Achievement: College

I started going to college this summer after not being in school for nine years and it would be at the end of that semester that I started having breathing issues.  It would be on the first day of my second semester that I had the biopsy of the main nodule on my thyroid.  I would be my fourth week of classes to find out I have cancer and my 6th week to get the gland removed.  I would become behind in two of my three classes and have to play catch up with them.  I struggled staying awake and having the energy to do my classwork, but I never gave up even though I felt like my world was falling apart.  I was determined to not allow my cancer to take my future away from me... my dreams and my passion.  I held on tight to those with both hands as I dealt with my cancer and as I continue to deal with it and the aftermath.  I was able to pass my classes while dealing with all of that, the physical, and emotional pains.

I checked my school email account yesterday to see if I got my semester GPA, my overall GPA, and my academic standing... and I was shocked to what I found.  I got on the Dean's List and mind you, I've never been on the honor roll when I was in school, but to get this while dealing with cancer... it just... wow.  To me, this has taught me that even though you are ill, you can still achieve things, great things, and don't let someone tell you otherwise.

My next goal is to get on the Dean's List again next semester!

Thanksgiving

Today is the first Thanksgiving without my thyroid and still getting adjusted to my medicine increase that started on Tuesday (going from 125 to 175mg), which has been taking a toll on my emotional state.  I spent about a half hour crying in the bedroom due to how the medicine makes me feel.  I also snapped at Justin (my boyfriend) over the stupidest thing ever...  but anyways.  We made three different kinds of chicken that were all so yummy:  Garlic Cornflakes Chicken, Funyun Chicken, and Captain Crunch Chicken.  We were about to make a french toast cinnamon roll dish thing, but turns out we don't have cinnamon, so going to run to the store.

I have much to be thankful this year and I don't think words are enough to thank the people in my life.  I am thankful for my parents, my boyfriend, and his parents for coming to the hospital when I was having my surgery.  Also thankful for my parents for coming up to where I live and spending a week with me, especially my dad who was supposed to leave Wednesday, but stayed an extra day (my surgery was moved back a day).  I am thankful for my friends to let me talk and rant to them about the things I was and still am going through.  Thankful to have siblings that truly do care about me.  Thankful to be part of a great family.

Much thanks to the ones that have donated to me, so I can pay for some of my medicals bills and also to the others that shared my link for the donation page.  It has helped me greatly.

I'm thankful for facebook support groups like Thyroid Cancer Awareness, Support Thyroid Cancer, and Thyroid Disease Awareness.  These pages are full of great people that help each other understand what's going on with others, answer questions, and provide great information.  I highly recommend them to anyone that is having thyroid issues.

I can't stop thanking Justin, the love of my life, for being there for me and never leaving my side throughout all of this.  Some people wouldn't want to deal with something like this for long and would just leave, especially when the medicine makes you seem impossible to deal with.

Anyone that's in my life, thank you for staying in it.  It might not seem much to you, but it means a great deal to me.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I love you all dearly!