Hi guys. I guess I'm posting this here because the "Weddings Section" is where I hang out the most here on Yahoo Answers.

Last night, I found out my Mom was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer. We are not yet sure what stage or what type of cancer it is...but the Dr.s say it is very treatable with a good cure rate.

I'm doing my best to be supportive, willing to help my Mom with her appointments, or help her with anything I can do. I know she needs surgery, then needs treatments.

Mom has great chances to be cured. This is one of the easiest cancers to treat in early stages. I'm just stuck in such a depression right now...I'm scared. I watched my grandma die from breast cancer...and I don't want to lose my mother...although I know there is nothing I can do to "fix" this.

I should be getting my Save the Date magnet envelopes ready, but I can't even think about my wedding. How can I be positive and shake off this depression? I can't find a "hopeful" spirit....I'm so scared...
Mom is doing ok...she needs to schedule her surgery...there is really nothing I can do to help her right now, and I think that is part of why I'm so frustrated. I feel helpless. Mom told me to keep busy, and focus on positive things...which is why I probably should work on the envelopes for my magnets to be mailed out..(I already have the magnets)...but I'm feeling so lethargic...I just want to go home and hide.
Thank you all for the posts so far. Yes, I am fully aware this is not really a wedding specific question...but I'm a "regular" here in Weddings...and I feel much better hearing from familiar names (Luv ya Blunt...thank you so much for your support) than I would find in other areas of this bulletin board. I did post this in the "Cancer" section...but I have not gotten nearly as much of a response. I have lots of friends to support me..but right now I'm at work...and I have been really feeling alone.

Hi Kat,

My mom went through the same thing. The doctor found a lump on her thyroid and the tests confirmed that it was cancerous. She had her thyroid removed about 4 years ago and she's been checked by an oncologist regularly ever since. The cancer hasn't spread, so they believe they caught it pretty early.

She has to take a pill every day to replace the chemicals that her thyroid normally produces, but other than that everything is back to normal. She didn't have to go through chemo or anything. We're so relieved that she's ok.

I just wanted to share my experience with you to let you know that it really is very curable and that I'm sure your mom will be just fine.

That is so sad.
I think you should post this question to a much suitable category, like the health section?? Because the thing is most people hang out on the health category because they're likely to answer most questions because they're good at it or I just think its a hobby.
I think you dont get that much answers because this is a wedding section and I think people are here to answer 'wedding' questions instead.
Good luck though with your mother.
I hope you will follow my advice and put this on the health category instead and you will be likely to have more answers!!
You will probably get answers from science lovers... Which I will guess is more accurate since your mom have a cancer.

Good luck in the future!

Your mom has excellent advice. The best thing you can do for her is be there for her but try to be positive. Send those envelopes out! Let her know she has to survive because she has to be there on your special day. My grandmother had to have thyroid surgery over 50 years ago and she survived and lived to her 90s. The advances since then are wonderful so I know your mom has more than a fighting chance. I'm not sure when your wedding is but if it is far enough off, you can think of it as a celebration not only for you and your husband but for your mom's survival too.

Dear Kat,

I'm really sorry for what you are going through. I sympathize with you and can relate. You are having mixed emotions due to the shock of the bad news and the guilt you feel by planning a happy wedding while your mother is sick with such a serious disease.

I understand that you feel sad, angry and depressed; but your mom is here, her condition is treatable and she has a great prognosis. She has also told you that you she wants you to go ahead with your plans, so please do. Do not make matters worse for her (and for you) buy halting all together your plans. She will feel bad if she thinks that she's "spoiling" and "ruining" your wedding if you feel too down and depressed to continue with the wedding planning.

My best advice is to talk to her about your feelings. Tell her that you aer scared and feel guilty about planning the wedding while she is sick. Listen to what she has to say. I'm sure that she would not want you to halt your wedding plans.

This will be challenging to handle both things at the same time, but you can do it. She wants you to be happy and not sad. I know that it feels unnapropiate to be planning parties knowing that your mom is ill, but I'm sure that she will be ok and that you both want the wedding to go ahead as planned.

My heart goes out to you and my prayers are with you and yours.

Best wishes,


Blunt

PS/ Kristina, shut the hell up

Just be supportive of her everything will be fine.

Wow....I've had a similar situation to yours. My father had cancer this past year. He also had a very treatable cancer and is doing fine now. He was dianosaged in Feb, had surgery in April and started work again in July.

There is hope.

A friend of mine also had thyroid cancer. She had surgery in June. She has 3 kids and just started going back to work last week.

She is doing great. She has to take some medications, but other then that....she is expected to make a full recovery.

What I would do is stop thinking about your wedding for a week or two.

What do you like to do? Do something fun? Go get a mani/pedi, go buy yourself a new outfit.........do something that will make you feel good.

If you feel good about yourself, then your outlook of the situation will be positive. You need to be positive for your mother. She will see it and be much more at easy.

I know you have already heard this, but....Thyroid cancer, although it IS still cancer, is generally thought of as one of the easiest cancers to treat. In all liklihood, she will be 100% fine.

What they will do is remove her thyroid gland (this is the best chance for full recovery) and she will need to take thyroid hormone replacement for life. That's one pill (if on Synthroid) or two (if on Cytomel or Armour) per day.

Although it is true that not all people on thyroid hormone replacement therapy feel as good as they did before (whether they need it due to cancer, autoimmune thyroid disease, whatever), many do find they feel OK. The key is to work with her doctor to find the right dose and best hormone replacement supplement for her. There are a few options, and her doctor may have her try more than one.

Regardless, she will be in remission after surgery, unless the cancer has spread already or has developed in another organ.

That said, cancer is still cancer, and those with thyroid cancer still struggle with the process like anyone else with any other form of the disease. Your mom may want to check out

http://thyca.org/

Best Wishes!

P.S. Take some time to personally deal with what's going on. Your friends and family will understand if your save the date cards are a little late. You can also ask your 'maids to help, that's what they're for! Or, you may want to work on wedding stuff for a little bit each day, just to get your mind off things.

Kat--
I'm sorry to hear about your mother. My mother is a breast cancer survivor and being strong for your mother is the most important thing. There's never a good time to get cancer, it feels that everything around you is falling apart. But once you get through the tough times it'll get better, she's lucky to have such a caring daughter. Stay strong.