My story of learning about my thyroid cancer, my prognosis, my treatment, my search for the best care, the fear of death, the effect on my family, and the changes in my perception and outlook on life.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
120 MPH. So what? Give me a ticket officer--I dare you! I am radioactive. Now back off!
I found out I had Hurthle Cell cancer on December 20, 2007, on my father's 70th birthday. This cancer can have a mortality rate in the 50-65% rate within 5 years, with a median life expectancy of 38 months. I am in the high risk group, but after almost three years, I am optimistic that I will live a long life.
If anyone asked "who would you like to meet in your life", my answer would be Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. Well, I did meet him and did not know it was him. He met me in Dayton Ohio, at the National Air Force Museum. I realized after-the-fact that this nice elderly man who answered a question I had, was Neil Armstrong. (I thought he looked familiar and then I saw his name on a list of guests attending the 100th anniversary of flight even starting in a few hours. I spent the rest of the day trying to find him to apologize for not recognizing him. My big blunder.