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Catie’s Fight Like A Girl Story (Thyroid Cancer)

Catie's Story (Tumors) I remember being a little girl and having the feeling that something just wasn’t right. I would ball up and cry to myself through the years. I’d make the comment about how I thought I had cancer or something like that. Guess it probably did sound a bit dramatic coming from a small child. When I was about 22 or so I noticed a nice size lump visible from under the skin on my neck. I went to the doctor on and off trying to get it diagnosed but, not having insurance, I was constantly looked over. I even had my obgyn take a look at it when I later found out I was pregnant with my 3rd child. She said it wasn’t anything to worry about.

In Feb of 2010, I just about fell out at Walmart with one of my close friends. She insisted I go to the emergency room and at least try to get looked at again. Finally someone listened to me 🙂 I was admitted for 5 days and all kinds of tests were done to find out exactly what was going on.

2 days after being released I got the call that it was cancer. Within the next few months I got on insurance through my state and had two surgeries to remove my thyroid and over 25 lymph nodes and tumors. After the first surgery I was left without any voice because the largest tumor had attached to my vocal chords, and when they removed it, it had damaged my vocal chords. Thank God that after 4 months it came back just about as normal as before. God sure is amazing!!

I later found out it had spread to my chest and all throughout my neck and that I was in need of another surgery before they could start my treatment. But then my insurance went out and I have been left at a stand still for the last two years. I finally got back on synthroid a couple months ago which is such a huge blessing.

I have heard many times ‘Oh, you don’t deserve this!’ ‘It isnt fair!’ and many other comments. I think God allowed me to go through this journey because He knows I am strong enough to handle this and I still find reasons to smile. I know God looks out for me and my beautiful children who only have me (and my boyfriend) to look out for them. God knew I was stubborn enough to keep fighting, even through times when all I want to do is give up. I feel so left out and so sad sometimes due to the things this cancer has done or caused, but life goes on. Sometimes I don’t understand why others get all the love and support and get treatment but I don’t. Don’t get me wrong, I always, always pray for others and wish the best for others. Sometimes it just makes me wish I was ‘important’ enough, too. That’s when I remind myself how strong I am and that things happen as they are meant to and this journey isn’t over yet. I refuse to let the cancer win! I will keep fighting! I will keep appreciating what God blesses me with and sometimes what He blesses me without 🙂

The scars on my neck are a perfect memory to remind me just how strong I am and to keep me motivated…to remind me I am worth it and I will continue to fight until I succeed. God is good!!!

Catie
Texas
Submitted 5-2-2012

The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

This article is intended to convey general educational information and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.

7 comments

  1. Casie

    I am so praying for you each and every day~~~ I have gone thru breast cancer and beat it!! You will win this war too!!

    • Bridget

      You are an immense inspiration. You and your family are in my thoughts, God IS good, He knows what He’s doing and why. This is a journey and a fight worth fighting. I have faith you will win.

  2. Phyllis Short

    I do understand exactly how Catie feels. I to have Thyroid Cancer (medullary) I had surgery and they took both lobes of my thyroid and all of the lymph modes they could get. My vocal cord was paralyzed also. There were 3 tumors left on the left side of my neck and one on the right side, small lesions on my lung and liver. They have been watching it for 8 and a half years now and it has been what they call stable. My tumor markers are high my CEA is now 40.2 and my Calcitonin is 1356 ml as of March this year 2013 I had another CT scan and nothing has changed in size since 2009. This all began in 2004. However in Nov. of 2010 I was diagnosed with stage 1 HER2 NEU Breast Cancer. I did 6 rounds of heavy duty chemo, 19 (new technique) rounds of radiation, a full year of Herceptin every 3 weeks and take aromisin a pill to block what estrogen I have left because the breast cancer was aggressive and estrogen fed. I was devasted as my family was too. The good thing that came out of all of this is It brought me to God. My surgeon when we found out what kind of thyroid cancer it was, his words to me were that as long as there is breath there is hope and so I thought about that and it came to me my hope comes from The Lord, I feel bad that it took something like this for me to look up to Him but it did and it has been the best thing that has happened to me. I am happier than I have ever been, I was anointed and I chose to give it to God and trust Him with it. He has bigger shoulders than I do. I prayed do Him to give me my voice back and He did shortly after my surgery. I just got up one morning and I could talk. I think it was about 3 or 4 weeks after my surgery. I now sing for The Lord with 3 other people, something I did not do before my thyroid cancer. When I got the breast cancer My preacher and I prayed to God that I not get sick during the chemo and I did not have one sick day. They did not want me to lose weight and I didn’t in fact I gained 15 pounds. I did lose that tho after my treatments. So here I am 2 and a half years since finding out about my breast cancer and I am doing great. I chose to give it all to God and not worry about it. He is my positive. I chose to be happy and not worry about things. I am so blessed and our Gid is an awesome loving , healing and our great physician. Going through this has made me a stronger person because of my relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Lord and Savious Jesus Christ. Without Him I am nothing and I can do nothing, but with God All things are possible. My scripture that gets me through is Phillippians 4:13 I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. Praise The Lord my soul is soaring with joy because of Him, a wonderful husband and my loving daughters. I choose to be happy, I choose to smile, laugh, sing and enjoy this wonderful life that has been given to me. Well that is my story and there are things I left out or this would go on for a long time. Lol. I just hope my story like Catie’s can encourage someone else. Thank you, Phyllis Short.

