Four and a half years ago I had surgery to remove my thyroid because I had thyroid cancer. Monday was my annual “let’s make sure you’re still cancer free” check up. They take blood. They ultrasound my neck. I meet with the thyroid cancer specialist. And, success. Still cancer free. Even better news, after five years, so after my next check up, they’ll only need to see me every five years. Yay!
The weird upside of cancer was the bonus insurance bicycle!
Here’s how I got the bike, “As blog readers mostly know, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer this year and had surgery to remove my thyroid. Everything went well and I’m fine (no further treatment required) but it turned out I was eligible for an insurance payment for getting ill. You know the policies that sound like “death, dismemberment, and disability.” I didn’t need the money–thanks Canadian health care– and I didn’t want to claim it. I was nervous that it felt like calling in sick when you’re actually fine. (I always worry that if I do that I’ll actually get sick.) My partner is more practical. He works for a bank. And he’s good at talking me into things. “Would you claim it if you got a new cx bike with the money?” Um, yes, I might. And we did. And I have a new bike. Thanks thyroid cancer? I guess.”
By the way, it’s worth checking your insurance for these sorts of benefits. It really never occurred to me that there’d be a cash pay out for getting cancer.
I didn’t, in the end, keep the cyclocross bike much as I loved it. I trained but never raced cyclocross. In end I swapped it for a fat bike. I’m thinking of riding it to work tomorrow! We’ve had so much snow around here lately.
Living with no thyroid has been fine for me so far. I take Synthroid, a synthetic version of thyroid hormones. Aside from the period of adjustment when I first started it’s been fine.
Fingers crossed it all stays fine.
