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Living With Thyroid Cancer, Part II - Page 2

© Keri

-Finally, what advice would you give someone who has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer? How can loved ones help?

The first thing I tell patients is to learn everything they can about their disease. Keep notes, write down all your questions, and write down all your doctor's answers. Get copies of all your lab tests and keep everything in a notebook. One of my favorite sayings is, "Knowledge is power." The more you know about the thing that scares you, the less scared of it you will be. If you are prepared, then you have power.

I also strongly encourage patients to communicate with others who are in the same boat. Join a support group, join an on-line support group (ThyCa has several), or talk on the phone (ThyCa has a Person-to-Person network where you can talk to a volunteer.) Even though thyroid cancer is rare, there are others out there who know what you are going through.

Families and friends can help the patient by listening and being supportive, and being willing to learn about the disease. When a patient is hypo, it is really helpful to have someone do chores, run errands and cook.

I found it really helpful to keep a journal of how I was feeling as I went hypo so that I could refer to it the next year and see that my progress was normal. It's amazing how much you forget.

But most of all, I encourage patients to look for the good in the bad. It's hard to find, but searching for something positive makes the bad easier to handle.

-How can our readers find out more about the Thyroid Cancer Survivors and the upcoming convention?

The convention will be held September 21-23, 2001 in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Fees are minimal, only $45 for the full 3 days of the convention. Please visit the Thyca website at http://thyca.org, click on “conferences” for complete information. Or, call 1-877-588-7904 (toll free).

-What can they expect to gain from attending?

The conference is an amazing three-day event dedicated to thyroid patients, their families and caregivers. As a matter of fact, it's the only conference in the world specifically about thyroid cancer! We will have sessions about all types of thyca and all stages of diagnosis and treatment. Just imagine what it's like to meet over 300 people who know exactly what you are going through! With over 100 workshops, special presentations and roundtables, the conference has something for everyone whose life has been touched by thyroid cancer.

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