Support of Friends and Family

It is a great feeling to know that I have a great group of family and friends to rely on. Probably the hardest part for me was telling my friends and family that I had cancer. I found myself being the one to tell them that I was going to be fine and that it is not that serious. I didn't want to make them feel uncomfortable by using the "C" word. People have certain visions when they hear the word cancer and are afraid for you. They think of lung cancer, leukemia, radiation, chemo, etc. and may not realize right away the differences between certain cancers. Once the initial shock was over, I told them that what I have is very slow moving, very treatable, and everything should be OK. Everyone was very concerned when I spoke with them and offered me any help that I needed. My parents, friends and family during this entire process have been checking in on me to see how I am doing, if I need anything, calling to say hi, etc. It is a great feeling to know that all of these people care about you. It’s been a great help being able to talk with my aunt who went through the same experience as me (she also had papillary carcinoma and had the same surgery and treatment), in addition to one of my Flyers friends who is an endocrinologist with an interest in thyroids.