Charlcie

Since I have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer in July 2008, I connected with an awesome community of folks at “ Dear Thyroid ”. As part of Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, the good folks there have put together a Blog Tour highlighting those of us who have the magic combination of thyroid cancer and a blog about it. Thanks for the opportunity, Dear Thyroid! The questions Dear Thyroid has asked and my answers below: What kind of thyroid cancer were you diagnosed with? How many years have you been a survivor? Papillary carcinoma with positive lymph nodes diagnosed July 2008 with surgery and radioactive treatment. Recurrence January 2009 with surgery only. September is thyroid cancer awareness month. What does that mean to you? Why do you think awareness is important? How do you spread awareness? For me, it means share my story so I can raise awareness about thyroid cancer. I like for people to notice the scar on my neck and ask about it. I want to tell folks about how I had no ide

September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month, a cause close to my heart as I was diagnosed with papillary carcinoma/thyroid cancer in July 2008. Here's the facts about thyroid cancer from the good folks at http://www.thyca.org/ : Thyroid cancer is one of the few cancers continuing to increase in incidence, with an anticipated record of about 44,670 people newly diagnosed in the United States this year and more than 200,000 people expected to be newly diagnosed worldwide. It’s also a cancer that affects people of all ages, from young children to seniors. The message for Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month is “Find It Early.” When detected early, most thyroid cancers are treatable. Early detection is a key to improving outcomes. Patient and caregiver education is also important, because thyroid cancer requires lifelong monitoring as recurrences can occur even decades after the diagnosis and initial treatment. Bottom line: check your neck . Have your physician check your neck. Do it sooner