Cancer. Chills may have been sent down your spine or your mind was automatically directed to a memory or thought that you have related to that word. Cancer no matter what type or what age the person is when receiving the diagnosis, this word can send a person into a whole new world, which to some can be described as hell. We appoint several types of cancer, or other diseases, to a month in order to honor and recognize the struggles of the patients. September is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month and this is a topic that hits home personally for me. My mother is a Thyroid Cancer survivor and here is her story.
When I was in 6th grade I had a pretty clear view on the world I was living in but still did not understand most "adult" things. I understood that drugs and drinking were bad habits and that taking candy from strangers was an action that should never be completed, but yet I still had no idea what type of tragic events the world could throw at us. My mother was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer in April 2008. Her first surgery was the first part of June that year, which followed by another surgery to remove her entire thyroid to avoid having the cancer that was found during the first surgery spread throughout her entire body.
Looking back at it now I had no clue what my mother was feeling. Having five young children and getting a diagnosis like this made her afraid of losing her life and also leaving her children without a parent. My mother had to take radioactive iodine capsules and seclude herself for three days. If she came in to contact with anyone while being "radioactive" it could have harmed their thyroid.
Although my mother is now cancer free, she still has to face everyday challenges because of it. She is constantly adjusting her medication so that she can feel the best that she can. "I am always fatigued. It's amazing how much your thyroid does for your body, from adjusting your body temperature, weight gain to controlling your energy levels. It will be something I have to deal with the rest of my life."
I can only imagine how my mother felt physically, mentally, and emotionally. She had a very supportive family and group of friends by her side. My mother is and has been cancer free since that time and I am so very thankful that her doctor was able to catch the cancer early enough to treat it and give her a life that would have been taken away far too soon.
My mother is my hero for a few reasons but this is definitely the top one. To this day she fights the many obstacles that are thrown at her while taking care of her not so little, five children along side her husband. She not only is an active parent involved with school athletics, but also working a job that is very time consuming.
My mother has taught not only me, but my siblings as well, how to face obstacles when they are thrown your way. She is a great mother, a great daughter, sister and also a survivor. Her scar may fade throughout her lifetime but she will always be a hero and an inspiration to those who are still fighting.
