I Get By with a Little Support from My Friends

Imagine finding out that you have a thyroid nodule, when you thought that all you had was a “*swollen gland” and an upper respiratory infection. For Stacey Thureen, a visit to the doctor turned into the discovery of a nodule on the left side of her thyroid and not a “*swollen gland.” Fear, confusion, and disbelief are some of the immediate feelings that come to mind, right?

Stacey grew up in New Jersey and attended college in Iowa. She worked hard on her double major in English and Communication Studies and also swam competitively for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. This hard work and dedication led Stacey to the communication and media industry where she currently works on projects for non-profit, print and production outlets. Stacey’s busy career and new diagnosis was daunting, but she knew that with good doctors and a strong support group she could get through this difficult situation.

After Stacey had further testing including a biopsy with a very small needle called a fine needle aspiration, doctors decided the best plan of action was to remove the left side of Stacey’s thyroid gland, also known as a partial thyroidectomy. “When I was told I needed surgery, I remember feeling that I trusted the doctors’ guidance,” Stacey reflects, “I had peace of mind knowing that they were doing everything they could to help me and my overall thyroid health.”

After her surgery on June 10, 2011, Stacey received more news. She had an autoimmune disease known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and hypothyroidism. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is a condition where the body’s immune cells produce antibodies which can damage thyroid cells and cause hypothyroidism when not enough thyroid hormone is being made. This is the most common thyroid disease in the United States and is seven times more common in women than
men. Stacey was immediately put on synthetic thyroid hormone medication to balance out her hormone levels.

This story line probably holds true for many patients whose thyroid glands are not working properly, but Stacey has an added obstacle. Stacey’s family suffered four losses prior to her diagnosis and one loss three days after her surgery.

“My faith and my husband’s support have given me strength through this process,” Stacey says.

She says that her support system of friends and family enabled her to talk about her feelings and fears while going through this difficult time. To anyone else going through similar experiences, whether it is a newly diagnosed disorder or losing a family member, Stacey urges people to talk about it with others. “By sharing your story you find a support system that you did not know existed,” she explains. Stacey discovered that many other women in her life were also affected by thyroid problems. It is comforting for Stacey to know that there are other people going through the same thing as her.

After sharing her story with friends and family, Stacey decided to use her communication and media talents to share her story with the public. She was featured on the show Better Living with Liz Walker, produced by The Walker
Group, LLC. This story showed the journey from discovery to treatment to acceptance of Stacey’s thyroid problem.

Stacey’s advice to other people going through similar situations is simple: “Take it one day and one step at a time. Your support system will help you through anything.”

To learn more about Stacey and her story, or to watch the Better Living with Liz Walker segment, visit www.StaceyThureen.com. To learn more about the thyroid conditions and treatments, visit www.ThyroidAwareness.com.