As everybody probably knows, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer about three weeks ago. Since that time, I have had two surgeries to remove my thyroid gland and the golf ball-sized cancerous tumor that lived on it. My surgeon did a fantastic job, and I have a really little scar on my neck. At my last post-op follow up, my surgeon was obsessed with the appearance of my incision scar and ways to make it less noticeable. But really, I don't share his concerns. To me, this scar is a record of my journey. In the same way that it has been my journey to experience all the wonderful things that have filled my life, it's just as much part of my life to get thyroid cancer at age 31. I would never want to hide or erase these times from the record of my life. So, I like the scar, and will be disappointed should it fade completely form my neck.
So, from now on, my blog will be about all aspects of my life now, though it will always bear the scars of once having been a triathlete's racing blog.
7 comments:
scars are cool! I like the new blog title. Your positive outlook thru this glitch in your life is refreshing.
Embrace the SCAR! Just think about the great story you can tell your daughter when she is older--the example of soldiering on with a great attitude.
The new blog looks great and scars are mysterious :)
Hi Scott, Your thyroid story brings back vivid memories. I also had two surgeries for papillary carcinoma but they were 9 months apart. FYI--suck on sours or lollipops during the RAI treatment to keep your salivary glands from swelling up. Ice packs and massage help too if you start to get sore in those glands. Bring some books and crossword puzzles--kind of nice to have an excuse to be leisurely! Definitely spooky when they bring you the lead-lined container with the poison symbol and take a pill out of it for you to swallow and then run out of the room(!)--but it sure did the trick for me, so hang in there. Worst part for me was avoiding ice cream, cheese, and butter in the low-iodine phase. You can push me through 112 mile bike rides, marathons, neck surgeries, etc. but don't mess with my comfort food! :-) I have more advice for getting back to training--and don't worry, you will be back!! Please get in touch and let me know how it goes. Hope we can compare scars in person some day--in Hawaii. Aloha!
I think the new blog title is very fitting. Life is a journey that we all have to embrace in order to truly live.
Great to hear that the surgeries went well. I shared the same feelings about your scar that I did about mine my after my thyroid surgery. My surgeon did a great job and told me it would fade, but I told him that I liked having the scar (kind of like a badge of honor). It has only be a year but my scar is almost all gone. Good luck with the RAI and I hope everything goes well.
Love the photo of your scar! I hated mine at first after thyroid cancer surgery (X2 as well...) but have grown to love it and what it stands for.
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