Georgia shares her story for Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month
After 20 years living with an autoimmune disease that affected her thyroid, civil servant Georgia Randall had a good understanding of her body and what was normal.
But when she suddenly developed swallowing difficulties, she wasn’t initially concerned. It was only when she found a lump in her neck that alarm bells started to ring, and Georgia contacted her GP.
Tests later revealed she had thyroid cancer, and she needed a six-hour operation to remove her thyroid and 18 lymph nodes, followed by a course of gruelling radiotherapy.
Georgia, who lives in Swale, said: “It felt like I had a blockage in my throat, and I was very fatigued, but I put that down to my existing condition.
“Even when I found the lump I thought it was a goitre (a harmless swelling of the thyroid). I spent a day pushing and poking it, and asking Dr Google, before I decided to just check in with my GP.
“If I hadn’t made that decision, it could have been a very different story.”
Initially, medics thought the lump was caused by a swollen gland but, after scans and a biopsy, Georgia was called in to discuss the results.
She said: “I did have cancer in the back of my mind, but I assumed it was part of my existing condition, so I went in armed with a list of questions about that.
“Then the doctor started talking about the stages of a tumour, and I just said ‘Do you mean I’ve got cancer?’.
“I’d gone to the appointment on my own as I’m used to managing my health and lots of appointments but suddenly it all felt very surreal and like I wasn’t in the room.
“I remember the nurse putting a business card for Macmillan on the table and I was thinking ‘I’ve got cancer’.”
Georgia’s partner had been at a funeral that day so she waited until she was home before calling him, and then had the task of breaking the news to other family and friends.
She said: “I think that was the worst bit. I felt awful upsetting them.
“The doctor had discussed life expectancy, and I remember thinking ‘What are you talking about? I can’t die then!’
“I had to carry on working, and it felt like I had one face at work, and then I came home to the reality of my diagnosis.”
Georgia was supported by her Macmillan nurses Vicky Prebble, Sue Honour, and Abbi Smith, and the national Macmillan helpline.
She said: “They were really reassuring, and I had 101 questions. There was a lot of information to process, but after that I didn’t Google anything, I just looked at the Macmillan or Cancer Research UK websites.
“My oncology team was also amazing, and consultant Mr Ali Al-Lami was fabulous.
“You have to accept your body has gone through a lot, and it takes a while to adjust to the medication. My radiotherapy finished in December and I still feel very tired, but I try to be positive.
“It is a bit like being in limbo – I have regular blood tests and scans and I haven’t had the all clear so there is always that worry at the back of my mind.
“But sometimes I look back and think, ‘did that really happen?’.”
Georgia advised anyone facing a cancer diagnosis to reach out for support.
She said: “It feels like quite a lonely journey, but the Macmillan helpline was fantastic and there was always someone to talk to, on anything from benefits and employment to treatment and side effects.
“I felt like life was carrying on around me while I was sort of stuck, and it’s hard for friends and family to understand.
“But the most important thing is to go and get checked if you have any unusual symptom. My blood tests were still showing as normal, I had no weight loss or hoarseness, but if I had carried on ignoring it I might not be here now.”