Pandora's Neck: the intro!

Welcome! You have stumbled upon my blog (actually you’re probably here because you’re my mum and I’m making you read it. Hi mum!) . So, my name is Adele and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last month. This blog is a place for me to rant about my feelings and tell you the story of how I came to be diagnosed with this, and what treatment I’ll be receiving.

A few months ago, I discovered a lump in my neck, but at the time I thought nothing of it. Then I started noticing that I was sniffly and tired all the time. After some unwise “googling” of my symptoms, I managed to convince myself that I had ME and that is the reason why I went to a doctor. When I was there, I casually mentioned the lump and “another weird lumpy bit” as I called it. The doctor felt my neck and told me it was a thyroid problem. I guess that explained the tiredness, but at the time I could not have predicted it would be cancer (and if I had, I would have dismissed it as being a hypochondriac).

Since that appointment I have had my blood drawn three times, an MRI scan, a CT scan, two ultrasounds, an endoscopy of my throat via my nose, and three “needle aspirations” (they stuck a needle right in my neck and drained some gunk out.  They need to not use jargon in appointment letters, am I right?) At my second ultrasound, the doctor sighed heavily, and told me that I had a lot of nodes, and while some were fine, some looked suspicious and he was afraid it was cancer. He then stuck two needles in my neck!

Fortunately, it’s completely treatable. I have to have an operation and radiation iodine treatment. In the operation, they will take out the thyroid AND the nodes (including the benign ones, just in case). However, because your thyroid is attached to your vocal chords, they might not get all out of it. Actually, I think that they don’t get all of it on purpose in case they damage your vocal chords (and I love talking and singing so that would not be ideal), so the radiation treatment is to kill the rest of the thyroid cells. Then I’ll be on hormone replacement for the rest of my life, which I can deal with.

The fact that it is treatable however, is little consolation for how rubbish this situation is! “CANCER” is kind of a swear word in my family, because we lost my dad to it in March 2011. We will always associate March with cancer now, and it just kind of brings back all the memories of when my dad was in hospital. It’s crazy to think that this word is yet again. being associated with me, but on a much more personal level. Cancer is sitting pretty and twiddling it’s thumbs inside my poor neck!

I’ve decided to create something positive out of this though, and here we are at Pandora’s Neck. A place for me to rant about STUPID CANCER, and to talk about how treatment is going (which will just be me whining about how bored I am and how great PJs are). Also, if your life has been touched (punched) by cancer, then this will be a place where you can come, and know that you’re not alone. It helps me to know that I’m not alone in this, and there’s people I can talk to and share this with. By making this blog, I feel like I’m paying it forward, and let someone know that they’re not alone. Let them know that if they feel like they are, they can read about this person in the internet, and even talk to me about it.

I hope you enjoy this blog (and that my obsession with parenthesis hasn’t put you off!)