How My Experience with Thyroid Cancer Affects Relationships

I think sometimes after we have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer it means that it doesn’t directly affect connecting with others who had a similar thyroid cancer who are in the AYA Community.

I think it can have emotional and physical challenges. It can be really stressful and emotionally challenging for everyone who is facing thyroid cancer. It can also lead us to our feelings of mixed emotions like depression, worry, fear, anxiety, sadness and anger. I think when you are dealing with these emotions when you have thyroid cancer it can make things difficult in our relationships with others. It can make thyroid cancer patients and thyroid cancer survivors withdraw from social activities and feel more isolated while facing our fears and feelings of uncertainty.

I think it can cause some physical challenges when we are going through thyroid cancer and going through thyroid cancer treatment and having a total thyroidectomy surgery. It can cause some side effects that it affects in our daily lives, and in our social interactions. I think of how challenging it was for myself physically, spiritually, and emotionally after going through total thyroidectomy surgery. It caused me to feel worried, fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, frustration about how the total thyroidectomy surgery was going to affect me with my swallowing, breathing, swelling in the neck and having a 4-inch scar. It took me weeks and months to recover and to heal from total thyroidectomy surgery and having thyroid cancer. I think it is important to learn about how to have a long survival. How often it has been discussed when it comes to terms of having thyroid cancer is 20-year survival with a 98% to 99% percent survival rate at 20 years. I am lucky how much I have overcome with thyroid cancer and going through thyroid cancer treatment. It has helped me that this papillary carcinoma thyroid cancer was a type of cancer that is treatable and curable for me and now I can live a normal life. I have been a thyroid cancer survivor for almost 5 years, and it helps me see that I don’t need to worry about having another recurrence of thyroid cancer coming back. I think it has taught me to be able to appreciate, to celebrate, and to be grateful for God who has brought me this far after 5 years being cancer free from thyroid cancer.

I’ll be hitting my 5-year mark, my cancerversary, on August 28th. I think of how far I have overcome with the total thyroidectomy surgery after being diagnosed with papillary carcinoma thyroid cancer. It affected my relationships with others and my faith in God. I was so lost in my faith in God and myself after going through thyroid cancer and going through thyroid cancer treatment. Cancer caused me to lose both of my jobs, be isolated from friends, not be able to celebrate my cancerversary with friends and family and not be able to participate in Special Olympics track and field. It made me feel unloved, unappreciated, unwanted, and unworthy of how people who have mistreated me as a Christian and as a thyroid cancer survivor by judging and criticizing me. I felt rejected and betrayed by others when I moved here to Marana, Arizona and joined the Women’s Bible study group. It was the first time I shared my thyroid cancer story and my testimony to my group. They have been really supportive and proud of me for beating thyroid cancer. When I have found Thytabono they have been so loving, kind, welcoming, supportive, caring, encouraging and understanding about my own experience with thyroid cancer. It has really helped me to focus on my health, my faith in God and showing my artwork. I am so grateful that God has found me some wonderful people in my support group, at my church, at my Bible study group, my church family and friends, and my pastors, and my neighbors who have been so kind, loving, supportive, encouraging, by praying for me and for encouragement.

I do think it is important to have connections after cancer with people. It can be really challenging for everyone who is facing cancer and going through treatment for cancer. It can make us feel more vulnerable, hopeless, unloved, unwanted, and unworthy. God has taught me how to let go of all the negative thoughts of self-worth, self-importance, self-sufficiency, and how to feel approved by others.

I think of what types of relationships have impacted the most: my friendships, my art teacher, my Thytabono support group, my Women’s Bible study group ladies, my church family, friends and God and my church who have been a huge impact in my life. They have been always there for me after my total thyroidectomy surgery, since my thyroid cancer diagnosis and my thyroid cancer treatment. They have been such an encouraging, loving, kind, welcoming and caring community to help me get through this thyroid cancer journey and going through thyroid cancer treatment they have been so supportive to me for the last 5 years. I am so grateful that God has given me these wonderful people who have been there for me. It makes me feel less alone, loved, encouraged, thoughtful, kind, always praying for me, and taking good care of me. I think it is important to have these kinds of relationships with others who will be there for you and during cancer journey and cancer treatments it will bring you comfort, peace, love, courage faith, hope, and healing, and gives you encouragement with scripture and prayers and also sharing your cancer stories and their testimonials about how God has helped them during their cancer journey and cancer treatments.

I think knowing who I am in Christ is part of my true identity because it is how I put my focus on God more than replacing my focus on God because it can make us feel lost and isolated. I put my trust, my hope and my faith in Jesus because he can always fight my battles and my fears over thyroid cancer and for not stopping me from God’s opportunity to share my thyroid cancer story and my testimony to others to bring light, joy, encouragement, hope, and faith in God they need to hear this gospel of Jesus it is important to me to share my thyroid cancer story and my testimony.