both scared and peaceful.

The world is recasting herself…she asked several times for us to take the hint but we were too busy to hear her and so she did what a lot of women have decided to do.

She took matters into her own hands- we will all be stopping soon…maybe tonight …maybe tomorrow…we will all be home bound and quiet and yet I am sure we will yearn to know what our neighbors are doing until we will get bored of that too and eventually we will marvel at the birds in our yards and their ability to fly while we are the caged ones singing-

We are being recast…like I was mid show…not because we weren’t doing a great job or because we asked for this but because the machine demanded it – it was off the track…and so we will flounder and squint and try and see this world as a new world and yet resist. some may or proclaim they can’t see it and I will say yeah…I get it…quiet calm and peaceful and that is about right

I am thankful I have outlets for my energy…my blog my podcast my book….what the freak…my family and my boys and my husband and my pool

my house I try and run from is holding me safe…keeping me kind and calm and loving me…and I am trying to return the favor…

https://www.lennyletter.com/story/amanda-peet-never-crossing-the-botox-rubicon—–

As an older actress…birthday coming up… I tend to struggle with my age…but then again in an industry that is TRYING not to empower the MALE gaze as much anymore I also am aware that not buying into the conversation that age is ugly is important and needs to be held by those in positions to hold it…I am happy to read this lovely article by Amanda Peet and also to learn she wrote.a new play that is perhaps still running off broadway and maybe just maybe she is my new hero or guide….or Buddha belly….because all too often I want to freeze frame and yet in my work…in my theater work…I have a keen sense that it will affect my work…my ability to properly emote like a normal human being..and this is truth as they have said sad emotions are muted when you can’t wrinkle your forehead but like in theater and so in life..without the wrinkle there is no full expression on either side of the spectrum and this concerns me truly…as a women, a mother, an artist…I am not judging anyone but myself but since Amanda wrote this I want to just share it to anyone who thinks these thoughts. Read her wonderful blog here.

https://www.lennyletter.com/story/amanda-peet-never-crossing-the-botox-rubicon—–

It is about a month and a half after I took I very low dose of RAI to heal my toxic Nodule. The first sign I had that perhaps things were working was that I got cold in a restaurant. I haven’t felt cold in MIami for a while…

The next thing was that my mood was more even keel even in a very stressful time of working in a play and being recast in another role.

The third was the results of the test! I am having another blood test tomorrow and I hope and truly feel i will still be normal.

I asked the Doc to do a sonogram but he didn’t want to yet..( we hadn’t gotten the test results back at that time and I think he felt like he didn’t think it was prudent or helpful as the nodule could grow before it shrunk. and he knows how fragile I can be but honestly I feel so so so much better…I am pretty amazed.I wonder how long I have had this condition and wish I could trace it back.) ..

I also feel that whatever Hoshimotos symptoms I had have been relieved by this treatment as well.. and that makes sense….

I take a 24 min kitty cat nap mid day and all is swell with me being up and working the night shift.

It is interesting to feel almost calm –

this role is sweet and interesting and I think i have finally begun to grasp her. tomorrow starts Tech week…which is basically putting all the pieces together and seeing how the entire piece plays out.

I have decided that the routine of a show is best for me. I am done with the open schedule I have had for the past x amount of month..I want to be told where to go and what to say for a bit.

I am building my own second schedule around performances…it will be based on how I feel but also not to exhaust me too much as I understand that that is not helpful for this journey anymore…and about executed the grant and the book?

Yesterday pre heat game and after some moderate exercise and a massage I sleep for an hour and NEEDED to and that is something humbling and new I am going to add into my day if I need it…room for a possible nap.

SIESTA is going to be my word of the year…I have decided and in that I must find time and delegate and choose my adventures and rejoice in the pause…

I am also going to speak to my new grant writer who is local and an artist about working with me on my SURF book

I feel like although I am not practicing it ..the conversation about movement and joy is so ON right now and I almost feel I could pitch the book idea and get funding…if I wanted to bc the topic is super relevant and well versed and researched..and perhaps if I can just get this one book underway then..

