3rd Anniversary, Cancer-free!
3 years ago today, I had surgery on my thyroid gland. A surgery that would change my life forever.
On December 8, 2014, I was diagnosed with papillary carcinoma in the right side of my thyroid. I remember sitting in my family doctor’s office, (a doctor who had known me since I was 6 years old). He looked at me and said, I am so sorry dear, it is cancer. My legs felt like jello and suddenly it was as if I was in a movie and this was not happening to me. It was the weirdest feeling I ever had experienced. My doctor, who since I was a little girl would just hand me a prescription to make me better, handed me a referral to a surgeon and gave me a hug. There was nothing he could do this time, it wasn’t a cold or the flu. He gave me a hug and said we will just take it one step at a time and that the prognosis for this type of cancer was pretty good. I was devastated, nothing he could say was going to make me feel better.
I drove home and was so grateful I had been persistent about my testing over the past few weeks. You see I had worked for the Canadian Cancer Society for many years and I was no stranger to signs and symptoms and teaching people how to listen to their bodies. I was the one who had asked my doctor for an Ultrasound of my neck because I wasn’t feeling right. I felt a lump when I swallowed, I was always tired and my hair was falling off in chunks (due to the thyroid hormone imbalance). The ultrasound revealed a small nodule on the right lobe of the thyroid. My doctor had said we would just monitor it for 6 months. I said no. I would like a biopsy of the nodule just to be sure. You see, 90% of thyroid nodules are benign, so biopsies are often over looked at first. I am glad I asked for one.
Coming home and telling my family was difficult. After all, it was the Christmas season which made things even more heart wrenching. Everyone around me was devastated. Ironically, I found myself consoling them and telling them I would be ok. Reminding them of the statistics for thyroid cancer and high percentage of positive outcomes. I would not call it the ‘good cancer’ as I find that phrase offensive, I knew I stood a good chance at beating this type. My children were so cute. They were asking a lot of questions about my surgery and how they would “cut my neck” rather than the cancer itself. My daughter, 7 years old at the time, said I could use her band-aids if I needed them, my son who was 12 at the time, looked at me and said, “mom, you got this, you will be ok”. I found strength in my children, my husband and the rest of my family and friends.
But, I needed to speak to someone who had gone through it. I needed to know the ‘real deal’. So I contacted the Canadian Cancer Society’s Cancer Connection Helpline. A phone number I had given out for many years to new patients, only now I was dialing for myself. 1-888-939-3333, still have it memorized. It’s a program run by volunteers and you are connected to someone who has gone through or is going through the same type of cancer. I needed help. I needed someone to put all of this into perspective for me and get me through the holidays. They connected me with someone. I could write a separate blog about how wonderful she is. We cried and laughed together on the phone, she shared her story and I shared mine. We would chat once a week for the next few months. She walked me through the holidays, into the new year, prepared me for surgery and even made sure I was ok after surgery. We are still friends on Facebook until this day. I remember asking her how I could ever re-pay her for all that she had done for me and she said “one day, you will be helping someone in the same situation, that is how we pay it forward”.
On January 23rd, 2015 I had my surgery. Luckily, all of the cancer cells had been removed and I did not require any types of therapy. It was caught in its very early stages. I do however, need to take a pill called Synthroid every morning for the rest of my life to ensure I am receiving adequate thyroid hormone and that the left side does not over-work itself, which increases the chances of producing cancer cells again. This type of medication has many side effects such as tiredness, thinning hair, fogginess, forgetfulness, dry skin and the list goes on. I have joined several facebook groups and we all support each other and chuckle about our daily struggles that others really don’t understand.
I had started to research what would help support the thyroid gland other than medication and I was amazed at how important food was. Everything I put in my mouth I was either feeding my thyroid or feeding a disease. I was fascinated at how food plays a huge role in thyroid health and over all health of course. I decided to change careers and become a certified holistic nutritionist so that I could share what I had learned about food and how it affects all aspects of our health and well being. Of course, working with the various charities in my past career life, I had learned about healthy eating and healthy lifestyles, but not to this extent. You see, there was a common thread, whether it was heart disease, diabetes or cancer, the common tool for prevention and maintenance was Food and Exercise. My passion for Nutrition was born.
I graduated in 2016 and started my own Nutrition business called Absolute Nutrition. I chose the word ‘absolute’ because food is absolute, we are absolute. There is noting more important than our health and the health of our families. I am now helping people first hand make heathier food choices, manage their weight, create exercise programs, mindfulness and of course soul food!
Just this past December, I was approached by someone who was diagnosed with a thyroid mass and needed surgery to determine if it was cancer. I had the honour of “paying it forward” and I helped her through the holidays, how she would tell her family, her surgery, the new year and her recovery. It was very rewarding for me to be able to give back the strength that was once given to me by someone else who had gone through it. Thankfully, her diagnosis was not cancer, but the emotions we shared were very similar.
I am now teaching Nutrition in schools, corporate business luncheons, wellness fairs and online. I am a member of the Canadian Association of Natural Nutrition Practitioners, I continue to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society, I am also a member and volunteer of the Thyroid Foundation of Canada and member of the Catholic Women’s League at my local church.
I am afraid every day my cancer might return. I am not a survivor or a warrior, I am a regular person, just like everyone else. I am grateful for each day I get to share with those I love. It’s the little things that matter most. None of us know what the future holds, cancer does not discriminate and we never know when it will knock on our door or the doors of those we love. You see, this was the best thing that ever happened to me. I would still be at my stressful 9-5 job, miserable and dreading each day driving into work. Spending evenings and weekends away from my family just to complete my work or attend meetings. The hustle and bustle came to a screeching halt and my life picked me up and put me on a different path. Thank you to all my friends, family clients and staff, you are my inspiration. My advice to everyone is to Live Simply. Enjoy the birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. Eat well, exercise, rest and pray.
You are ABSOLUTELY worth it!
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