I’m a 43 year old mother of two and I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
We had returned from a family vacation and I was not feeling like myself. So, I decided to go to my primary care doctor to figure out what was going on. I’ll never forget the way she stared at my neck. She asked me “has anyone ever spoken to you about the lump in your neck?” My answer was “no.” That is when my journey with thyroid cancer began.
After a barrage of testing, ultrasounds and biopsies, we got the dreaded call that I indeed had stage IV papillary thyroid cancer. My body endured a 10 hour surgery including a total thyroidectomy and a right neck dissection.
Following my surgery, I went through radioactive iodine treatment. My thyroglobulin levels had dropped, but we found out there was cancer that had metastasized into my lungs.
Eight months later, I had another surgery, a selective right neck dissection, followed by another large round of radioactive iodine two months after that.
My current thyroglobulin level is the lowest it has been during my journey. The lung metastases have stabilized and have not grown over the past year, nor has it increased.
Every day that I’m alive, I am just thankful. I am grateful to my family and my kids for their love, to all of the doctors and nurses that have cared for me during and after surgery. I appreciate all of the prayers, cards and kind words from the people around me. With support, love and faith, even the most difficult challenges can be overcome.
Will You Share Your Story?
September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month. As part of that theme, we post stories written by thyroid cancer survivors, caregivers and medical professionals for our 30 Stories in 30 Days™ campaign. The insights they share can help others along their journey.
