i read an article the other day in a popular thyroid blog about identifying those people who have helped you, as a thyroid patient, deal with health issues and challenges over the years. most of you who are following my blog know that i am a thyroid cancer survivor AND a breast cancer survivor. as i have said before,this blog is a kind of "2fer" you might say. i have given this a lot of thought, and would like to acknowledge my own support staff. the author coined a particular phrase for these people, which i am not going to use. instead, i will just refer to my support staff as " my people". this is an old, southern mountain phrase, usually referencing folks that one is related to. but in my case, i consider these wonderful people to be my family, even if we are not related.
so here is my eclectic list of people who have helped me survive and thrive after having had cancer twice. most are living, some are not ( i did say eclectic), but i owe a debit of gratitude to each and every one of " my people". without your love , support, knowledge, and care i would not be here today- that i am sure of.
1) my husband, jeffrey smith. he is without a doubt my number one fan. he has taken care of me during my worst moments, told me i was beautiful when i was as bald as a bowling ball, and still picks me up when i fall. he has had to deal with the "dark side" of cancer- when i was not smiling with a pretty head scarf and make-up on. it was also helpful that he is a pharmacist,too, and was working at the time of my illnesses. he filled my prescriptions and brought them home to me . what service! i know that some people can not handle the pressure and challenges that come along with a close family member having cancer . he was, and still is, there for me every single day. i can not thank you enough, sweetie.
2) my children. they are grown with families of their own, but they will always be my children. my daughter, shelley , lives fairly far away, but she still calls every day to check on how i am doing. after my thyroid cancer diagnosis, she compiled a mixed CD for me. " songs to get better by", you might say. it contained songs like " i will survive", " i won't back down", " touch of grey", just to mention a few. also, she is a teacher, and her students all made handmade get well cards for me. that touched my heart as well as my tear ducts. i still have all of the cards, and always will.
my son, dylan , and his family, live close by. on several occasions, he drove over to check on me- especially when i was having trouble after chemotherapy and jeff was working late. he has a young family of his own, but he would always make some time for me. his daughter was born a month after i finished chemotherapy, which was such a gift to me. his son, who was in daycare at the time i was having chemotherapy, and his fellow friends in daycare made cards as well. the children, thanks to juju and paw paw, called me one day to sing " you are my sunshine" as well as other sweet songs. my tear ducts got quite a workout that day as well.
3) my endocrinologist, Dr. Shawnee Weir, of raleigh endocrine associates in raleigh, north carolina. she has been my doctor for years. previously, i had such a difficult time getting someone to realize that i had a thyroid disorder and actually try to help me! my blood work looked normal, but i certainly did not feel normal. she believed me when i told her how badly i felt. she is a physician who goes by how the patient is feeling and not just by the blood work. it was a hallelujah moment when i found her~ she actually did my biopsy and diagnosed my thyroid cancer. i still see her every six months of course, for follow up blood work and testing. i credit her with saving my life- seriously.
4) Dr. Kenneth Parish , my general surgeon, and Dr.Steven Siciliano, my plastic surgeon. both of these doctors practice in Hickory, N.C. and are another "2fer" you might say. they like to work together. some people wonder why i did not go to a bigger hospital in a larger city for my bilateral mastectomies and reconstruction. honestly, i do not think that i could have had better doctors for this, and it was fortunate that they are close to where i live. that made it easier for me as well as my family. Dr. Parish has officially released me, but i still see Dr. Siciliano.( my husband says it is because of my white chocolate chip and macadamia cookies that i bring to him when i have a check up). i was on a six month schedule, but i have graduated to yearly check ups now.
5) Dr. Richard Orlowski, an oncologist and hematologist, who works with Carolina Oncology, in Hickory, N.C. again, i do not think that i could have had a better oncologist- even in a larger medical center. he listened to my concerns, discussed chemotherapy treatments before i had them, and did his best to prescribe anti-emetic drugs for me - even though nothing controlled the nausea and vomiting that i had. i still see him every six months for blood work and check ups. he has prescribed the drug called anastrozole - a type of chemotherapy that helps prevent breast cancer recurrence. i have every confidence in his treatment choices for me.
6) Dr. Chandra Baker, radiologist, practicing in Hickory, N.C. i think of this doctor as my angel doctor. she also saved my life, this time from the breast cancer. i had had two different radiologists look at my x-rays and remark that there was an area that looked " suspicious". that was as far as they went- they were not worried about it, i guessed, so i should not worry, right? WRONG. Dr. Baker took one look at the x-ray, on the day that i was supposed to be having a lumpectomy, and said, " that area looks suspicious! with your permission, i would like to cancel your lumpectomy today "( the OR was calling, multiple times, to try to get me up there- the medical support staff as well as the surgeon were past ready for me). she wanted to do a stereotactic core biopsy. her exact words were : " i treat my patients like family and i have to be able to sleep at night". i had just met this doctor. she usually practiced at the other hospital in town. she was filling in for someone that day at the hospital where i was to have my surgery. long story short- i trusted her, she did the stereotactic biopsy, and found another area of cancer that would not have been removed with the lumpectomy. this doctor is my hero, and i think of her often. we need more doctors like her.
7) george gershwin, composer extraordinaire. bear with me- it gets a little weird here. during my chemotherapy, there were nights when my husband had to work late and i was by myself. as i mentioned, i had the absolute worst nausea and vomiting and none of the drugs ( and my doctor tried every one available) helped. what did help to some degree, was to listen to gershwin's "rhapsody in blue" as well as some of his other works. i would lie on the bed, try to remain calm, and let myself ride along with the music when the waves of nausea hit. i know that he certainly did not write this beautiful music for me, but i love his music for the comfort and calm that it brought to me.
8) beth stout- sister and friend. my sister helped me out as much as she could. when i was going through chemotherapy and my husband had to work, she would come and sit with me. she carried on the traditions of our dad, which was the power of a good cold wash cloth. as i pretty much just laid there on the bed, trying not to be sick, she kept up her end of the conversation, and then some! i really appreciate all of her care, love and concern for me during this time. i owe her a debt that can not be repaid.
9) numerous friends- too many to name, but i will mention a few. amy- my breast cancer buddy, karon- another breast cancer buddy, and becky- a thyroid cancer buddy. no one, not even family members, understand how it is to have cancer or" get it", like another cancer patient. these ladies were and still are supportive and loving friends of mine.
10) last, but not least, is mary shomon, author and patient advocate. we have not always shared the exact same opinions on thyroid treatment issues, but mary was so kind to mention my blog on her website. from that moment on, i was connected with other thyroid cancer patients. i live out in the " boonies" and support groups in my area are pretty non-existent. having people read, what started out, as a thyroid cancer blog, share stories and offer support was very important to me. i have tried my best to help others- to pay it forward, you might say.
well, those are " my people" who have helped me survive and thrive during my adventures with thyroid and breast cancer. in my opinion, it is a good idea for others to make a list like this, i think. for me, i knew the names of the people in my life who had helped and continue to help me, in countless ways. but actually writing their names down reminded me that i have had and continue to have great support. i am not alone on my journey, and for that, i am grateful.
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