This is Dimaris, a 27-year-old woman living her normal life as a single parent to a rambunctious 4-year-old little boy.  It all started in January of 2017 when she was involved in a motor vehicle accident and began to experience frequent neck pain. Physical therapy, muscle relaxers, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs seemed to only provide acute relief. Her neck pain continued to increase along with severe headaches becoming so unbearable exercising and sleeping became non-existent. Depression began to sink in and pain was her new companion. Her social life began to dwindle as well as she made attempts to sleep it off. She couldn’t help to have this unsettling feeling that something wasn’t right.

Depression seemed to be the main ingredient as her doctor began to prescribe antidepressants. Weight gain and losing her voice was the new norm for her. Not realizing something else was forming.

In July she met with a neurosurgeon, who ordered an MRI in search of a herniated or bulging disc. To her surprise, there was not one single call back from the doctor. Was nothing there? Perhaps she may have exaggerated her symptoms?

Days later her PCP (primary care physician) called with the news that a mass was found on the left lobe of her thyroid. A STAT ultrasound later to discover two nodules, one bigger than the other displacing her trachea. A biopsy was performed, results came back three weeks later to find a total of four nodules positive for Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.   Her world was turned upside down when she found out she was diagnosed with cancer.

Brave she is.