September is THYCA Awareness Month

Sabine's recent post reminded me about this. Check your necks, kids!

My doc first found lumps on my thyroid gland during an exam after a bike crash. She palpated my neck and sent me promptly for an ultrasound. What followed was more than a year of ultrasound, RIU, MRI, biopsy, bloodwork, two endrocrinologists, and an ENT. It shouldn't have taken so long to diagnose, but that's another story.

I remember my 2nd endocrinologist (I fired the 1st one) telling me thyca is the "good" cancer. Whoa! Good cancer? There is no such thing in my opinion. Oddly enough, three months later my ENT used the same term to describe the lump in my parotid gland (that big salivary gland in your cheek). As much as I liked these two docs, they just didn't get it -- how can you use a term like "good" to describe any type of cancer?

Anyways, the reason for this post is to inform and educate my friends about thyca. Did you know that thyca is one of the most common forms of cancer in the US? It's slow-progressing and rarely fatal. Treatment is usually easy (surgery and possibly radiation). And then life can return to "normal."

So, educate yourself, know the signs, and check your neck!

Checking your neck is easy! All you need is a hand mirror and a glass of water. First, take a healthy sip of water, but don't swallow it. Then, hold the mirror up to your neck, tip your head back, swallow, and see if you observe any bulges or protrusions (besides your adam's apple). If you see anything unusual, check in with your doc for further testing.

There you have it!