Medullary Thyroid Cancer There is HOPE!

susandianne

I was diagnosed with MTC in 1976 at age 31. Now, at age 59, my children are in their 30's, and I even have a 20-month-old granddaughter. I just want to tell you that there is hope you'll be OK. It took me a very long time to believe my oncologist when he told me I had a 99.99% chance of being totally cured by my 2 surgeries, 2 days apart. That's not to say everything's perfect. I have only one remaining parathyroid gland, and it doesn't work real well. Consequently I take 4 Calcium + Vitamin D pills every day, in addition to my L-thyroixine pill. It pretty well keeps my leg and feet muscles from going into spasm. And I do get uptight every time it I have to go to the doc for a check-up. But on the whole, life is good. Just take one day at a time, and pretty soon you will be looking back at lots of good memories of family and friends and experiences. Some of you may be battling depression, if you're still dragging around months after surgery/treatment. It's worth saying something to your doc about it. It took a new endocrinologist to diagnose and treat mine, some 20 years after my MTC diagnosis and surgery. Please, don't wait as long as I did! Life is too precious to be dragging around with flu-like symptoms, lack of energy, etc. for months or years.

mrsbunny

hope

It was nice to read your story.  I was just diagnosed with MTC. I had a thyroidectomy and some lymph nodes removed and, after they sent everything to pathology, was told that I have MTC instead of the papillary cancer they told me I had in the beginning.  Unbelievable.  I was just diagnosed three days ago and I am in shock and fearful.  My calcitonin level was 114 after surgery but I dont know how high it was before, therefore, I have no comparison.  The tumor was on my vocal chords and trachea  My voice is hoarse and weak.  I found this website forum and I felt better after reading your story.  Thank you again.