Catch up

I am so behind on my listserv emails - 250+ unread messages! I like to read all of them, whether or not they apply to me, so I know what problems or issues other ThyCans are having. What annoys me are the members who don't edit or punctuate their emails. Just because you have thyroid cancer doesn't mean you don't have to review or edit your emails for grammar or spelling. Argh!

Someone finally asked the group about taking time off between surgery and RAI. I had to add my two cents for that one. I was very fortunate that my boss allowed me to take as much time off as I needed, and that my company has a very good short term disability package. Then equally fortunate that my ENDO wrote me out for four months for recovery from both of my surgeries, going hypo in preparation for RAI, isolation after RAI, and time to adjust to my meds (I was exhausted every day!). Throw in that CT scan two weeks before I went back to work. I really do not think I would have been able to get any work done even if I tried. I know for me, without those four months to absorb and accept the 'it was positive for hurthle cell carcinoma' and the 'they found papillary cancer on the other side' diagnosis, I would have had many melt down moments at work. I would have spent a lot of time with my buddies Google and Bing trying to learn more about my two flavors of ThyCa, necessary treatment, prognosis, recurrence.....no work would be completed. And then all my co-workers wanting to know what was going on, how do I feel,......still no work getting done. I totally needed that time off. I seriously don't know how anyone could go back to work three days after surgery - the incision area was all puffy, my neck/back were sore, the scar was just begging to be noticed, you are adjusting to Cytomel......

I know, everyone is different, because there are people out there who have gone right back to work. Good for them. But don't post on the listserv months later because you are at your wits end because you didn't take the time to address that fact that "Yes", you have cancer, and "No", no one around you has any idea what you are going through or how to help you. You still need to take care of yourself, and trying to be a tough guy/gal by going back to work right away, in my book, isn't the way to go. But allow me to laugh at you when you post months later that you are having personal or mental issues. Double 'Argh!'