Waking up at 27 and finding yourself battling thyroid cancer. The biggest nightmare that unfolds before and the awareness, in retrospect, that it could have been discovered earlier. Christina McKnight, who is now 35, fought cancer and now on TikTok she talks about the importance of prevention, starting from her personal experience.
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Cancer, the symptoms not to be ignored
Christina McKnight spoke about the symptoms of the cancer that had manifested themselves, but which she ignored guiltily. Brittle hair and dry skin are two of the most evident things, but not only. “I was young, fit and healthy. I had just run a half marathon, done CrossFit for three years and had no hereditary thyroid disease in the family – she told the Mirror – I started to feel very tired and had a lot of mental confusion, but I thought it was just because of work . Then my husband noticed how tired I was and my lack of interest in things like the gym, which I usually love. I couldn’t do things like I used to,” she said.
Christina said she has begun to notice that her hair has become “oddly brittle,” while her skin has become drier. Her husband insisted that something was wrong and that she should check herself out. «In the end I went to the doctor to appease him above all. I assumed that my symptoms were due to not taking care of myself: I ate fast food and was stressed at work. Thankfully my doctor recognized my symptoms as he had recently diagnosed others with thyroid cancer. He touched my neck and found a lump I wasn’t even aware of. With his diagnosis everything changed.
The appeal
Christina then had an ultrasound and biopsy which confirmed she had thyroid cancer. She underwent a thyroidectomy in November 2014, followed by radioactive iodine ablation treatment in January to remove any remnants of her thyroid glands. Within a year she was able to clear the metastases, but she has to undergo thyroid replacement injections to replace her lost hormones. Christina, who shares her experiences with her 102,000 TikTok followers, said: “It was very surreal, because cancer is such a big word. It was such a shock and I thought it couldn’t be true, it was a strange feeling. Many times they say that thyroid cancer occurs in older people and that it is hereditary, but this was not the case for me. I’m sharing my story, not to scare people, but to remind them to pay attention if you’re experiencing any changes and to go to the doctor.”
@xtinamcknight Replying to @alymcx24 Thyroid disease is no joke and I feel as a thyroid cancer survivor it is part of my responsibility to speak for awareness around all different kinds of thyroid disease, not just cancer. The symptoms are difficult and the emotional toll it takes to have your body fighting against you can be exhausting and lonely. You’re not alone and you are just as important. #thyroiddisease #thyroidproblems #thyroidcancer #thyroidcancersurvivor #thyroidcancerjourney #hashimotosthyroiditis #hyperthyroidismsurvivor #hypothyroidismawareness #thyroidgoiter #thyroidnodule ♬ Ambient-style emotional piano – MoppySound
Last Updated: Tuesday 29 November 2022, 20:18
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