On July 6th, 2017, my life changed forever, and I heard the words “you have cancer” from my doctor. The first thing I said was “am I going to die?” and he told me that I wasn’t, but we had to act soon to figure out what was going on. The days that followed were filled with needles, pain, sonograms, tears, and fear-induced Google searches when I couldn’t sleep and lay awake fearing the worst. Thankfully, I was placed with the best team of doctors I could have asked for. I underwent surgery ten days after my diagnosis to remove my murderous thyroid. During surgery, my doctors found that not only did I have thyroid cancer, but I also have Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid.
I tell my story because I’m proud of myself for overcoming this obstacle in my life.
My cancer may be gone, but because of it, I’m stuck with an incurable autoimmune disease that I will have for the rest of my life. Why am I sharing this? I tell my story because I’m proud of myself for overcoming this obstacle in my life. I do it to raise awareness, because I’ve had people see my posts and reach out for advice about their own health issues. I do it because people need to know how important it is to listen and take care of your body. I still have a long medical journey ahead of me with a lot of unknowns, but I’m ready to crush it because of how much stronger I’ve become and because of the support system I have by my side.
July 6th, 2017 may have been the worst day of my life, but it was the first day of a journey that taught me so much about myself and showed me how beautiful life is. I wouldn’t trade this crazy journey for anything, because it’s inspired me, strengthened me, and made me a better person. I am a survivor, and I am so grateful for that.
30 Stories in 30 Days
September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month. For the entire month, we post stories written by thyroid cancer survivors and caregivers for our 30 Stories in 30 Days campaign. We hope their perspectives and insight will help others along their journey.
