My Experience With Thyroid Cancer

Today is another milestone, marking one year since my neck dissection surgery. It brings a smile to my face when I remember that today, I am physically in great shape. There was a lot of fear in the last year about how things would turn out, and how my nerve damage would heal. Nothing pleases me more than to tell you my body made a full recovery from that surgery. I was out of work for 11 weeks and I had physical therapy. My left arm and shoulder had pain and limited mobility, and I credit a regular yoga practice with healing that up for me. I think around six months post-op my arm was completely normal again. I can't believe it's been a year. It's been such an interesting ride. While I'm emphasizing that physically I'm the same as I used to be, I will never be the same as I was before having cancer. Here are some photos I want to share. I want to share incision/scar photos for fellow thyca patients because I can never get enough when it comes to seeing how others h...

I have been in an interesting spot lately. Everyday is different, and most days I think I've subconsciously avoided and ignored the fact that I have cancer. Wouldn't you? But then it's damn painful to be reminded, to be connected back to the merciless truth. It's like I nod off and go on for a few days or weeks and I'm not dealing with it. And I don't mean to not deal with it, but I guess I've nodded off. And of course during that time I talk to people about where I'm at health-wise and I know I have cancer; I haven't forgotten. But I think when I "nod off," I feel very little to nothing at all about it. So waking up is a tearful and real thing. Over the last few days, I think I've been "awakening" to the truth and feeling all the feelings. I found myself hysterically, deeply crying on Friday over the tiniest thing. Then I'm driving to a yoga class and get a really sweet message from my aunt, and I start crying in th...