Huma Akhtar was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when she was just 25-years-old. Here’s her story:
“I noticed a swelling on my neck one day and arranged an appointment with my GP. He had a feel of my neck stated that I had an oversized thyroid gland, so he took some blood tests, and all my thyroid blood tests came back normal.
After this I never went back to the GP. Two years later I ended up in A&E after feeling suffocated in the night. I was then fast-tracked and referred for a scan. The scan showed a small nodule within the gland.
I had a biopsy, and on my 25th birthday I went to see the consultant who told me it was cancerous. I had a six-month-old baby and I sobbed in the consultation room. It was very hard to digest, and I had a million worries in my mind – how was I going to tell my family? What would happen to my baby? The anxiety was making me feel sick.
It was a really difficult time but I became stronger as the days went on. On my son’s first birthday I had my surgery (the timings were not great), the nodule along with my whole thyroid gland was removed as the cancerous cells had spread outside of the nodule.
I had my treatment planned soon after, I had radio iodine therapy. I was in isolation for one whole week at the hospital – isolating is normal in the covid world but a few years ago I was dreading it!
The hospital and staff were great at St James Hospital, but the whole experience was bizarre. As I was radioactive, I was in a room on my own, there was a line drawn at the end of the room where my food tray would be left, no visitors, I had a TV and an en-suite and a window, I took plenty of things to keep me busy.
Once discharged I had to stay with my aunt as I was not allowed to be next to my baby. Two weeks later I finally went home!!!
My follow up scan after this was going to be in nine months time. This is because it is a slower growing cancer which is also slower to kill, so the treatment inside continues to work and after nine months I had a smaller dose of radio iodine before a scan in one of them scary machines!!
I was then referred to Calderdale Hospital and my consultant completes regular blood tests and checks on me to ensure I am OK. This will continue and I have to take only one tablet each day forever.
On a positive note, I was very lucky that I got this type of cancer and this amazing treatment, I feel blessed that I am still here and able to care for my baby. I would like people to know that this is more common than it may seem.
Please get your neck checked if you have any swelling or a lump and please request a scan. I shared my story with Catherine and she said this helped her, so I hope this will help others too. “
Huma Akhtar, Deputy Team Manager – Learning Disabilities Team, Kirklees Council