Cindy Anderson: Eviction Notice to Thyroid Cancer

Written by: Daughter Molly

Written for: Cindy Anderson

It was Friday, February 18, 2022, when I heard the news from my mom that her biopsy came back as being cancerous. I held my emotions together and immediately called my sister to find out if she had heard the results—she hadn’t; the next call was to my husband so the tears could flow. My family decided to keep the diagnosis quiet until we received more information from the doctors. We did not want to worry the kids with the same heartache. My mom, Cindy Anderson, has Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

That weekend Dana, my sister, and I secretly created a shirt for my mom, which turned into support shirts for basically the whole family. The design signifies the shape of the thyroid, a butterfly, my mom’s love to roller skate, and the road she will be taking through recovery.

Telling the kids was tough, but we had enough information to have the conversation. My two and my sister's two oldest kids all took it uniquely, but in a way very similarly—they were devastated to hear the cancer word but felt a bit at ease after chatting, questioning, and eating ice cream. Now, the support shirts could be brought out of secrecy, and together we prepared to reveal the masterpieces to Grammie.

So, here’s what we do know:

- My mom will have surgery to have her thyroid removed. Most ideal outcome: remove all the abnormal cancer cells.

- Recovery timeline is unknown and dependent on the decided treatment plan.

- Radiation is the step after surgery.

- Her form of cancer is expected to return every 4 or so years.

What we don’t know:

- We do not have results back to identify if the lymph nodes surrounding the thyroid are infected with cancer cells (CT Scan will be today, 2/28/22.)

- How long radiation treatments will last, or how they will affect my mom, Cindy.

- Just how many unpaid weeks of work she will have to take off.

Updates:

- We will know more information on Tuesday, Feb 27, 2022, after the doctor reads her CT scan results.

We are writing this GoFundMe page because surgery will take place, which will keep her out of work for quite some time. As a teacher, she is only given a few sub days per year and unfortunately, that will not cover her recovery—she will have to recover at home unpaid. I do not want my mom to have more stress than she already has; please consider donating to help her finances stay in order.

Keep my mom, Cindy Anderson, in thought and prayer and light a candle for her full recovery of this disease.

Thank you,

Daughter Molly