Christina McKnight, who was “young, fit, and healthy” and had no family history of thyroid cancer, was 27 years old when she received the diagnosis in 2014. She later admitted in a Facebook video that she had ignored the symptoms for weeks and had only sought medical attention after her husband, Mathew McKnight, “forced” her to do so.
In the viral video, McKnight expressed her belief that the stress of receiving a promotion at work was to blame for her symptoms. Her drowsiness, confusion, dry skin, and brittle hair, on the other hand, were all symptoms of something more sinister.
As per the report in the Independent, McKnight has been working out and had a fit lifestyle. She said, “It was one of those things that I never thought would happen to me. I was young, fit and healthy. I’d run a half marathon, did CrossFit for three years and had no known hereditary thyroid disease in the family at all.”
“I just started to feel very tired and had loads of brain fog, but I thought it was just because of my promotion. I couldn’t get stuff done like I used to. I would have to go to work on a Sunday to catch up because my brain was so foggy,” she revealed. Ms Mcknight also started to notice her hair becoming “weirdly brittle”, while her skin grew drier,” she said explaining her symptoms.
Ms. Mcknight underwent an ultrasound and a biopsy as recommended by her doctor, which revealed that she had thyroid cancer. She was initially apprehensive to accept the diagnosis because it meant having her thyroid removed. However, she underwent a thyroidectomy in November 2014 after seeking a second opinion, then radioactive iodine ablation therapy in January to eliminate any thyroid gland remnants.
About her disease diagnosis, Mcknight said, “Thankfully my doctor recognized my symptoms as he had recently diagnosed others with thyroid cancer. He felt my neck and found a lump which I wasn’t even aware of and got the ball rolling with diagnosis.”
She finally received the all clear a year later. To make up for her lost hormones, she was administered thyroid replacement injections.
FAQs:
- What is thyroid cancer?
Thyroid cancer is a type of cancer that occurs when cells in the thyroid gland begin to grow out of control. - What are the early symptoms of thyroid cancer?
Early symptoms of thyroid cancer include a lump that can be felt on the skin, changes to voice, difficulty swallowing, swollen lymph nodes, pain in the neck and throat. - Who is at risk of thyroid cancer?
While papillary thyroid cancer generally affects people ages 30 to 50, follicular thyroid cancer usually affects people older than age 50, whereas anaplastic thyroid cancer is rare and occurs in adults 60 and older. - What causes thyroid cancer?
Thyroid cancer happens when cells in the thyroid develop changes in their DNA. - When to see a doctor?
If you experience any signs or symptoms related to the condition, you should consult your doctor. - Can thyroid cancer come back?
Thyroid cancer can return despite successful treatment. It can come back even if you’ve had your thyroid removed.