but honestly I just want the work I book to align with the play in Fall when I do it again…

so it is done all the back and forth is over for now and I am on the other side..casualty of truth is over activating the throat chakra and now…now it is about what… waiting and seeing how things LEVEL out and what is any PILL i am going to be on…

re my art and my soul work…. Jewbana and SURF

I am submitting for grants and rehearsing a play about Miami

I am taking care and being kind and consistent – I am on a ton of supplements and I am taking CBD when needed–SUPER helpful for my PMS…like just need to get myself to take it before I get so upset about the world and my life and how nothing I am…that is what my PMS says I am nothing…mening I have done nothing…i am unproductiove and that is like a knife in my heart but ya know what…I don’t have to be productive all the time and doing totally nothingness is a skill I am honing…and in that things arrive…

like today I met on the phone a woman in LA who is not going to be editing JEWBANA…i didn’t call her or ask for her but she arrived…I am blessed because ANGELS are watching out for me- guiding me and I am floating right now…taking steps but only with the wind behind me…nothing aggressive or demanding…

xoxo

s

started drawing butterfly graphics and listening to Oprah Soulession and walking my dog. I think it is Iodine that is why I had so much energy…

but today I am feeling fine two days after the RAI pill and I know this is all going to turn out just fine. I had something toxic and I took care of it and now I will being to feel better and better. I am calm…that I have done this.

beautiful beautiful weather today. calm voice in my head…she is tired from all the processing but thankful it is paused…for now…she is sitting on that hill – looking over Edinburgh and just feeling the energy pass thorugh her…and at times she can catch some and hold it.

I am tired if anything today..which is understandable…but not exhausted … I think just paused….resetting…waiting for resolve…

drove myself to the hospital and got lost and then found myself – I registered and then went to radiology for ME…this was a knew thing…and then I waited while they clarified something on my prescription and then i spoke with the head Nurse and she explained that my dosage was 15 and that I am not in need of bing entirely seperated from people.

she said I shouldn’t get any side affects and that after two days I am good to go..drink lots of water and basically wait 4 to 6 weeks and go see my Dr. and find out what I ended up with. I am hoping it is all back to NORMAL and I am good to go.

each night I count my blessing and fall asleep and I am thankful for that gift…that I have so many blessings I bore myself to sleep with them.

I am getting it through my head that i have to take action…can’t just treat myself with holistic attempts and it is super EGO busting for me.

I have come to realize that me having to do a medical treatment and then most likly have to go on a medicine for perhaps the rest of my life is super super difficult for me to get through my little mind..

these holes these dark chasms of neglect immobilize when they are ultimately shown the light of day. These beliefs of perfection I am still toting around this better than you BS that somehow I feel elevate me…I guess without my youth and my fake boobs at least I had my perfect health- my “nope I do not take any pills…thank you very much answer” was an identity for me…and that my love may most likely have to go.

I am struggling with this decision…but i know it is going to happen. I know I will go to the hospital on Friday and take my funny pill and sleep in my own room with NO ONE but myself to see for two days and then allow my body to be HEALED and that is how I am going to see it.

I am being HEALED….I am being luckily healed by science and I am not going to spit in the face of it anymore. I have done my research and investigation and as much as I tried to ignor it my gut my body kept bringing me back to the need to deal with it…a functional doctor was like HELLOOOOO

and so I am …and in that …in that moment that I take that pill and allow it to HEAL ME…with its magic juice…I am among the LIVING and BREATHING and THANKFUL because as they say ..what is the alternative… i am giong to LIVE my truth my judgemental human truth and I am going to stop being so freaking HARD on myself and trying to be perfection in a cracked ass bottle..I am old and I know it…and seeing myself is hard and it doens’t get easier but it is me…it is all me

They cut my rehearsal short today. I took my time and did my piece and they were like ok we are don here…and I was like ummm ok… I guess NOT obsessing about my work can be a good thing…I have a woman working on my grants now… life is sweet all is swell- I am going to feel soooo much better so soon….

XOXOXOXO

I met with the head at Baptist…He was wonderful and actually felt that although he could do the surgery that RAI is a good option as well and since I am an actor and my voice and my neck are kind of part of my career ( more my voice) then he actually said that the RAI is a valid option. When asked what he would tell his wife he couldn’t even commit… I felt like he was being honest and once i told him I have Hashimotos he was like well the good thyroid side is eventually going to have issues so …you will need to me on medicine at some point- whichever way you go.

After our meeting steve and I were walking out of the office and looking for his car we lost in the garage…we both had a gut feeling that the RAI pill is the way to go. I felt the risk of the surgery is too much -( scar-downtime-vocal chords- plus I had two last in the past two years and I feel like . filled my dance card- why push a surgery if I don’t need it) ) and that the precision is maybe not needed. If some of the nodule is left is that a bad things? still on the fence…

I am going to one more FINAL FINAL surgeon tomorrow and I will see if he says anything different than…”they are both good options”…just which one do I want WANT to do..I don’t want a surgery…but I also DON’T want to be HYPO but I will be bc I have Hashimotos and I will have to accept that one day.

