I don't know.

My first bout with cancer was uterine cancer, but it was small and contained and early.  Hence, I needed no form of chemo or radiation, and every time someone asks and I say no, I feel like some kind of fraud.  I was treated for skin cancer a year later (basically, they just scraped it off), again no need for chemo or radiation. Now, I have something that may or may not be thyroid cancer, and it is also small, contained, and most likely non-threatening in any way, meaning I also won't need chemo or radiation for it.  If it is any form of cancer, I will have "survived" three cancers; however, I don't feel like much of a survivor.  The only strain I experienced was the fear and worry. I didn't lose all my hair, get sick every day, etc... I didn't have to fight that hard.  I understand what you mean.

marie17 said:

@Brinsingr.  Your cancer is

@Brinsingr.  Your cancer is Stage I because of your age.  Check here:  http://thyca.org/about/types/#u45

All Follicular Thyroid cancers for people under the age of 45 (no matter what the size is) are Stage I as long as they have not spread to lymph nodes or other areas.

What I find curious about your post is the irony:  you are "struggling" because "it all happened so quickly" and you classify it as "so trivial".  Those quotes were all your own words.  I also don't mean to offend any one (as you also stated), but if you truly find your experience to be "so trivial" and "don't deserve to use the terms like 'diagnosed' and 'cancer survivor'" then why are you "struggling"? 

I'm confused.  You had stage I follicular cancer.  Sounds like you are cured and good to go.  So why are you struggling at all?  If you feel you don't deserve to call yourself a survivor are you posting this here to make others feel like they need to suck it up? 

Any cancer diagnosis is a slap in the face, even the least aggressive types of cancer.  Marie, you use the word "had" and the phrase "cured and good to go", you need to realize that staging and treatment are not guaranteed accurate.  There is a very small chance that brisinger's cancer has already metastasized but not yet detectably so.  There is also a very small chance that brisinger's treatment was not effective in removing all the cancer that was there.  Almost certainly brisinger is cured, but there is that almost*.  Brisinger is worried and wonders if that is a valid thing to be, given the circumstances.  Of course it's valid.  At least that's the way I read what brisinger said.

*Assuming this is what brisinger's doctors are saying, the post doesn't actually say this.

Alan

marie17 said:

Yes, thyroid cancer is cancer. And we can be called survivors

My intent was to draw attention to the irony. People who come here come for support.  Often times, thyroid cancer patients are made to feel like their cancer is easy and isn't worth being called a "cancer".  Brisinger's post is an example of this. This is a perception that needs to be ended.  No person should come here and feel that they should just get over it and move on.  That's why I "tongue and cheek" wrote the words "had" and "cured and good to go".  I am quite aware that thyroid cancer has one of the highest recurrence rates within the first five years of all cancers.  As a thyroid cancer survivor myself, I was saddened to read this original post.  It's this kind of attitude that leaves most of us survivors feeling that we should keep quiet and act like we never had cancer. 

Now that I understand what you were trying to say in your earlier post, I still question your method.

I've been on this site for almost four years now and many people have complained about being told they have the "good" cancer.  While papillary thyroid cancer (what I have, I don't know about folicular) is almost always treatable and is usually curable, it's still cancer.  I can see why people don't want to hear the "good" cancer comment, I can also see that it is somewhat true.  My initial symptom was a swollen lymph node in my neck, before it was byopsied I was very worried it was lymphoma or one of the throat/mouth cancers and was almost grateful when I was told it was papillary thyroid cancer and what that meant.  I remember telling the doctor something very much like, "it could have been much worse."

What I try to do is ignore labels and cope as best I can.  Those of our friends and family who haven't had to go through this sort of thing don't realize how this can color your life a darker shade.  Just recently a few members of my family were talking about stress when one of them turned to me and asked me, "what are you worried about? you don't have anything to worry about!"  I ignored it, what could I have said that wouldn't have caused pain?  Painful for them to be told they're insensitive (even if politely) and painful for me for having to expose that particular raw nerve (even with a smile on my face while doing so.)

I'm somewhat of a loner, so this approach seems to work for me, but may not work for others.  Just my thoughts.

Alan

marie17 said:

First off, just want to say

First off, just want to say that you have expressed yourself as a very kind person. 

Secondly, did you need to go on a low iodine diet and have Radioactive iodine treatment?

Did you have small children you had to stay away from during your radioactive treatment?

Did you have to avoid any pregnancy following the treatment (more for women than men)?

These experiences can really change ones perception. 

Oh, and Hypo-hell is so not trivial.  Yowza!  It was so tough!  Also, just my thoughts. 

 

Thank you.

Yes, I had to do the LID, twice.  Once for my RAI and again for my one year I-123 scan.  For me, it wasn't too bad of a problem, the biggest hurdle was getting enough fiber in my diet.  My most effective source is high fiber bread but since store bought bread is made with iodized salt that was a no no.

No, I'm 54 years old now and there are no children here.  I stayed away from my small nieces and nephews for a good long time, probably longer than necessary, just to make sure.

No, I'm male, hence my moniker, "Baldy".  A few of the women who post on this site have asked the same question.  I suggested to one of them she should talk to the nuclear medicine people administering her RAI to find out.  If she did, she never posted back to relay what they said.

For me, I don't think the treatment experience was that much of a problem.  It gave me something to think about and consentrate on.  It was later when I had time to ponder everything that things really hit me.  My experience with thyroid cancer started when I noticed a swollen lymph node in my neck, my Primary Care told me not to worry it was almost certainly due to an infection somewhere in the area.  So, hearing my endo say I was almost certainly cured following my surgery and RAI wasn't as reassuring as it would have otherwise been.

I never had to do "hypo hell", I was given the thyroid stimulating drug (Thyrogen) both times.  I'm extremely glad I missed out on that.

Alan

hi brisingr. how are you doing.appreciate your insight and hope you get along very good.thank God it has not spread past your thyroid as so far neither has mine.by the way your situation is NOT trivial in any way shape or form.it is just as important as any on here.feel free to let us know how you are doing from time to time.congrats on graduating collage.big step.i don't think marie mean't any harm.i think she was asking if you have any kids and a few other questions.what dosage of thyroid replacement therapy are you on now?i am taking 150 mcg levothyroxine just went down from 175mcg.