-What are some of the ways that thyroid cancer has impacted your life?
Scanning each year is a big ordeal. It takes several weeks out of my life. I have to go off my thyroid pills for 3 weeks in order to get all the hormone out of my body. We call that "going hypo," short for hypothyroid. I feel more and more tired each day until I am absolutely exhausted. Going hypo is difficult for me, though, I do it willingly because the more hypo I am, the more accurate my scan will be.
I also have to follow a low-iodine diet for 2 weeks prior to scanning. It's a real challenge when I don't even have the energy to peel a potato! That's where friends and family really help out. They make me low-iodine soups and breads and go grocery shopping for me.
After 3 weeks of fading energy, I cannot drive because my motor skills, decision-making and vision are impaired. I have to take time off from my job. Luckily, I have an understanding boss.
Once the scan (or treatment) is over, I am able to go back on the thyroid pills. That is always a great day! It takes at least a week before I start to feel better, though, and several more weeks until I am back to normal.
-Earlier this year, you launched http://www.thyroidcancersongs.com. How has humor helped you in your battle against thyroid cancer?
The lyrics that I have re-written are all about living with thyroid cancer. Not an especially funny topic, but when I am hypo, for some reason I am able to find humor in it.
Humor is powerful. It impacts our health, our attitude, and it helps us cope with the scary stuff. Laughing at the things that scare me gives me a power over that fear. Laughing has actually been shown to raise your body's immune system, plus it just makes you feel better!
One of the most wonderful things about the songs is that they have made something positive come from something so negative. Because of my cancer I was able to write the songs, and the songs have made many patients and their families smile, laugh, and get a better understanding of the disease. That is a gift.