I am also going back to my nutritionist to see about my result and what her thoughts on all this is….SOOOOO many opinions…have to allow myself to sift through them…a surgery now is better than one later…

Saw my nutritionist and she pointed out as did my DR. friend that when a surgeon says that RAI is also a fine option then that is something to consider. Usually surgeons only talk baotu surgery but this older wiser well versed Dr. was like… you have options and the nutritionist felt a non surgical approach is a good idea…

I met with the second Surgeon at UM. He was very pro surgery and was not at all interested in RAI. He felt it was not a good choice and that the risk of RAI are too great. There are recent studies that have found complications..He also did a sonogram and we saw that my right nodule is indeed swiss cheese or as he called it Hash…why are doctors so freaking funny at times like these. nLNAO

I left thinking if I had surgery he would be the guy but in the end…after all of this back and forth I had chosen to do the RAI in a week and being the healing process today.

I am not at all excited about surgery and have heard recently some bad stories so my heart isn’t in it… just from general surgery being done around town….that being said my mom, myself and others have never had issues…the only one who had an issue was my father who only did radiation and this makes me worried but FUCK THAT

I have booked the date to do the RAI and that is that and from there I will begin to have to take my medicine my ego is splitting again. I never realized how much I loved saying I wasn’t on any medications and now…now I will most likely have to say that i take….but hey there is that one chance that I will be fine and good and swell…but I am not dreaming i am envisioning a butterfly a happy healthy butterfly and that is why I texted MICA to see if I can have my butterfly dress back as a tribute…

I plan to stay at my moms and hold up there sleeping and juicing and recovering…I hope to be up and ready to go for rehearsal on that sunday..

We shall see.

I am getting my head around this… Steve agrees with me. He tends to be right…rational…at at times like this it is a good thing to have by my side..

SIDE NOTE

Steve may look at an office space in my building…cute..

xo

S

I was so excited to met with Dr. Dach. I learned about him online and was told by my holistic friend he was amazing…and very much seems to take a holistic functional approach to wellness after 25 years of working in traditional medicine.

His office is in Davie and my mother and I drove up for my appointment. I wanted to spent time with her so we went up early and ended up eating at a place that was called Mustard seed in Davie. I had actually by chance ben there before and It was super yummy.

we were a little late for our appointment but Dr. Dach was not at all bothered. We sat in his office and we spoke and he was funny and sweet and asked some questions and then asked me to tell my story. I told him the whole journey.

When he was about to tell me his thoughts I reached in to my folder and pulled up an image of the iodine upscan. He said I had not sent that and so I gave it to him.

He looked it over and then he continued and said. Yes, I agree with Dr. Thaler. You need to either have surgery or Iodine Radiation. Also he asked about the IODINE in take and then once he calculated the amount he advised me to stop. ” it is putting flame on the fire. You have an autonomous nodule and it is running rouge and iodine is feeding that.” Shocked again. The reason I was going to Dr. Dach was because he was listed as one of the few iodine practitioners in the south Florida area and here is is telling me to stop taking it. I was just …I was…all of it..his agreeing with Dr. Thaler and now the stopping of my lovely IODINE. NOOOOOOOOOO

I was stunned. My functional Dr. was agreeing with my mainstream Endo.

I looked at my mom.

” but what about the Hashimotos?” I asked him.

Dr. Dach is an older gentleman and kind. His response was non verbal at first. He held up the image and pointed to the discreptency between the two sides of my thyroid. One side was BLACK which i believe represented it being very HOT and the other was partially normal.

“This is your concern at the moment, do you see the difference in the sides?

I go the message loud and clear. he was not flippant of cold he was not even matter of fact he was actually LOVING…which I needed…rare to find that.

All in all Dr. Dash spent nearly an hour with me and sent me on my way without even charging me for the consultation. I was impressed with all of it. He had such a sense about him and you could tell he is here to truly heal people.

I walked to the car with my mom who immediately mentioned I need to send him a thank you letter. I got into the car and mad an appointment with my Dr. Thaler my endo for the following day.

When I go home I researched the two options and found a local expected thyroid surgeon is at Baptist. Dr. Udelsman.

The next day I spoke with Dr. Thaler about my two options Iodine Radiation or surgery. oh (and I mentioned i was back on Iodine drops and he said well after you have this all taken care of maybe we will put you back on it. ) YEAH

I left the appointment and called to make two more appointments. One with the Surgeon I found online which is also the Lead Physician of Endocrine Neoplasia at Baptist and also with Dr. Lew at UM who Thaler referred.

This will be something I probably decide to do after the show closes in April or May.

Proud of myself for following my gut and learning everything about my health…not everything but a lot…about the thyroid and the hormones and my genes and really cutting out the gluten and Diary and Coffee and sugar.

So there you go!!!