At least I'm still around kickin'

Name is Dave Eng. I am a 24 year old - just finished up my second B. Com at the university of Ottawa this past fall. The type of cancer I had was not the worst kind out there. I had thyroid cancer and I was diagnosed in the fall of 2007, right at the beginning of the semester, but that’s not where the story starts. I first felt something weird earlier that year during an exam period. I always had the tendency to put my thumb on my neck when I studied and felt something new that I never felt before. I saw my family doctor who scheduled me for a series of biopsies and ultrasounds and it was official, I found out that fall.

Now, this may seem scary at the ripe old age of 21, but it was just another obstacle to overcome in this journey I call life. I went for surgery in October of that year and got my whole thyroid taken out, and they got a bit greedy and took my parathyroid and some lymph nodes out too – okay, not greedy, it spread to there too. Here’s a little tid-bit about the thyroid: it controls your metabolism, regulates body temperature and energy levels and helps control other organs in your body. It is difficult living without one, especially when you’re not on your supplements (which I had to do for quite a while after I had mine removed). But that didn’t stop me. I wanted to get on with my life and put it behind me. So while undergoing surgery, radiation treatment and a multitude of appointments, I toughed it out and found the strength to finish up that semester.

Today, I can still feel the effects of the lack of a thyroid gland. If I forget to take the supplements for a few days, it is definitely noticeable – I always want to sleep! I have also gained weight that I just can’t seem to shake – no big deal though, at least I’m still around kickin’, enjoying the miracle of food! Besides that, I have a gnarly scar on my neck. In a way, this has shaped my life a lot these past few years. I find myself trying not take things for granted and to go after what I want because you never know when life will throw you a curveball. So, I decided to move to Mexico for a bit, learned Spanish, backpacked Costa Rica, take a trip to Barbados and I’m leaving for Cuba this week…clearly I love to travel! Overall, I like to chalk this up to opening my eyes to the world. I know it wasn’t the most serious cancer out there and I have so much respect for the strength of the people that have to undergo multiple rounds of chemo and radiation.