Re: Thanks for hair care answers

[Guest guest]

Charlene,

I feel so badly for you, can relate to much of it, and know you will do fine,

in spite of your trepidations. You sound like a marvelously resiliant and

strong woman, so there is little doubt in my mind that you will do well, no

matter what the future holds.

People get very upset when this cancer is referred to as the " good cancer " ,

but if one were to look at from a statistical perspective, along with its

treatment options, it is indeed, relatively speaking, the " good cancer " . The

prognosis for many of us is excellent. I doubt any of us here would want to

trade our thyroid cancer for any other, if there were such an option. I " d

like to suggest a book entitled, " Cancer Combat " by Dean and King and

Pearlroth. I found it at Borders (published by Bantam Books 1998).

It is a collection of first-hand accounts of what cancer patients have

endured from diagnosis to treatment. It is wonderful book that I have kept

at my side during this process. It has given me perspective and strength

EVERYTIME I open it-that having thyroid cancer is easier to reckon with than

the others, and that attitude and the will to get better is a big part of the

battle.

The message that I am trying to get across is that we all need to keep this

in perspective, stay reality-focused, and try to set aside run-away

anxieties, although I know easier said than done. Have faith in yourself

(like I said, you must be a strong woman judging from your childbirth accounts

<----I could never deliver at home, especially my first child), and yes, take

a deep breath, think about how GREAT it is going to be to have that cancerous

thyroid out of your body finally....bottom line for now.

Expect to have moments of pure bravery and strength followed immediately by

moments of sheer panic and cowardiceness, and back and forth, and back and

forth, right up to point where you are put to sleep<---which is the beauty of

it all. You will be unaware of any of it (you will only feel the stick of

the IV needle for a second or two), and wake up to a stiff neck and sore

throat, and maybe your hair won't look as good as it usually does for a day

or so!

Stay here and share with us. We are here to (electronically) hold your hand.

Debbi

dx pap thyca 5/01

TT 7/01

hypo, very hypo

In a message dated 8/19/01 11:30:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

equi92001@... writes:

> Subj: Thanks for hair care answers

> Date: 8/19/01 11:30:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time

> From: equi92001@...

> Reply-to: <A HREF= " mailto:Thyca " >Thyca </A>

> To: Thyca

>

>

>

>

>

> List,

>

> Thank you to all the wonderful people that have responded to my

> question of hair care after surgery. It is wonderful to have this

> support!

>

> I am going back and forth now between being okay with the idea of the

> upcoming surgery (Aug. 24) and just down right petrified. I know,

> keep breathing, relax and count my blessings that this is such a

> treatable form of cancer.

>

> I keep wondering what they will find when they actually do the

> surgery. What my life is going to be like without a thyroid, and

> just how much post surgery procedures I will have to have (RAI?

> scans? going hypo?) I have been very healthy and have not had much

> medical care in the past. I had our daughter at home. Our son was

> born in a hospital, but my labor stopped as soon as I came to the

> hospital(I didn't want to be there)when they examined me, they said I

> was too far dialated to go home, so I better just start labor again

> (alrighty then)! I did go home 12 hours after he was born, that was

> as soon as they would release me.

>

> I just wish this would all go away by itself!

>

> Charlene Brown

> 46

> Iowa

> dx pap ca 08/01/01

> surgery sch. 08/24/01

>

>

> For more information regarding thyroid cancer visit www.thyca.org. If you

> do not wish to belong to this group, you may UNSUBSCRIBE by sending a blank

> email to thyca-unsubscribe

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Charlene,

What comes across in nearly every one of your postings is your strength and

courage everytime you tell us about how you delivered your first baby at home

by choice. To me, that takes more courage than most people have. Regardless

of your anxieties, you are fearless, woman!

The other major feat is attitude. I spend much of my free time in the weight

room in a gym, with the guys. I have only seen 2 women there outlift me, one

is significantly younger than me, the other is a few years older, and I work

out in a serious gym where folks train for competition. No matter how much

stronger I have become over time, I always have to " morph " myself into this

different person as I put on my lifting gloves and wrap my wrists and try to

ignore the stares. I walk up to the steel and " stare it down " so to speak.

If my attitude is not up to par where it should be, my strength is dimished

and I can't lift to my potential, which is very discouraging.

So, like I said, keep the faith in yourself and stay positive....you have

proven you can deal with lots of pain (this is going to feel like nothing

compared to your labor) and you will do great!

