April 14th, 2014….D day in our house. The day I
was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. Ill never forget hearing the words “you have
cancer ” coming from my doctors mouth as he explained what was to follow after
many tests came back positive for cancer. I became numb, unsure how to respond.
My husband and I sat there confused and then reality set in….we have to tell
the kids. We have 3 wonderful, full of life kids and this was the hardest part
of it all. I didn’t want them to feel upset, pain, or feel helpless which I
knew was going to happen, but I also knew God would take care of them and their
hearts. How much do we tell them? Where do we begin? How will they react? All
questions my husband and I pondered and prayed over.
It was shocking in
the sense that I didn’t go in for anything huge. I went in for a random doctor
checkup and the week that followed was a whirlwind of events that meant one
test after another. Some were very
invasive and painful, others fairly simple. Don’t ever let a doctor tell you
that biopsies are painless, they are NOT.
It had been years of not feeling “normal” A year prior to my
diagnosis I was having tremors in my hands and face, unable to speak and
numbness and tingling in my extremities. With all the tests ran and MRI’s I
never found the problem. MRI’s were only focused on brain scans so the idea of
any Thyroid issue seemed to be nonexistent. OR was it?
I could go back and be angry that the doctors at that time
missed several key components that I later found out could have helped
diagnosis me earlier. However, that isn’t going to help me now. All I can do
now is be my own advocate for my own health care.
Going back to the day I was diagnosed I began racking my
brain and thinking back on signs and symptoms that I was having and continue to
have on a daily basis. What most don’t understand is that Thyroid Cancer is
rare, therefore the research and information on it isn’t easy to find and
“thyroid specialists” are hard to come by so to get answers to my questions my
husband and I had, we had to be our own advocates in research in a sense to
help find the best plan for me and treatment. I struggle daily with little to no sleep,
swelling of my neck and throat due to the large tumor on my thyroid, I loose my
voice occasionally, tremors in my hands, tingling or numbness in my legs hands
and feet. I have hardly any energy for simple tasks such as getting dressed or
showering. It takes a lot of will power to get up each day because my body is
saying “NO” and my mind is saying “Yes.” I get sick during the night that can
extend to the rest of the following day, due to lack of hormones. My hair fell
out even without treatment. And all these symptoms I feel daily. Not only did I have cancer in my thyroid but
it had spread to some lymphnodes. Overall, I had a sense of peace during the
early stages of figuring this out. I knew it was going to be a battle but I
also knew that the Lord had a plan. What could have been a huge set back, and
in some ways are…financially, etc, has turned into a huge outreach to others
that struggle with cancer, disease, or daily battles. It has given me a new
perspective as most cancer patients have happen. But more than that. I see my
husband and children in different ways. My faith is real and I see real
miracles every day as my family and I battle this. The way they stepped up to
help me and encourage me to get up out of bed is incredible. I will be sharing
more about “Our story” and life living with Thyroid Cancer as I believe it
needs to be talked about. I also want to encourage those that are in a cancer
battle of their own or chronic disease, and even just a daily battle of life
circumstances. Lean on the Lord. Give it to HIM, BE RELENTLESS in your fight!!
Blessings,
Kate Tuma
No comments:
Post a Comment