When I had thyroid cancer I came to my blog to share for many reasons. When I first felt that lump on my throat and the doctors visits and testing began, I went straight to the internet to start researching. I am the type that wants to find out all that I can so that I can be informed about my condition and what to expect. I approach the internet carefully however, as I know that everyone experiences things differently, doctors vary widely on their approach to care as well, and most of all- just because it's on the internet does not mean it is true! Even though both of my parents were physicians, I still know that I cannot put ALL of my eggs in the doctor's basket. I know that I need to be armed with knowledge, have questions ready if I am unsure about things, and know that things are ever-evolving with medical care and treatment. I also am very much a Group gal. When I was pregnant with my kids, blogs and message boards were popular as social media was just beginning. I was big on Baby Center back then and joined the birth groups made up of moms who were having babies at the same time. As a first time mom it was nice to have "friends" who were going through the same things and some true friendships developed from that! When I found out about my thyroid cancer I took to the internet and just didn't find all that I was hoping to find. I wanted to know about the experiences of others who had been through it. I would find some things, but I wanted more. So, I decided to document my journey in the hopes that when others were like me and looking for information on certain things they would find my experience and be able to know what they might expect. Typing out my experiences and fears also was therapeutic for me. It allowed me to share and "get it out". Experiences such as that are overwhelming and so much happens between appointments, testing, procedures, surgery, treatment, etc. When you are in the thick of it, it seems like time is standing still and you will never get to the other side, but when it's over, it quickly becomes a distant memory. It is nice to have it documented for me to look back on and see how things got better. I have had people message me or email me over the years and thank me or tell me how my posts helped them. This is why I blog. Brooke has started doing this as well, but in the form of making videos and sharing them on TikTok. I love me some TikTok, but I am not a video poster. So, back to the blog we go! This time, to share our long and complicated medical journey of my amazing Brooke.
