Thyroid Cancer diagnosis has scared me!

[Tigerlillie123]

Hello...I had a total thyroidectomy on the 16th August and I had the results on Thursday..I had follicular cancer in my left lobe and mild thyroiditis in my right lobe..Im having radioactive Iodine on the 16th October...all I can say is I am trying to remain positive for my sake and everyone elses!All I want to do is cry say why me and hide in a dark room..i am so scared of the future and what this means...Im gonna try and go back to work Monday but it has completely knocked my world...anyone else been through this or going through this?

[cjrsquared]

Completely understand, the same thing happened to me 4 and a half years ago, multinodular goitre which was found to be cancerous. Please think very carefully about going back to work, you have had surgery but also a massive emotional shock which takes time to process. You may have some insensitive souls who tell you how ‘lucky you are’ to have such a treatable cancer. Do not let them upset you, any cancer diagnosis is earth shattering and you have every right to be distressed and emotional. Please be aware that emotional stress also effects you physically, it lowers your immune system so you will be more prone to infections.

I did have radio active iodine with no lasting effects and the doses that they give now are much lower than 8-10 years ago when a big research study was carried out.

It would be worthwhile trying to optimise your health in the next 2-3 weeks, you may have to follow a low iodine diet and either come off medication or have a thyrogen injection prior to the rai. Please prioritise yourself at present and only return to work if you feel it would be beneficial.

Good luck

[Tigerlillie123 in reply to cjrsquared]

Thank you cjrsquared for your reply..it was such a shock..its sinking in now but I just need to stay positive but its very hard..Im so pleased they use a lower dose of the radioactive iodine now..I will just be glad when this is a distant memory..thanks for all the advice..it is much appreciated...I hope you are all ok now xx

[Hidden]

Hi Tigerlillie, I agree with the other members especially about taking time off from work. It's not helpful when people point out things like it's an easy cancer to treat or perhaps 'there is a high cure rate percentagewise'. All these statements often do is make us wonder which percentage group we fall in. I am 74 and have had 2 cancers in my life-both years ago- larynx in 1984 and uterine in 1999. One thing I know is anytime we experience very stressful events in our lives-and a cancer diagnosis is certainly high on the list- emotionally we are embarking on an intense roller coaster ride. One of the things I believe makes these journeys easier is understanding how to cope better with whatever we've been hit with. Many years ago a Swiss psychiatrist named Elisabeth Kubler-Ross wrote a book called Death and Dying: the Five Stages of Grief. I wish it had a different title as the word Death is scary and also misleading. She describes the phases we go through trying to cope with our problem and has become a classic in it's field. Over the years I have used it as a personal reference when I was going through bad experiences-some illnesses, some life events-divorce etc. And I have recommended it to many patients over the years. She describes stages like denial, fear, bargaining, and finally acceptance. The goal is for us to get to acceptance of our situation. Even if in the end we have a good outcome to our individual stressor we can still slide back and feel anxious or lack resolution to our feelings. Why don't you google her name and see what she has to say? There is a lot of good info about getting through the emotions associated with cancer but she was probably the originator of this field. The interesting thing about these phases is they are not neat, tidy, and consecutive. We can feel like we're doing fine, handled our fear and suddenly find ourselves backsliding emotionally. This is normal. My uterine cancer was almost 20 years ago but if I have stomach issues-probably from eating something unhealthy my mind still jumps back to "is this cancer related?" I hope this helps you . At least maybe gives you a place to start your journey. For me, looking back on my experiences with cancer I remember the emotional part as being the hardest to deal with. I guess I would describe her thoughts as a guide to moving forward emotionally when we are blindsided by life. I'm happy to help anytime-PM me if you need to. Take care. irina1975

[Tigerlillie123 in reply to Hidden]

thank you so much for replying irina1975..I will definitely look up that book by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross..sounds interesting..I need to except the situation as at the moment im at the why me stage!! I have a few aches and worry that its spread..its just so hard xx

[Hidden]

Hi, T. It's me again.I reread your replies and the one suggesting you rethink the radioactive iodine caught my eye. It is a good suggestion and reminded me of something I did that I left out of my post. When the diagnosis of larynx cancer was made by the Pathologists I questioned it as I was 39, didn't smoke, drank lightly, and didn't fit the profile for larynx cancer. I asked for a second opinion from Pathology. It was something of a battle but they agreed.It was correct but put my mind at ease re treatment. Something to think about as cancer treatment often can carry lifelong side effects.

[Hidden]

Just had a thought. If you take multivitamins or B complex be sure they don't contain iodine. They shouldn't anyway but it's especially important for you now. irina

[Haze1975]

Having cancer is scary for anyone. Having someone there who cares is a big thing. Make sure someone goes with you all the time for love and support. If you have any questions. Wright them down and asked the doctors. They will answer everything how ever small or big the question is.

I had it cancer in 2013. I remember that day. I was moaning at the doctors receptionist. I’d phoned for my mum, and then asked why test results didn’t come back in yet. She said I would have to talked to a doctor. She managed to get me appointment for the next day. It’s was a telephone call. The doctor phoned earlier and said you better come down. When she told me, I thought oh great that’s all we need. I thought why me. Looking back on it now. What did cancer have in store for me, but I’d kick it once. And I’d came out if it alright. But I was more scared of taking medication for the rest of my life, as I was only 37 at the time. I’ve had up and downs over the years personal and with the medication.

But you have to take each day at a time, you will have your good days and bad days as well. Just take it easy. And if you think your not ready to face Work yet. Get your doctors to write a sick note.

You can email me if you want to talk. Good lucky.xx

[Tigerlillie123 in reply to Haze1975]

Thank you Haze1975...yes I will definitely take someone with me to all my appointments and its good to write things down..how are you feeling now..hope your ok xx

[HappyH81]

Hello Tigerlillie,

I have not had your experience im still trying to figure out whats going on with me but i saw your post and did not want to not comment.

I agree with everyone else you should not be going back to work. Major surgery and major shock! You need time to process and recover.

Sending you positive thoughts and strength.

Take care x

[Tigerlillie123 in reply to HappyH81]

Thank you HappyH81 for your reply..hope you are one step closer to sorting out whats going on with you..I really do appreciate you all for replying..this is all new to me and im trying to be brave xx

[Tigerlillie123]

Thank you so much for replying Tia..it's comforting to hear other people's stories..Im trying to keep positive and keep to my routines but it was such a shocker!Hope you are doing ok..would love to hear your story when you've got time..thank you once again xx

[Nanaedake]

I returned to work too early because the surgeon said I would only need 3 weeks off work. I would recommend that people take a few months off work at least. It's not just the surgery but the effects of thyroid hormone imbalance that needs to be taken into account.

When thyroid function is disturbed then it affects all the cells in your body, your heart, brain and emotional wellbeing. You need people to cut you some slack and this isn't always possible at work. Of course it depends what your colleagues and employers are like and only you can decide what's best for you.