Brian’s Cancer Journey
Read Brian’s brave journey through thyroid cancer, from early signs to overcoming obstacles. Gain valuable insights and find community support!
Brian Ballard // 30 Stories Campaign™ // Thyroid Cancer Awareness
Around six years ago, I felt a slight pain in my chest. I was on the way to a rock concert with friends, but this chest pain concerned me, so I headed straight to the emergency room. However, the emergency room physicians did not find anything concerning.
After visiting the emergency room, I followed up with a local cardiologist, who performed a calcium score test to assess my heart. I received a perfect score on the test, meaning I didn’t have heart issues. However, the cardiologist noticed some spots on my lungs, and referred me to a pulmonologist, who performed a CT scan. The pulmonologist noticed a thyroid nodule in my neck. I then received an ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration, but the test came back inconclusive.
…always seek the best care when dealing with something like thyroid cancer.
At a six-month follow-up, the lump in my thyroid nodule appeared to have grown significantly in size. My endocrinologist and I decided to proceed with a partial thyroidectomy. However, the biopsy revealed a BRAF mutation—a common genetic mutation in thyroid cancer. As a result, instead of a partial thyroidectomy, I proceeded with a full thyroidectomy and my surgeon simultaneously removed eight lymph nodes from my neck. Around the time of my surgery, I took immense comfort knowing that my boss had fully recovered from thyroid cancer years ago.
In early 2020, following my full thyroidectomy, I met with a new head and neck surgeon. We decided to undergo a PET CT, and it revealed lumps towards the back of my neck. The papillary thyroid cancer had spread to other lymph nodes and to other regions of my neck. My surgeon and I agreed to schedule a surgery, but the COVID-19 pandemic interfered with the surgery schedule. My surgeon told me that we needed to undergo surgery, but he was unsure as to when that surgery would take place.
…follow up with your physician and find a surgeon you feel comfortable working with.
In May of 2020, I received a call informing me that my surgeon was available to perform the surgery. When I arrived at the hospital, I waited outside, dialed a number, and a nurse came to greet me. They lead me to the operating rooms through a side entrance of the hospital. I certainly had a unique hospital experience because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the surgery went well, and I did not stay overnight. Following my operation, my surgeon recommended I temporarily follow a low-fat diet.
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A couple years later, during a routine follow-up, my physicians found another suspicious lymph node, and I underwent a left neck dissection to remove it. Fortunately, since that last surgery, I feel great. Every so often, I feel quite tired towards the end of the day, and occasionally, I experience a slight tightness in my neck. However, I remain thankful that I have not experienced any significant cancer recurrences, so far. In the meantime, I continue to follow up with my surgeon every six months.
…check out Facebook groups and online communities where people talk about getting better after thyroid cancer… It felt amazing knowing that my experience was something other patients lived through.
I would highly recommend to other patients to always seek the best care when dealing with something like thyroid cancer. The surgeon I most recently worked with treated me with fantastic care. His entire team was tremendous, and I truly appreciated just how often his team checked in on me. I would also recommend to other patients to rigorously follow up with your physician and find a surgeon you feel comfortable working with.
Finally, I’d suggest to others going through the same thing to check out Facebook groups and online communities where people talk about getting better after thyroid cancer. Several years ago, I joined an online forum for people with radioactive iodine-resistant thyroid cancer where I could read their personal stories. It felt amazing knowing that my experience was something other patients lived through. I got so much encouragement from those stories and learned how other people have lived with thyroid cancer for many years.
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