More times than not, when we find something that's impacted us or we feel impassioned about, we advocate the heck out of it and shout to the rooftops to bring awareness to others. Remember the ALS Ice Bucket challenge? We do, cause we did it! So, naturally, you've now found your new world-ambassador for Thyroid and Neck Awareness! Not really, but, really do check-your-neck!
"An estimated 15 million of Americans have undiagnosed thyroid problems." That's too many and to think if my care provider at the time had just kept pushing antibiotics for my bronchitis that wouldn't go away and not have ordered the chest CT, or if I hadn't continued to insist on draining and biopsying the recurrent cyst and just dealt with it like so many do in ignoring or diminishing health issues, well, who knows how this could have gone.
My symptoms were nothing short of a sore throat, dry coughing, and well, that pesky lump in my throat. Literally, every time I swallowed I could see a lump and feel it to the right of my trachea. I've felt plain "down," tired, and was experiencing memory issues as well. Things for which I even went as far as getting treatment from a neurologist (wait 'til he finds out all this that I've been through). Thyroid issues present in a multitude of ways and a cyst or goiter doesn't mean cancer, but should be checked out. Obviously, I was keeping the highest thought. And after the first biopsy was found to be inconclusive and "acellular" was just thinking a cyst didn't want to go away. Of course, that wasn't my reality.
So, check out this neck-check guide through Thyroid Awareness, grab some water and a mirror and take care out there!
#CancerSucks #DueDiligence #LookListenFeel #CheckYourNeck #NeckAwareness