Debbi (Wash., DC)

Age 41

dx pap thyca 5/01

TT 7/01

TSH=56<---doing Happy Dance now

WBS 8/24

In a message dated 8/20/01 9:59:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

equi92001@... writes:

> Subj: Re: Thanks for hair care answers

> Date: 8/20/01 9:59:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time

> From: equi92001@...

> Reply-to: <A HREF= " mailto:Thyca " >Thyca </A>

> To: Thyca

>

>

>

>

>

> Debbi,

>

> Thank you so much! That just doesn't say enough to express my

> graditude for your response. I really am feeling better now, if you

> can express yourself this well while being really hypo! Yes, I have

> better moments than some and I wrote my e-mail at a low point. I

> have to just keep breathing and take one day at a time and not borrow

> more trouble with thinking about the " what ifs " . Thanks again for

> your words of comfort, and electronically holding my hand.

>

> Charlene Brown

> age 46

> Iowa

> dx pap ca Aug. 1

> surg. sch. Aug 24

>

>

>

> > Charlene,

> >

> > I feel so badly for you, can relate to much of it, and know you

> will do fine,

> > in spite of your trepidations. You sound like a marvelously

> resiliant and

> > strong woman, so there is little doubt in my mind that you will do

> well, no

> > matter what the future holds.

> >

> > People get very upset when this cancer is referred to as the " good

> cancer " ,

> > but if one were to look at from a statistical perspective, along

> with its

> > treatment options, it is indeed, relatively speaking, the " good

> cancer " . The

> > prognosis for many of us is excellent. I doubt any of us here

> would want to

> > trade our thyroid cancer for any other, if there were such an

> option. I " d

> > like to suggest a book entitled, " Cancer Combat " by Dean and

> King and

> > Pearlroth. I found it at Borders (published by Bantam

> Books 1998).

> > It is a collection of first-hand accounts of what cancer patients

> have

> > endured from diagnosis to treatment. It is wonderful book that I

> have kept

> > at my side during this process. It has given me perspective and

> strength

> > EVERYTIME I open it-that having thyroid cancer is easier to reckon

> with than

> > the others, and that attitude and the will to get better is a big

> part of the

> > battle.

> >

> > The message that I am trying to get across is that we all need to

> keep this

> > in perspective, stay reality-focused, and try to set aside run-away

> > anxieties, although I know easier said than done. Have faith in

> yourself

> > (like I said, you must be a strong woman judging from your

> childbirth accounts

> > <----I could never deliver at home, especially my first child), and

> yes, take

> > a deep breath, think about how GREAT it is going to be to have that

> cancerous

> > thyroid out of your body finally....bottom line for now.

> >

> > Expect to have moments of pure bravery and strength followed

> immediately by

> > moments of sheer panic and cowardiceness, and back and forth, and

> back and

> > forth, right up to point where you are put to sleep<---which is the

> beauty of

> > it all. You will be unaware of any of it (you will only feel the

> stick of

> > the IV needle for a second or two), and wake up to a stiff neck and

> sore

> > throat, and maybe your hair won't look as good as it usually does

> for a day

> > or so!

> >

> > Stay here and share with us. We are here to (electronically) hold

> your hand.

> >

> > Debbi

> > dx pap thyca 5/01

> > TT 7/01

> > hypo, very hypo

> >

> >

> >

> > In a message dated 8/19/01 11:30:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

> > equi92001@y... writes:

> >

> >

> > > >

> > > List,

> > >

> > > Thank you to all the wonderful people that have responded to my

> > > question of hair care after surgery. It is wonderful to have

> this

> > > support!

> > >

> > > I am going back and forth now between being okay with the idea of

> the

> > > upcoming surgery (Aug. 24) and just down right petrified. I

> know,

> > > keep breathing, relax and count my blessings that this is such a

> > > treatable form of cancer.

> > >

> > > I keep wondering what they will find when they actually do the

> > > surgery. What my life is going to be like without a thyroid, and

> > > just how much post surgery procedures I will have to have (RAI?

> > > scans? going hypo?) I have been very healthy and have not had

> much

> > > medical care in the past. I had our daughter at home. Our son

> was

> > > born in a hospital, but my labor stopped as soon as I came to the

> > > hospital(I didn't want to be there)when they examined me, they

> said I

> > > was too far dialated to go home, so I better just start labor

> again

> > > (alrighty then)! I did go home 12 hours after he was born, that

> was

> > > as soon as they would release me.

> > >

> > > I just wish this would all go away by itself!

