DEAR THYROID^TM

How does it make you feel to know that by many autoimmune and adjunct organizations, we aren’t considered an invisible illness? Do you feel that it serves to exacerbate misconceptions already in place? Do you feel that it’s not that big of a deal? Do you think that if we do something to change it; we might actually have success? Do you feel so trapped inside your own mind and body that you simply don’t give a shit? Which, by the way, I understand—our diseases turn us inside out and beat us over the head with their presence ALL. THE. TIME.

To say that it isn’t exhausting would be an utter lie. I won’t do that.

The question is, my darlings, despite our collective issues, what are we willing to commit to?

For example, Dear Thyroid endeavors to become a non-profit and achieve many goals:

1. Financial assistance for patients that can’t afford treatment and/or medications
2. Accountability from doctors
3. Education for doctors about thyroid disease and thyroid cancer
4. Fundraisers for research specifically for thyroid conditions, thyroid autoimmune diseases and thyroid cancers
5. Offline support groups throughout the world for patients and families
6. To find out more, check out our ABOUT page

Circling back to invisible illness, we want and need to make the lists – that’s a start. My hope is that if we all write acrostic poems using a new word a week, and ask 5 of our friends to get involved, we will amass so much material about OUR DISEASE IN OUR WORDS. In fact, that is the essence of the Dear Thyroid brand. We write love and hate letters to our thyroids – equally important to make that list, so keep those letters coming. Once we have more, more, more, we want to circulate a petition. The more people we can get involved, the better our chances of getting that petition approved. WE WANT THOUSANDS, HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS RALLYING FOR THIS ENDEAVOR.

WE ARE NOT INVISIBLE.

When I realized that we were, to so many organizations, I just shook my head in disbelief. I couldn’t believe that we had been left off so many lists; lists that we belong on. To be marginalized by our, for lack of a better word, peers; well it’s unacceptable, isn’t it?

This week’s word for Acrostic Poetry is SICK — Please send submissions and we will be posting throughout the week. On Monday, we’ll announce a new word. Send Dear Thyroid™ Letters.

Love,

Katie

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Cancer, Took My Dignity, And So Much More; But I Can Not Let You Win This War — The individual who wrote this Dear Thyroid Letter is expressing harrowing grief, anger and inspiration. How does s/he do it? You’ll have to read it to find out.

Excerpt: Cancer came and took friends. And, when it did not manage to rip my life from my hand, it took my dignity and my pride, and my self-respect. It left for a few months and then it came back with a vengeance. This time it commanded my life and my soul…

Comment of the day…

Jen says:

1st… RIP Rich Conin…….

2nd….Powerful words!!!

Bringing Sexy Out of the Thyloset: Kelly Rigg “Today, Dear Thyroid is heading over to Kelly Rigg’s blog, stupid thyroid cancer. Kelly was diagnosed with follicular thyroid cancer in 2007. After surgery to remove her thyroid, Kelly was left not only hypothyroid, but also hypoparathyroid.”  Check out Kelly’s fantastic post and blog. She’s got a lot to say, like so many of us do. Each of our stories is unique and powerful, and must be shared.

Acrostic Poetry, Word: SICK — Kicking off this week’s acrostic poem using the word: SICK, with great precision and a delicate touch, Debbie treated us to the irrevocable damage our diseases gift us.

Comment of the day…

Amanda says:

Wow! This is great Debbie! Really really great. I think it says exactly what is on everyone’s mind here.

Amanda

Tags: Comment of the Day, community building, Dear Thyroid, graves disease support, hashimoto's disease support, Health Community, health support community, hyperthyroid support, hypothyroid support, literary community, literary support, thyroid cancer support, thyroid community, thyroid literary community, thyroid support community

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