The Integrative NP

This is what 2 years cancer free looks like. Two years ago I said goodbye to my thyroid and thanked it for saving my life. I choose to live in gratitude. The road to living without a thyroid has most definitely not been linear. It’s been like the twistiest roller coaster ever (and not all good days look this good 😉). My experience has shaped the way I practice medicine. I’ve since diagnosed more thyroid disorders than I would like, 90% of which are in women, very few are men. These are people with no palpable thyroid lumps (like me), but often with complaints of fatigue, depression, weight changes, anxiety, and a few others. They’ve been told their labs are “normal” and prescribed a bandaid for their symptoms, and sent on their way with zero attempts to address root causes. Sometimes in medicine IT IS NOT OK to be normal! Don’t let your provider tell you you’re fine if you don’t feel fine. Speak up and work with them to dig deeper, and if that’s not possible then find a new provider that will. We are out there. To be on the receiving end of healthcare as a provider myself was a moment of awakening for me, especially in the middle of a pandemic. BUT I’m blessed that this happened to me. I’m a better nurse practitioner because of it. I have fallen more in love with my career because of it. I love what I do.
A deep heartfelt thanks to a few fellow warriors who’ve helped me feel normal in times when I’ve felt anything but Please keep sharing your stories.