The other day, I had something unsettling happen. For the last seven years, I’ve been dependent on a pharmaceutical to provide my body with a synthetic thyroid hormone replacement. With a sip of water, I take a little yellow pill…
What My Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis Taught Me
This past weekend, April 2nd, marked the three-year anniversary of my thyroid cancer diagnosis (you can read the full story here). It’s not something I choose to commemorate, but rather something my mind never lets me forget. Like it was…
The Doctor Will See You Now…
Three years after my thyroid surgery, the struggle to find a good endocrinologist is real. If you are a fellow thyroid patient, perhaps you can relate. The first time I heard the word endocrinologist I had no idea what kind…
January is Thyroid Disease Awareness Month
When I was first diagnosed with a thyroid condition, I knew little about thyroid disease. In my mind, my thyroid was this shapeless figure somewhere in my neck that served a function — but I didn’t know just how important…
Losing My Butterfly
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that sits at the base of the neck. Ironically, Vanessa, in Greek, means butterfly. Two years ago yesterday, on April 2, 2013, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and lost my butterfly. I remember…
Supporting ThyroidChange
{Image Courtesy of ThyroidChange} In observance of Thyroid Awareness Month, I am pleased to introduce and support ThyroidChange, a nonprofit organization, which began in 2012 by a thyroid patient looking for answers and options amongst the medical community. As a…
Thyroid Thursday
Can you believe we are halfway through September and Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month? While awareness should take place every day, I hope all the articles, photos, and tweets I’ve shared have inspired you to get your neck checked and learn…
Waiting for the Weekend
While another long, humid summer week comes to a close (can you believe it’s almost July already?), I am again grateful that my favorite two days are upon us. This week, a couple of things happened. First, I received the…
One Year Out…
I am feeling very grateful as I sit down to write this post, which marks my one-year thyroid-versary. Last June, on a warm summer day, I awoke early with my hospital bag ready to go. I was heading to Weill…
Coming to Grips with Thyroid Cancer
On April 2, 2013 I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. According to the Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association and the American Cancer Society, approximately 60,220 people in the United States were diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2013. I never expected to…
