Midwest’s First Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Workshop Draws Attendees from 6 States

Thyroid cancer patients, caregivers, and friends from 6 states attended the free one-day workshop held on April 16, 2005, in St. Louis, Missouri, sponsored by ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc.. ThyCa's St. Louis Support Group co-facilitators, Theresa Missey and Sandy Triplett, together with other St. Louis and national ThyCa volunteers, organized the workshop.

The more than 60 attendees ranged from children through seniors, from people diagnosed two weeks earlier to survivors of more than 30 years. They came from Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, and Utah.

Highlights of the day included physician presentations and Ask-a-Doctor sessions led by Speakers at the St. Louis workshop included James H. Boyd, M.D., St. Louis, MO; Mary K. Debenedetti, R.N., B.S.N., Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; Susan Larson, M.D., Chicago, IL; Jeffrey F. Moley, M.D., Washington University St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO ; and Irini E Veronikis, M.D., Endocrinologist, St. Louis, MO. The day’s programs also included survivor and caregiver roundtables on coping skills and well-being, led by caregivers and survivors of varied types of thyroid cancer.

The program also included survivor and caregiver roundtables on coping skills and well-being. Additional sessions focused on the use of recombinant TSH (Thyrogen) in monitoring papillary and follicular thyroid cancer, Reiki sessions, and discussions of medical insurance issues with an insurance specialist.

“A wonderful program,” wrote one attendee. Another wrote, “All your hard work is greatly appreciated. It’s good to know that you’re not alone in this “battle.” This was a great chance to share and be educated. Thank you.”

"We congratulate the St. Louis group on this wonderful event and are proud to announce two more free one-day workshops for May,” said ThyCa Board Chair Gary Bloom of Olney, Maryland, a nine-year thyroid cancer survivor. “We thank all our speakers and session leaders for your dedication to patient and caregiver well-being."

“ThyCa’s next workshops will take place in Fort Myers, Florida, on Saturday, May 7, 2005, and in Vineland, New Jersey on Saturday, May 21, 2005. We invite everyone to tell their friends and family about these wonderful opportunities to learn from experts and meet other survivors and caregivers,” he added.

"Also, on October 21-23, 2005, our 8th Annual Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Conference will take place in Denver, Colorado,” Bloom continued. “We look forward to holding our annual conference in the Rocky Mountain region for the first time. Throughout the year, we invite everyone whose life has been touched by thyroid cancer to visit our web site to find out about the many free support and educational resources available.”

ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc. is a national all-volunteer nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of thyroid cancer survivors, families, and health care professionals, advised by nationally recognized thyroid cancer specialists, dedicated to support, education, and communication for thyroid cancer survivors, families, and friends. ThyCa is a full-service organization a full range of services that include public awareness outreach and materials for early detection of thyroid cancer, free education and support services from testing and diagnosis through lifelong monitoring of each type of thyroid cancer, as well as research grants to support ThyCa’s goal of a future free of thyroid cancer. For more information and free materials, e-mail to thyca@thyca.org, call toll-free 1-877-588-7904, write to PO Box 1545,New York, NY 10159-1545, or visit the ThyCa web site.