Radiated as infant

CanSur17

Just discovered this site. My thymus was irradiated shortly after I was born in 1944 in western Pennsylvania. In the 60s or 70s my parents saw a 60 Minutes story on the incidence of thyroid cancer in people so treated in infancy and notified me. I immediately had a doctor check it (negative), but in 1978 when undergoing a pre-departure physical for my first Foreign Service post, the doctor asked, "What's that bump on your throat?" Two days later I underwent a complete thyroidectomy for a follicular carcinoma. Since then 44 years have passed, and a lot of doctors have monkeyed around with my levothyroxine levels (including at present), but the main point is obviously that a diagnosis and surgery aren't necessarily anything like the end of the story.

Still Surviving

I hear ya! I had a similar treatment in 1959 and developed papillary thyroid cancer. Had a thyroidectomy with dissection in 1963 over three operations. Next year will by my 60th anniversary and looking forward to it with a family trip to Mexico to celebrate. It has never stopped me from having a full and happy life, which I am grateful for thanks to the great doctors, nurses, family and God!