The Huffington Post brings us Thyroid Cancer: The Five Things You Really Need to Know. One little factoid jumps out: UP 274 percent since 1997. That would make it the fastest growing cancer in the country. But it affects a relatively insignificant number of people - around 60,000 this year - so it doesn't get a lot of attention.
Number one to know is it is not the good cancer. There is no good cancer. The term is derogatory and misleading.
Number two is that taking a pill every day is not that easy. You need to replace the vital thyroid hormone but if they give you too much you will be hyper and if they give you too little you will be hypo - too much or too little does not do the body good. And the doctors try to keep your levels low to prevent that lovely possibility of recurrence.
Number three is there is no new normal. I hate that term. After both cancers I was supposed to reach a new normal. If I was nineteen at my first normal and now I am on my third normal. What is normal for me?
Number four is that oh so subtle scar across the front of your neck. It fades with time but it never goes away. Stop staring!
Finally, you are not alone with thyroid cancer, you just have to look a little further to find support because it is still rare. I can count on my fingers the number of people I know with thyroid cancer. This includes the pharmacist at the local Walgreens, Ria the painter, Yumi from Japan, Lesley in Texas, the other woman I cant remember her name who also had both breast and thyroid cancer, and a few others online. (I know I am forgetting someone but after cancer twice the brain is the first to go.) But I probably know hundreds of women with breast cancer - literally.
So if you know someone with thyroid cancer send them to thyca.org or bitemecancer.org.
Showing posts with label normal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label normal. Show all posts
I didn't blog yesterday
I meant to. I started a post but wasn't inspired or inspiring so I gave up said I shall have a blogless day.
Today I am up early (thanks to the cat once again) and have a lot to do - after I read the Sunday paper. I have to get some work done because I didnt yesterday and tomorrow I go to my other job, have a meeting, and then a phone call.
We have big plans for this afternoon. We have expensive tickets to the Boston Red Sox. Expensive meaning I would never pay that much but I won them in a raffle so they were free. They are Pavilion Box which means they are way up high, in the bright 90 degree sun but we are hoping for a breeze. Then after the game we have a birthday party to go to.
I like having a normal life sometimes where my medical crap doesn't take center stage and prevent me from doing fun things. Sometimes I realize I don't have much of a normal life when I stay home because something hurts or I am not happy about medical news. It can be a constant drain.
But my goal today is to be a normal person, have fun, and see old friends.
Today I am up early (thanks to the cat once again) and have a lot to do - after I read the Sunday paper. I have to get some work done because I didnt yesterday and tomorrow I go to my other job, have a meeting, and then a phone call.
We have big plans for this afternoon. We have expensive tickets to the Boston Red Sox. Expensive meaning I would never pay that much but I won them in a raffle so they were free. They are Pavilion Box which means they are way up high, in the bright 90 degree sun but we are hoping for a breeze. Then after the game we have a birthday party to go to.
I like having a normal life sometimes where my medical crap doesn't take center stage and prevent me from doing fun things. Sometimes I realize I don't have much of a normal life when I stay home because something hurts or I am not happy about medical news. It can be a constant drain.
But my goal today is to be a normal person, have fun, and see old friends.
What is wrong with these people?
Allow me to preface this by saying I am all for treating people with medical ailments normally. A friend's son is going to have scoliosis surgery shortly and my advice to her was 'treat him normally, he still should have to do homework, set the table, etc'. This is very important. They are human beings with an icky diagnosis. They shouldn't get to bend rules because of it. (I have another friend who was pulled over for speeding on the way to our support group. She burst into tears and told the officer she was rushing to get to her breast cancer support group and he just gave her back her license and registration and told her to slow down.)
But as a rule, treat people who have ailments normally. Just because I had cancer twice doesn't mean I get to cut in line at the movies or skip paying taxes (but I would consider it if it was legal). Keep treating me normally gives me the emotional support in that I am normal and I will still be here.
Sometimes there needs to be an exception or two. This woman is trying to finish her Master's degree and will finish her last credits in July 2012. She would like to participate in the graduation ceremony in May 2012. Chestnut Hill College is refusing this. Their policy is that, unlike most other colleges, students can't participate in the graduation ceremony if they have any outstanding credits to complete.The problem is she has an incurable form of Hodgkin's Lymphoma and there is a good chance she won't be here in June 2013.
Hello, what is wrong with you people? Do you need a smack in the head to get your brains in gear? Her oncologist has sent in a note as well as other supporters. This is a lifelong dream. She doesn't have that much time left. Your stupid rules are taking away one of the few dreams she has that she might be able to attain in her shortened life. Sometimes exceptions do need to be made and you stupid people are too stuck upon your policy to recognize when being nice could go along way. And your policy isn't even in line with most other colleges. So maybe its time to rethink this one.
This student has accepted this but she hopes the school will change the policy for others like her in the future. So please wake up and smell the coffee here.
But as a rule, treat people who have ailments normally. Just because I had cancer twice doesn't mean I get to cut in line at the movies or skip paying taxes (but I would consider it if it was legal). Keep treating me normally gives me the emotional support in that I am normal and I will still be here.
Sometimes there needs to be an exception or two. This woman is trying to finish her Master's degree and will finish her last credits in July 2012. She would like to participate in the graduation ceremony in May 2012. Chestnut Hill College is refusing this. Their policy is that, unlike most other colleges, students can't participate in the graduation ceremony if they have any outstanding credits to complete.The problem is she has an incurable form of Hodgkin's Lymphoma and there is a good chance she won't be here in June 2013.
Hello, what is wrong with you people? Do you need a smack in the head to get your brains in gear? Her oncologist has sent in a note as well as other supporters. This is a lifelong dream. She doesn't have that much time left. Your stupid rules are taking away one of the few dreams she has that she might be able to attain in her shortened life. Sometimes exceptions do need to be made and you stupid people are too stuck upon your policy to recognize when being nice could go along way. And your policy isn't even in line with most other colleges. So maybe its time to rethink this one.
This student has accepted this but she hopes the school will change the policy for others like her in the future. So please wake up and smell the coffee here.
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