I must share my "PROUD DAUGHTER" moment from yesterday at my appointment with my surgeon. Don't get me wrong, my surgeon is fantastic. He tells it like it is, and for having 3 surgeries all done through the same incision my neck looks amazing !
As most of you know, my mom was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's lymphoma in June of 2013. My mom's case was VERY rare (10 cm tumor in her brain) VERY AGGRESSIVE with a low survival rate.
At the time, I was also really sick, but fighting with my GP to get answers. I was in and out of appointments , missing work a lot, gain weight like mad and than my mom got sick.
Over the next few months, I watch my amazing, brave, strong mother get Chemo, lose her hair, lose a lot of weight, be very very very sick, have a few scares, a stem cell transplant, get sicker than sail through chemo and has been doing really well since.
**4 days after she was cleared, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Papillary Cancer. At the appointment with my surgeon he let me know that "I have the good cancer, if this was the cancer to get you want Thyroid Cancer!". "It will just be a pill a day and maybe some treatments down the road!"
My mom and I were thrilled, I have the "good cancer." After what she went through these last 6 months, getting a good cancer was going to be so easy.
Fast-forward to almost 4 years later, 3 surgeries, 2 rounds of RAI, Teeth decay, SOB, Headaches, body aches, dizziness, brain fog, numerous sick days, weekly doc visits, monthly blood work, hair loss, and a weight gain of almost 92 pounds (yes, sharing this number is awful but it's the truth!) WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A GOOD THING has turned into a nightmare. Yes, I am very positive and I get by BUT when I first got sick I was in the mind set that I was gonna be OK for life.
LONG (sorry) STORY short, my mom spoke up yesterday at our meeting and told him and the resident that you should never ever use GOOD with Cancer again ! Because any form of cancer is NOT GOOD !
Very proud of my mommy and I will always educate people on not using the word "GOOD" to describe cancer ! EVER !
Much love,
M