  3. Judy

    Your story sounds a lot like mine. I have been dealing with thyroid cancer myself. We are strong women. I know how hard it can be.My cancer has been spreading. We just have to remember who is in control. I wish you the best in everything.

  4. Christine

    My daughter has just been told she has gravies disease they had her on medicine and she then felt a little better but then they decided to give her the dose pill of the radioactive iodine it’s been a bout a month they just did her load work and are finding her levels low and want to see her right away can any one help me I’m trying to understand does this mean she has thyroid cancer and was it bad for her to talk the radioactive pill will that hurt her later in life and what will the doctor want to do now that the pill isn’t working should she take another dose of the radioactive pill or is that bad please help me understand she’s my only child and I’m so not educated about this gravies please someone response to this post.

  5. Karen

    This is what I used after I had been diagnosed with melanoma cancer in 1995.DR dug it out at his office and when confirmed sent my to UK Hospital in Lexington, KY. UK did exploratory surgery on my right calf of my leg. They found no more cancer at that time but told me it could return any time and any place…and it has; but I took care of it myself. While living in KY, friends told me about this black cancer salve that they had used. I AM NOT TRYING TO SELL ANYTHING…YOU ALL CAN FIND LOTS OF FOLKS WHO DO THAT ON THE INTERNET. This salve is supposed to be something the Indians have used for over 200 yrs now. It comes in a cold cream size jar. You put it on a bandaid where you hurt or suspect cancer or infection. You leave that on for one 24 hour period and then you clean the spot off with peroxide and start with the yellow salve until the tumor or infection comes out. Infection is always involved with any type of cancer. Last time I bought this stuff was in 2000 and the black salve and the yellow salve (which comes in a pint size jar) only costs $55.00. I am still using it. It won’t draw anything out if there isn’t either cancer, toxins, or infection. NO CUTTING, NO SURGERY, NO BLEEDING! The yellow salve makes a barrier between your skin and the tumor etc; and in all these yrs. I have only seen one spot of blood. (which stopped bleeding on it’s own) You don’t have to take chemo or radiation. YOU will feel pain while it is coming out; but you can take pain meds…it just slows the process down. I’ve never had to wait longer than 2 weeks for the salves to draw it out. You may have a sick feeling…like the flu or a little nausea. YOU cannot use the salve if you have had chemo or radiation treatment within the last 3 months; otherwise you are good to go. I bought my salves through a herbal doctor who had been in business for years. Make sure you are dealing with reputable people. One of the best herbal DR’s in the US who practices in Florida told my sister this was the best cancer salve in the known world. I have pics on my yahoo site of my breast cancer which the salve removed…if anyone is serious about wanting to try this I might send them to you. There is no nipple viewing involved; it was on the side of my breast. I have removed tumors from my abdomen a number of times, my side. A friend used some of my salve for large black moles she has on her neck to remove cancer the DR’s at St. Joseph’s in Lexington, KY told her that she had. After 5 days the cancer came out and I told her to go back to the hospital and have them look to see if the cancer was still there…..they found nothing; but told her there was no salve or medicine that could remove cancer and suggested maybe something was wrong with one of their machines on the first time they did their test. She knew better. She felt the salve pulling it out and saw the stuff coming out of her neck! LET ME TELL YOU….CANCER IS A BIG MONEY MAKING SCHEME IN THIS COUNTRY. IT MAKES A LIVING FOR RESEARCHERS, DOCTORS, HOSPITALS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, LAWYERS, FUNERAL HOMES, FLOWER SHOPS, GRAVE YARDS AND GRAVE DIGGERS, ETC. THERE ARE CURES….BUT THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO FIND THEM BECAUSE IT IS MORE PROFITABLE TO LET PEOPLE GET SICK AND DIE THEN TO HELP THEM GET WELL!! In other countries cancers are not as common. There are other things you can take to help yourself. The juice of one lemon a day…will keep your lymphnodes flushed to help prevent and stop the spreading of disease. (this infor came from the herbal DR) I use the pint jar bottle of pure lemon juice you can buy at Save-a-Lot or Aldi’s..very cheaply. Also, I take Alpha Lipoic Acid (which I buy at Walgreen’s,or Walmart’s) that replaces your body cells faster so you have more good cells to fight off the cancer and infections. WE ALL NEED TO BE AWARE OF AND TRY TO USE THE HERBS OUR GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT GRANDPARENTS KNEW ABOUT TO KEEP THEMSELVES WELL. HONEY is nature’s antibiotic and used with apple cider vinegar is great for clearing veins and arteries or plaque, helps with bone spurs, arthritis, etc. If mixed half and half and kept in a jar….use 2 tblsps in a cup of hot water and drink it 2 or 3 times a day. Also helps with colds etc. HOPE SOME OF THIS INFORMATION WILL HELP SOMEONE OUT THERE BECAUSE I TELL YOU TRULY….IT’S THE ONLY REASON I WROTE IT. Of course, we all know as the Bible says…there is a sickness unto death…and nothing can stop that. Best wishes and God bles.

    • L cowart

      Could you send me the information about this product and how I can get it?

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