Friday, June 15, 2007

Silly Me, Thyroid Cancer Is Nothing

If you read my last post you will know that I'm not to fond of Ms. *edited so she'll shut up* (she also runs *edited so she'll shut up* in case anyone thinks I didn't know). We have different opinions on the HPV vaccine which I don't have a problem with. Belitting those of us who have decided it's not for our daughters is another thing. Even in the comments section on her blog she seems to think I'm stupid and do not realize that she's still telling us that there will come a day when we will have to come up with "pathetic lame excuses" to give our daughters about why they didn't get the vax. I may not be the most articulate writer when it comes to my blog but I am definately not stupid and very good at reading between the lines.

To the point though. In the comments on her post she took it upon herself to basically inform me that thyroid cancer is pretty much no big deal. I mean, after all we have a 96% survival rate. ALL of us. Can you believe that? Why we're second only to prostate cancer so no more bitching from you guys with prostate cancer! It's not as important as cervical cancer don't ya know.

*insert HUGE fucking eyeroll here*

I'll just do a clip for you from her. Feel free to read the entire comment at her site.

"And NO thyroid cancer and cervical cancer are two very different cancers and one is not as invasive as the other. There is a big difference between a cancer that is genetic and one that is sexually transmitted. Survival rate of thyroid cancer is 96%. The second highest survival rate only behind prostate cancer. The overall (all stages combined) survival rate for cervical cancer is about 72%"

So see, thyroid cancer is nothing compared to cervical cancer! Yeah, well I'll print my comment in it's entirety.

"The only thing I will comment on is the fact that the survival rate for thyroid cancer is broken down by stages so NO it’s not just a 96% survival rate just like survival rate for cervical cancer is NOT just 72%. MY survival rate is 16% right now thank you very much (inserting to say I should have said statistically). I’d much rather have cervical cancer because at least then I’d be able to fight it. I’d have a chance at remission. I’d have some control even if I ended up losing the fight at least it wouldn’t be while spending my life wondering where they are going to cut me next.

I have metastatic MEDULLARY thyroid cancer. Do your research. I don’t get the option of chemo or radiation. Instead I get to be cut open like a Thanksgiving turkey anytime a tumor shows up. Do I get to live for awhile? We don’t know. If it doesn’t go to my bones then I could live a good 20 years or so. If it hits my bones I’ll have about 4 years.

Thank you for trying to diminish the threat to myself and other thyroid cancer survivors though. That is GREATLY appreciated. I’ll make sure I tell my friend at Thyca that it’s no big deal because we have a 96% survival rate and are beating the crap out of cervical cancer.

Metastatic cervical cancer IS preventable with awareness and being active in your own healthcare.

Metastatic thyroid cancer is preventable by doing the same things. The only difference is something might have shown up on your yearly exam. My cancer doesn’t show up on TSH tests or most normal cancer markers because it attacks calcitonin which is something we all naturally make. So until YOU walk a mile in MY shoes then quit thinking you’re more important than you are. Again, I’ve dealt with people like you who say they are experts and I have the VISIBLE scars to prove it. You can wipe your arse with your credentials for all they are worth.

And just for your information, I know it’s probably not as important as the almighty cervical cancer but a seperate cancer also took my adrenal glands and lady, I would have much rather lost my cervix and uterus like my sister than lost my adrenal glands. If you have no clue what all the adrenal glands do then by all means inform yourself".

You know, EVERY cancer has it's difficulties. There are two sides to every coin- there are the people who get a form of cancer and it's taken care of quickly and easily. Then there are those who live with and die from cancer and it's hell. I don't even feign to deem myself in the latter group but I am in the middle. I will never hear the words "remission" or "cured" but I also will never hear the words "you have six months to live". It's a double edged sword. Yes, most people can get chemo and radiation for their thyroid cancer and have a good chance of hearing those first words but they can also be the person that is announced as losing their fight on my thyroid cancer group. NO cancer is more important than another though and no fight means more than another.

My last comment... "And yes you are right, there is a HUGE difference between a genetic cancer and a sexually transmitted one. I didn’t have any choice whatsoever in getting mine. You at least had the choice of sleeping with the person you slept with. I in no way think you deserved HPV because I would never wish it on anyone but still, you and most women with it including my sister were at least able to make the choice of having sex with the person/people you did. I was born with this imbedded in my DNA and never even had that option".

I will also post and reply to her follow-up here so we can close this back and forth..."That’s a terrible thing to say! I made the choice to marry and raise a family — I did not choose HPV no more than you chose what happened to you."

I will again say YOU made a choice. You had a choice. I never said you chose HPV and you know it. What I said is that you chose to have sex. Plain and simple. HPV is transferred through sex. You had sex. You chose the person you had sex with when you married him. It was a bad choice and believe me, I can completely understand that one but you CHOSE, *edited so she'll shut up, whether you like it or not. You never deserved it and neither does anyone else no matter how many people they do or don't sleep with but you made a choice that led to an outcome just like Patsy (the lady in my tribute) chose to smoke. She didn't deserve lung cancer and she sure as hell didn't deserve to die but she also wasn't shocked when they told her because she chose to smoke.

THAT is the huge difference between genetic cancers and sexually transmitted ones. We who have genetic cancers never chose to do anything that even remotely lead to this. Had I been diagnosed with lung cancer because I smoked, or cervical cancer because I had sex and got HPV, or throat and mouth cancer because I chewed tobacco I would still say the same thing that I am to you now.

Your choices and your or anyone else's cancers don't trump my genetics or anyone else's cancers but if you want to play that game and feel cervical cancer is harder and more important (as your replies imply) then you go right ahead. You want to side with Science then just remember that Science is pretty adament about the fact that HPV is a result of having SEX... an actual physical act that is under regular circumstances a choice of engaging in.

I do want to say again though that I am not saying anyone deserves HPV or cervical cancer. I would never wish either one on anyone and I DO understand how awful both are. I also take offense though to being told that something someone caught through sex is higher up on the chain than something someone (not just me) was genetically predisposed to get. That's just rude and ignorant!

I side with Science too, *edited but I mean really, like you can't find her name on her own site*, but unlike you I also choose to care about and see both sides of it.

No worries folks this is my last post on this. Tomorrow it will be back to the fun stuff!

3 comments:

David said...

Jo, I enjoyed reading your post. My cousin's wife died of cancer recently and I have several other family members who are battling cancer. I am not an anti-vac person for most vaccines, but the HPV vaccine people scare me. For instance, that Gayla woman was talking about her "army;" what is that about? Is she saying she and an army are going to conquer me and my family? Nothing gets me ticked like someone who wants to force something on my family.

Nothing turns me off to an position (in this case-Gayla's)like threats, derision, lies (she accused you of name calling, which I couldn't find) and the idea that someone can't let the merit of the truth stand up against someone else's opinion without resorting to the above!

Good luck Jo!

Anonymous said...

Don't get too down... well, like I tend to do anyway with jerks and mean-spirited commenters (lol).

Hippofatamus said...

I started skimming through your blog after I found it a little while ago and finally came to all this BS. What a simple minded moron of a woman she must be. I am furous after reading her comments and thankful you took her on in a much more educated way than shewas capable of...

I am having sympathy heart palpitations out of anger. LOVED her really bad attempt at a cease and desist letter. It was entirely unprofessional! Ok now I am just laughing at her.