> > >

> > > Charlene Brown

> > > 46

> > > Iowa

> > > dx pap ca 08/01/01

> > > surgery sch. 08/24/01

> > >

> > >

> > > For more information regarding thyroid cancer visit

> www.thyca.org. If you

> > > do not wish to belong to this group, you may UNSUBSCRIBE by

> sending a blank

> > > email to thyca-unsubscribe@y...

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Debbi,

Thank you so much! That just doesn't say enough to express my

graditude for your response. I really am feeling better now, if you

can express yourself this well while being really hypo! Yes, I have

better moments than some and I wrote my e-mail at a low point. I

have to just keep breathing and take one day at a time and not borrow

more trouble with thinking about the " what ifs " . Thanks again for

your words of comfort, and electronically holding my hand.

Charlene Brown

age 46

Iowa

dx pap ca Aug. 1

surg. sch. Aug 24

> Charlene,

>

> I feel so badly for you, can relate to much of it, and know you

will do fine,

> in spite of your trepidations. You sound like a marvelously

resiliant and

> strong woman, so there is little doubt in my mind that you will do

well, no

> matter what the future holds.

>

> People get very upset when this cancer is referred to as the " good

cancer " ,

> but if one were to look at from a statistical perspective, along

with its

> treatment options, it is indeed, relatively speaking, the " good

cancer " . The

> prognosis for many of us is excellent. I doubt any of us here

would want to

> trade our thyroid cancer for any other, if there were such an

option. I " d

> like to suggest a book entitled, " Cancer Combat " by Dean and

King and

> Pearlroth. I found it at Borders (published by Bantam

Books 1998).

> It is a collection of first-hand accounts of what cancer patients

have

> endured from diagnosis to treatment. It is wonderful book that I

have kept

> at my side during this process. It has given me perspective and

strength

> EVERYTIME I open it-that having thyroid cancer is easier to reckon

with than

> the others, and that attitude and the will to get better is a big

part of the

> battle.

>

> The message that I am trying to get across is that we all need to

keep this

> in perspective, stay reality-focused, and try to set aside run-away

> anxieties, although I know easier said than done. Have faith in

yourself

> (like I said, you must be a strong woman judging from your

childbirth accounts

> <----I could never deliver at home, especially my first child), and

yes, take

> a deep breath, think about how GREAT it is going to be to have that

cancerous

> thyroid out of your body finally....bottom line for now.

>

> Expect to have moments of pure bravery and strength followed

immediately by

> moments of sheer panic and cowardiceness, and back and forth, and

back and

> forth, right up to point where you are put to sleep<---which is the

beauty of

> it all. You will be unaware of any of it (you will only feel the

stick of

> the IV needle for a second or two), and wake up to a stiff neck and

sore

> throat, and maybe your hair won't look as good as it usually does

for a day

> or so!

>

> Stay here and share with us. We are here to (electronically) hold

your hand.

>

> Debbi

> dx pap thyca 5/01

> TT 7/01

> hypo, very hypo

>

>

>

> In a message dated 8/19/01 11:30:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

> equi92001@y... writes:

>

>

> > >

> > List,

> >

> > Thank you to all the wonderful people that have responded to my

> > question of hair care after surgery. It is wonderful to have

this

> > support!

> >

> > I am going back and forth now between being okay with the idea of

the

> > upcoming surgery (Aug. 24) and just down right petrified. I

know,

> > keep breathing, relax and count my blessings that this is such a

> > treatable form of cancer.

> >

> > I keep wondering what they will find when they actually do the

> > surgery. What my life is going to be like without a thyroid, and

> > just how much post surgery procedures I will have to have (RAI?

> > scans? going hypo?) I have been very healthy and have not had

much

> > medical care in the past. I had our daughter at home. Our son

was

> > born in a hospital, but my labor stopped as soon as I came to the

> > hospital(I didn't want to be there)when they examined me, they

said I

> > was too far dialated to go home, so I better just start labor

again

> > (alrighty then)! I did go home 12 hours after he was born, that

was

> > as soon as they would release me.

> >

> > I just wish this would all go away by itself!

> >

> > Charlene Brown

> > 46

> > Iowa

> > dx pap ca 08/01/01

> > surgery sch. 08/24/01

> >

> >

> > For more information regarding thyroid cancer visit

www.thyca.org. If you

> > do not wish to belong to this group, you may UNSUBSCRIBE by

sending a blank

> > email to thyca-unsubscribe@y...

> >

> >

> >