DEAR THYROID^TM

For better or worse, we are a family. Though we have not joined this family by choice (the jacked thyroid club); and though it was born out of frustration, we have found camaraderie. Thyroid cancer, thyroid autoimmune disease and thyroid conditions, among other things, have forever bound us to a each other. When a family member speaks up, as this one has today: “I remember not having to take a pill everyday,being able to lose weight, always had energy, felt like I could take on the world“, we need to celebrate the courage it took to write these words. We need to remind her that she isn’t alone, and that we have felt or are feeling this way, too.

We connect on Facebook and Twitter, to be sure. We have an equally vibrant community on  DearThyroid.org. If we want to invoke change as a family and share our stories in our words; this is our sanctuary to do just that. Think about this: Each one of us shapes the voice of this brand. That is remarkable, magnificent, and awesome. And, it’s inspiring.

You inspire me. I hope that you inspire each other just as much. Because of you, I get out of bed every day. Because of you, I am determined to fight for better thyroid patient care. Because of you, I am unyielding in my conviction to spread awareness at every turn.

Thank you for this gift.

Love,

Katie

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Pets, Thyroid, Haikus, And… Ya Know, Mike always writes delicious THYKUS (haikus) and today’s thyliciousku was no different. Here is an excerpt:

“OK, I’ll walk you

Even though I feel like crap

Feel like I could die”

Please check out the rest and send love in comments.

Today’s comment of the day…

HDinOregon says:

Great as always! Thanks, Mike

Acrostic Poetry Using the Word: ENOUGH, Written by HD – Once again, HD treated us to the audacity of this disease via a poem. Please, please, please check it out and let HD know how you feel about his ENOUGH.

Comment of the day…

Amanda says:

HD!

Excellent poem! Love the double use of ENOUGH!

Amanda

Life Redefined: Feeling is Healing; masterfully, Joanna has written a stellar article for this week’s Life Redefined. If you haven’t read it, please, I am begging you to do so. YOU WILL LOVE THIS POST SO MUCH. Whether you are a thyroid cancer patient/survivor or a patient with thyroid disease; all of us can relate – amazing.

Excerpt “I have cancer. Nothing about that exactly screams festive and therefore I don’t wear my party hat all the time. For me to actually live my life, I find facing reality head-on to be more cathartic. Right after I was diagnosed with cancer, I didn’t want to be surrounded with choruses of “Cheer Up, Charlie.” I wanted to CRY and I wanted friends and family to cry with me.”

Comment of the day…

Alexa says:

Joanna,

This is so well written, and I’m right there with you–every word. After cancer I became more sensitive and more able to express myself, whether through crying or another heavy emotion like.. happiness. Things effect me differently now, and I feel like we have gained a new set of eyes on the world. I’d like to quote a passage from Elizabeth Edwards’ book Resilience that I read days after my surgery last year:

“Today made no sense at all; I had no frame of reference. How would I ever make sense of tomorrow? The world collapses, and nothing we can do makes any difference whatever. Why did we do everything right? Why did we learn? Here, now, when we need the reward and when we need the ability to move an admittedly large mountain, we discover we are totally impotent and totally without grace. We are spread on the floor unable to stand. Resilience seemed like a ludicrous world only uttered by those who had never felt so at sea.”

WOW. Some days I feel like this, sometimes I get mad at people who tell me everything is going to be fine and work out. No, we don’t know. I wish I could know that my cancer would never come back, but it could. It could strike again; or something else to me or someone I love. All of us survivors and those with chronic illness have to live with this.

Most days I am happy, but some days I cry. I feel things more than I used to and I can understand the world better. It sounds like you are very at peace with yourself, this is something that can be hard to attain at times.

Love you,

Alexa : ) xxxxx

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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