...I've been told sharing with a community I like is a good thing.

So...

I was diagnosed on Tuesday with thyroid cancer. But the prognosis is very good. It seems that I have the most common form and, amongst cancers, this type of thyroid cancer is one of the most survivable with excellent 10-30 year outlook. Even with common local metastatis, and the very rare distant metastasis, the prognosis still remains very good. I fall on the earlier half of mass size so I am currently in the 90-95% percentile for 30 year survival.

All those thyroid concerns you heard me express in an earlier thread culminated in a biopsy and the diagnosis.

Good things about all of this:

1. If I am a typical case, no chemo or aggresive radiation therapy is required. Typical treatment after surgery is to take a few cycles of radioactive iodine which specifically target only thyroid cells - wherever they may have ended up. So, beyond my surgery to remove my thyroid, I will only feel less than normal on the days I take my iodine pill at the beginning of each cycle (one pill per cycle). Sometimes, there is 24-48 hours of some nausea and fatigue but then things work out. I have to sequester myself for the first two days of each cycle anyway so I don't radiate anyone - esp kids and expectant mothers. For most, the surgery is the most traumatic.

2. Very few people actually die from this form of thyroid cancer. A friend of the family who is the head of pathology at a hospital in Los Angeles, and having been a pathologist for 45 years, says he personally has not seen a single patient with this form die from it. This isn't to presume no one does but the good prognosis is supported here.

3. I've decided to go ova/lactic veggie (the right way) to support my immune and recovery. Regardless of approach or philosophy, while there is disagreement on how meat may or may not contribute to cancer, most schools of thought seem to agree avoiding red meats and saturated fats is very good for recovery. I know myself well enough to know I need to go all the way or I will not go anywhere in the end. I already avoid diary for the most part as I don't tolerate dairy too well anyway and I already use only egg whites or egg beaters. So, just cutting out the meat.

4. The mass is actually making my trachea deviate - so, while it will not cure my apnea, it is likely it will improve and, at least, give me more comfortable positions to sleep with after recovery from surgery.

Honestly, I am sharing not because I expect any specific type of response but because this community seems to understand chronic illness more than most I am in. So, I thought I would share.

You may shower me with words of encouragement now - I promise I will soak it all in. :)
MC