DEAR THYROID^TM

It’s the age-old question:  how do you keep your disease from defining you?

The answer is you don’t.  Like it or not, having a chronic condition (disease and/or cancer) completely changes who you are, how you interpret things, and your outlook on the world.  The only control you have is whether or not you let it change you for the better.

I’ve written about this before, and will continue to do so.  There were plenty of people in my life who told me that cancer changed me for the worse.  Notice, I said, “were”.  I finally reached my breaking point and removed all of those people in my life who were holding me back and telling me what I bad person I’ve become since cancer entered the scene.

On my own blog, I’ve written about how I can view my cancer diagnosis as a gift.  It is such a strange concept that it boggles my own imagination, but yet it’s true.  And here’s why:

I don’t take things lying down, that’s a given.  So when I was faced with cancer, I dived in head first into research, outreach, and advocacy.   I reached out to this amazing organization, ThyCa, for anything I could find.  The supportive response I received was overwhelming and ThyCa quickly became my world.

Last year, I attended ThyCa’s 12^th Annual International Conference and I received the surprise of a lifetime – bigger than being told, “You have Cancer.”  I met all of these AMAZING people while learning new information on Thyroid Cancer.  Within three days I had made an entirely new family for myself – “thyamily” if you will.  My life changed so much during that conference and those relationships I established continue to grow every day, changing me with every exchange.

Next month, ThyCa’s 13^th Annual International Conference is being held in Dallas, Texas from October 15^th – 17^th.  In all honesty, I can’t afford to go, but I will still find a way to make it there, even if it means hitchhiking – that’s how much this organization, this conference – these PEOPLE – mean to me.  I miss my family.

So, I would strongly encourage (to the point of hiring a Brut Squad) all our Thyroid Cancer Thyrellas and Thyfellas out here in Dear Thyroid Land to attend this life changing conference.  Trust me, you won’t regret it.

To find out more information, please visit: http://www.thyca.org/conferences.htm

Tags: ThyCa conference, thyroid cancer action, thyroid cancer awareness, thyroid cancer conference Dallas Texas, Thyroid cancer conferences, thyroid cancer news and updates, thyroid cancer support, written by Chris Prestano thyroid cancer patient

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