Battling Against Thyroid Cancer and Then Leukemia

Jannette Johnson discusses her experiences with two cancer diagnoses.

Hi, my name is Jannette and I’m a two-time cancer survivor. The first time I was diagnosed was in 2010 when I was having problems with my throat. I kept getting strep infections, but I didn’t think too much about it.

When the infections continued to get worse and I noticed some swelling in my throat and neck, I called my primary care doctor to make an appointment. She recommended I see an ear, nose, and throat specialist, so I went and the biopsied from my neck. It took about a week or so for the results to come back. When they did, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I ended up having two surgeries to remove my thyroid and two rounds of radiation.

Four years later, I started getting sick again—but this time something was different. I felt tired all the time and I had night sweats. As time went by, I noticed other symptoms like nausea and blood in my stool. I told my doctor what was going on and she said based on my history of cancer I needed to see an oncologist.

I went to the appointment and got another biopsy, but this time it was from my spine.  When the day came for the follow-up appointment, I was very nervous and scared. When I finally got called back to the examination room, I remember my hand being clammy from sweating. I remember just thinking and sitting quietly, waiting for the doctor.

When he came in, I could tell that something was wrong by the look on his face. He looked at me and asked, “How are you doing today?” I answered him and said I was okay, but deep down I wasn’t. He sat down and asked me if I was in any pain, and I told him that I was. He looked at the computer, paused for a minute, then looked at me and said, “I’m sorry Ms. Johnson, but you have leukemia.”

I just sat there for a second and then I said, “Are you sure?” He said he was, with a kind of disappointed look on his face.

I remember my friend picking me up and breaking down crying as soon as I got outside to her car—I couldn’t hold it in anymore. This was one of the worst days of my life. I had already been through enough trauma in my life.

I was in a very dark place for a while, so in July of 2022, I started a cancer support group on Facebook that is doing great. I also go live on TikTok and have connected with others who are dealing with cancer and other chronic illnesses. I’ve done three podcasts and hope that sharing my story helps.

Whether you are a patient, survivor, caregiver, or loved one touched by cancer, your story can have an enormous impact. You can provide hope and inspiration to someone recently diagnosed with cancer or a patient undergoing therapy.

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