I can’t forget it...but then again I am reminded every morning when I wake up to take a small blue pill
to keep me alive. Sounds morbid. I know. But I don’t have a thyroid. A major function of the body that produces hormones that regulate the body's metabolic rate which is your metabolism, your heart and digestive function, muscle control, body temperature , brain development, mood and bone maintenance, controls your cholesterol levels and menstrual cycles. That’s about it...I am joking of course. I have to take vitamin d and calcium everyday. It’s a job but I am alive so I am extremely grateful. I am 6 years cancer free. I have amazing doctors I do follow ups with every 3-6 months. I go for blood work to check my levels and there’s a cancer tracer blood test I do. I go for neck ultrasounds. I am in good hands for sure.
But it’s something I didn’t even know about until I was diagnosed. I didn’t even know what a Thyroid was. Did. It’s in a shape of a butterfly. It’s in your neck. Now it’s so common to hear about Thyroid cancer and abnormal Thyroid levels. High survival rate because it’s a slow growing cancer. I had five modules. The cancer took up my whole thyroid. I had 5 millimeter of clean margins. Meaning it was only 5 millimeters before it spread to my lymph nodes and throughout my body. I was only 33 years old. Crazy but I had angels on my side. Two amazing doctors who helped me get through it. My OBGYN and my Endocrinologist. Til this day I still thank and they say they will never forget my journey. I was 6 months pregnant. Failed a glucose sugar test. My OB has a bad feeling. I asked to just repeat the test. She refused. Pushed me to see a specialist. The specialist felt my neck and ordered a biopsy right away. She said if I followered her advice and everything she suggested I do I would survive this.
So I did and she was right.
Some say it’s the “easy cancer” not a big deal. Those people never had cancer before. No cancer is easy. No call saying you have deadly disease in your body is easy to handle no matter what type of cancer it is.
We luckily live in a society where technology has come a long way. You can’t even see my scar. Back in the day the scars where awful. Treatment now is easier. Medicines are better and healthier. But it doesn’t mean you can’t look at the signs.
I had symptoms. My neck had lumps. I had a hard time swallowing my old PC said we would just keep an eye on it and was a sore throat. We didn’t. It was cancer and I have it for years before knowing. My skin was dry. Weird taste in my mouth. Bones hurt. I started to lose my hair. More frequently. My body was sending me signals and I didn’t even know. Listen to you body. Check your neck. Ask for your levels to be checked. It can save your life.
Thyca site was my go to guide for everything. The Yale surgeons were phenomenal. There’s even a separate parking garage for cancer patients. Hammers Healthcare Imaging in New Haven is the most professional and experienced imaging center I have ever been too. I went there and still do for all my thyroid ultrasounds. Amazing place.
Now living without a thyroid means taking your medicine and vitamins everyday. I don’t need a lot
of sleep anymore. I function on 6 hours. I have a high energy level. I love night time. Late nights. I used to need 8 hours of sleep. I used to just be a morning person and in bed by 9-10:00 pm. Now I can take a 15-20 min nap and function fine with little sleep. My routine has changed but I am grateful everyday to be where I am at.
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