It's Not A Too-Mah!

In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop: "It's not a tumor!"

Oh, wait...actually...it was.

During the summer of 2008 I started getting what I thought was laryngitis. I was working as a Unit Leader for a horseback riding program at a Girl Scout camp in Virginia and figured losing my voice was just a part of the job description. We did a lot of singing, shouting, and talking, so I wasn't surprised when the camp nurse sent me to urgent care to get my laryngitis checked out. The doctor prescribed vocal rest and the typical laryngitis treatment of hot tea, etc. I went back to camp with a dry erase board and had so much fun with my campers trying to figure out what I was saying without me talking, but after a week, I was getting worse, not better. I couldn't really speak at all, swallowing started to get a little painful, and even breathing seemed a bit difficult. 

We had a different camp nurse the following week, she looked at my throat, and then felt my neck...she made an odd face and then leaned into me, "You're from this area right? You live nearby?" I nodded. "Look, I can't tell you anything, but you need to go see your regular doctor and you need to see her soon. Go today if you can. I'll let the director know." I was confused and a little frightened as I managed to squeak out my need for an appointment with my doctor's office.  I used to work for my doctor, so she volunteered to stay late just to see me. 

My doctor, as always, was amazing, but what she found, was not so amazing. Before returning to camp that evening I had blood drawn and several different types of scans done. The next day, while watching my campers groom their horses, my doctor called me on my cell phone. "All your labs and scans are back, I've got to tell you, with your family history and these results, I'm confident you've got thyroid cancer." I sank to the ground, surrounded by the giggles of pre-teen girls, the smell of fresh hay, and a dark shadow of fear and anxiety. My doctor continued, she explained that she had gone ahead and set up appointments with the Surgeon and Oncologist in her office whom I knew from working for her in the past. She also had referred me to an Ear, Nose, and Throat  doctor because there was some concern that the tumor was putting pressure on the nerves in my throat. They all needed to see me right away.

Over the course of the next 24 hours I saw 4 doctors, 2 radiologists, and dozens of nurses. I told my immediate family and my closest friends. I completed the paperwork for having a right lobe thyroidectomy including the removal of a 3cm by 4cm mass, biopsy of the left lobe of the thyroid, and biopsy of the nearby lymph nodes. The surgery would also remove the half dozen polyps which had developed on my vocal folds because of the increasing pressure of the cancerous tumor. Finally, I ended my position at camp 3 weeks before the end of my contract. Just 4 days after being diagnosed, I was getting surgery. 

I was most worried about the cancer having spread outside the tumor and the right lobe of my thyroid. Anything beyond that meant more surgery plus chemotherapy and radiation. It also meant that my planned semester abroad in Mexico for graduate school would not happen. When I woke up in the recovery room I wanted to know if the biopsy results had shown cancer had spread and if I would need treatment. My sister, Vickie, was by my side as I woke up and whispered, "Cancer?" (meaning, Did it spread? Will I need more treatment?). Firmly, with a smile and a few tears, she responded, "No." I breathed a deep sigh of relief and focused on recovery. 

A month later, with follow up visits, tests, scans, and exams completed, I was released to leave for my semester in Mexico, cancer free. 

In the fall of 2013 I celebrated being 5 years cancer free and that's when I started running. 

Laura, my best friend, running buddy, and blogging sister, says that I inspire her because whenever I commit myself to something, I make it happen. It's not always easy, it's not always fun, but it gets done.

I've committed myself to living the life of a cancer survivor. To live, to love, and to run. It's not always easy and it's not always fun, but the running gets done.

Next month, Laura and I will be in Florida, running the Glass Slipper Challenge at Walt Disney World in Orlando. My goal is to finish with my best friend by my side, my husband waiting for me, and with complete acceptance that I am finishing that race as a RUNNER AND A SURVIVOR.