September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month

{Image courtesy of ThyCa}

I hope you will all join me in welcoming September and raising awareness for thyroid cancer this month. As you may remember from last year, September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, and as a survivor I feel that it is important to share my story and knowledge to help raise awareness and offer hope to other newly diagnosed patients. According to the Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association (ThyCa), 62,450 people will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer in the United States this year.

Thyroid cancer can occur in men, women, and children of all ages and is usually treatable when detected early. It is the most common endocrine cancer. The best defense is to have your doctor perform a routine neck check at your next annual appointment and learn to do the test yourself. I will be forever indebted to my thorough doctor for performing a neck check, despite having no symptoms of any illness, and finding my thyroid nodule in 2013. The journey back to health has taught me so much about my body and overall well-being. You can find more on my story, road to recovery, and last year’s awareness initiatives under the Health and Wellness section in the menu header above.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month and many activities will take place throughout the United States. For more information about thyroid cancer, to request free materials, or to find an event in your area please visit the Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association’s website.

I will be sharing information and posts on the blog throughout the month in an effort to promote thyroid health. Here is a great thyroid infographic to give you background about how your thyroid functions, its location in the body, and thyroid disorders. If you would like to learn how to perform a neck check, here is a helpful video.