Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month

As you may know, thyroid cancer and I have a personal connection. In 2013, I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid carcinoma. I was 26 years old at the time. You can read my full story, here.

Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It has no care who you are or what your age or background is. It can strike at any time – without warning or notice – as it did in my case. But there are resources out there that can help patients cope with the difficult diagnosis.

When I was first diagnosed, I reached out to the Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association (ThyCa) for free information and support. ThyCa is a wonderful organization to consult with during your diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. They were so instrumental in my journey that I became a member and also a thyroid cancer advocate.

Since September marks Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, it is only natural that I do my part to share my experience and the knowledge I have learned since becoming a survivor. This year, I am excited to welcome Fern Olivia to the blog to help me with this mission.

Fern is a holistic healer. For years, she had suffered with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and saw countless doctors with no result. She then took matters into her own hands and learned to listen to her body. I met Fern a few months ago at the Montauk Magic retreat she hosted and I am delighted to have her share her wisdom here on this site with you and the thyroid community.

During the month of September, I will have Thyroid Thursday each week on the blog. Together with Fern, I hope that I can create a dialogue about thyroid conditions and awareness on this site. Please leave questions for Fern in the comment section, which can include topics that you would like to learn more about. This month has five Thursday’s, which means lots of opportunities to answer your questions. You can also reach out to Fern (@fernolivia) or myself (@livinginsteil) on Instagram and Twitter.

I will be sharing more ways that you can get involved with Thyroid Cancer Awareness this month. Stay tuned!

*Image via ThyCa