Charlcie

This year, I bowed out of the photo for our Christmas card. Refused might be more accurate, but I won’t use that harsh of a tone. Others, such as Chris, might. In November, before Thanksgiving, the scheduling fairies made it possible for the kids to have exactly one hour available one afternoon that all three could be present…as long as some driver could get Morgan to the orthodontist by 4:30. Off they went…to the park and to the red caboose in our town. Lots of great shots to choose from, and after narrowing it down to our favorite five, in the end, Chris chose one that I had not previously considered, and I loved it. We all did…I think. Yes, we heard from the masses that Chewie was conspicuously left out of the photo. It will not happen again. But I digress.... So the cards arrived, and I break out the list of folks we will mail to this year. Chris notes that the price was so good for 100, he went ahead and ordered that number. “Wow, OK, but we normally only send to about 60,” I said...

OK, no jokes about me actually writing two blog posts in the space of three weeks. :) Tomorrow, I make the trip back to see Dr. Pun , my favorite endocrinologist. Those of you who have had a cancer diagnosis and are a head case such as myself know what that means for today: the "what ifs" start. Although, I pretty much had the "what ifs" confirmed at my last appointment in October: Dr. Pun said that he is pretty sure "something" (i.e. thyroid cancer again) is going on there based on the bloodwork, and we just get to wait until something shows up on a scan of some form so we know what we are dealing with. Strangely, I was OK with that as I know that as long as I am one of " those patients " in his practice that he keeps an eye on (and there is that whole trust factor too...), I am fine. Well, as fine as I can be, knowing what a worry wart I am (thanks, Mema, for passing the torch to me in the worry department!). How much does it stink to know some...

Yes, it has been almost three months since my last post. This fall, I've been somewhere inbetween busy, hiding and being overwhelmed by life in general. I have been hiding from cancer and talking about anything too real. Hmmm...these two things can be intertwined or separated, you take your pick. Either way, it is not healthy for me. I'm working on it.... Overwhelmed by life...like Ferris Bueller says, and I have quoted before on this blog, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't watch out, you could miss it." I've been in the "pretty fast" part of it lately, watching Mackenzie and Christian's senior year fly by. Kinda sad for me, but I'm enjoying it too, and I'm excited for them. Mackenzie has been accepted to all three schools she has applied to and offered significant scholarships to two of them. All of them are out of state...she is ready to go, and I'm so proud she is confident enough in herself to go. I'm just proud of her per...

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 ...

Today on Twitter, I ran across the story of a 16-year-old girl who had been fighting cancer who died this morning. Her name was Esther Earl. I felt compelled to read her story. What a surprise to find that she died of thyroid cancer. My first thought was that it was probably anaplastic thyroid cancer, which is the most deadly and swift-moving form of thyroid cancer. Once again, I was surprised to find that she had the same type of thyroid cancer that I had: papillary carcinoma. Hers had spread to her lungs early. She tried experimental chemotherapy, to no avail. I didn't know her...she seemed like a bright light in the world that has now gone to Heaven. Her story has lingered with me all day. May she rest in peace. And may we all hug our children and appreciate our own life. Tribute to Esther Earl> More about Esther Earl - Her CaringBridge page>

First, what is a cancerversary? Some say it is the day you were diagnosed. Some say it is the day you get the "all clear" from cancer. I subscribe to the "day you were diagnosed" theory to mark my cancerversary, especially since I'm still not "all clear"...but that's another story. Note I didn't say "celebrate" my cancerversary. Of course, I don't want to celebrate having cancer. However, thyroid cancer changed my life so I have to take note of it. It was good to read my blog post marking my one-year cancerversary in 2009, reminding me of the journey. I am also feeling guilty for feeling different, a bit darker, even jaded, about it all. I'm a survivor now, right? Well, not really. Remember, I'm one " those patients " in my endocrinologist's practice that he's got to keep a close eye on. Even if it comes back again, I've had the surgery (times two). I've had the treatment. I can do it again, righ...