Imagine being in medical school and not having access to medical insurance. Our country is so ridiculous

"I'm glad it's me and not someone else" was a punch in the gut and shows a whole lot about what kind of a person you are and how you're dealing with this. I hope everything goes great -- you seem super kind and sweet!!

As a cancer patient AND a medical student, you might want to read the Pulitzer Prize winning The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. I delved into it right after my terminal cancer diagnosis and loved it. My advice…know your cancer, have a list of questions ready for every appointment, and keep up the great attitude. Positive thoughts and vibes being sent your way.

My mom got diagnosed with thyroid cancer while pregnant with me. That was twenty-five years ago. She’s still cancer free, thyroid free, and doing fantastic! You’ll be just fine I’m sure!

I also found my own cancer during medical school this year. Had surgery right before Step 1 and again during my IM rotation. On the bright side, it’s going to make me a much better clinician. I’m here if you’d like to chat with someone who’s been through the same experience!

as a med student in France, it's terrifying to think anyone would wait a year bc of insurance problems. I mean, delays are pretty long over here so you could have to wait a few month to get your appointment but still. I wish you all the best !

As someone who was diagnosed with breast cancer this year I can say it has mentally been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to experience. However, it has made me a better person. Not what I expected at 23 but It has made me so much stronger. Wishing you the best and hope you have a quick and speedy recovery 🫶🏼🫶🏼

I had my thyroidectomy 7 years ago. I’m still cancer free. You got this girl!!!

I had a cancer scare in September of 2022 and was terrified out of my mind thinking I could have leukemia… thankfully it wasn’t but I did find out I’m type 2 diabetic and knew I needed to take my health seriously. In the course of a year I lost 100lbs and now am off all medications. My cancer scare was definitely the wake-up call I needed… I wish you all the best.

Mad respect for your mindset. You stood as strong as nobody else but still accepted physical and mental help where needed. That's really impressive, not many people have learned to do that.

I'm so impressed with your outlook, and how you are reframing your cancer diagnosis as an opportunity to experience the challenges that patients encounter. You're going to make an absolutely amazing doctor ❤

You are going to be the most empathetic, thoughtful, and thorough doctor. Your future patients will be so lucky to have you! Wishing you an easy and quick recovery.

As a retired RN I think you already have experienced what your patients will feel going through a health scare. It will undoubtedly make you a better doctor as you know now whet it feels like firsthand 🤷🏼‍♀️

What an amazing attitude. You will definitely come out stronger and more compassionate for your patients. Best wishes for your surgery and recovery. Be kind to yourself and take the time off if you need it. Medicine will still be there even with a break. I broke up my training and finished about 4 months “late” but it was simple and everyone supportive. You’ve got this.

I’ve never seen your videos, but you’re a really inspiring person. I’m premed and sometimes I get overwhelmed but this was so grounding and humbling to see so much candor, positivity, and goodwill all in the same human being. FWIW from a stranger on the internet, you are genuinely awe-some in the most literal sense of the word. Good luck with your treatment, you’re going to be one heck of a physician.

You are such a trooper, gets diagnosed with cancer and has the best positive outlook possible. Thinking about it as a learning experience and thinking about how you can help people in the future. That’s awesome. That’s the best attitude In life.

I'm so sorry, but the very first part of your story shocked me the most (as an Australian). You couldn't get tested immediately for a serious and potentially life threatening illness due to... insurance issues?!! That's unacceptable for any developed nation, let alone supposedly the richest nation on Earth. I very, very often thank God I was not born in your frighteningly terrible country. How any American can accept the status quo is beyond me.

Please be prepared for any kind of complications. Maybe have a week free after the surgery. I was in ICU for a week after my total thyroidectomy and neck dissection. I had a few scary life threatening complications. These complications are rare but I never thought it would happen to me. Get bras and shirts that you can do up at the front because you might find it hard to lift your arms above your head. Straws are really helpful because you wont be able to tilt your head back for a while. Also make sure you massage the scar regularly as soon as you are allowed. I wish I massaged mine more. I am 6 months post op and it feels like someone is constantly putting their hands around my throat. It’s finally no longer painful, but really uncomfortable and restricting, especially with swallowing and talking. My cancer recurred between the surgery and radiation, which was 3 months. It depends on how aggressive or fast growing your cancer is. Mine has a high recurrence rate and I am hoping the dose of radiation is going to be enough but I have to wait 3 more months before my next scan. I know I had thyroid cancer in 2019 but the doctor I had then said that my blood work was normal so I didn’t have it. This was far from the truth and my mum had it at the same age! I was 31 when I was diagnosed earlier this year by my new doctor. It has been a really rough 8 months for me, and the treatment triggered an autoimmune disease. I have been sick and disabled my whole life, so this thyroid cancer journey has really affected me. Wishing you all the best and good results in your cancer journey. ❤

I had thyroid cancer in March and 8 months after surgery I'm 100% better. It seems scary but I promise it's so much easier once it's done. Wishing you all the best!

We had some classes together at Davis, also in med school right now. Glad to see you being in good spirits in spite of less-than-ideal news. Wishing you a quick recovery.

Goddamn your mental fortitude is truly something to behold. The fact that you are finding things to be grateful for, and focusing on how this experience can make you a more empathetic doctor in the future, is insanely impressive. I wish you a safe surgery and a speedy recovery!!

This came across my dash by chance (or by algorithm, I suppose) and I feel I should commend you. Of course there's a lot of emotion tucked away behind whatever you're putting up in this video for us to see, but seeing how positive you're able to be about it is very inspiring. I can only send out the best of wishes for you in your treatment and recovery from this. I hope that you continue looking at this as a learning experience.

You are going to be an amazing doctor. I wish you all the best, lots of health and happiness. You've got this girl!

You appear to have an amazing attitude, which as I understand it, is a harbinger of a good prognosis.

If you are studying to be an MD…you will be a great MD…you just have a very personable relatable humility about you..that is so important in an MD. ESPECIALLY now that you have experience with your own medical issue….this will serve you and your patients well…. despite your medical situation…I just know you will be OK. Sending you many Blessings.

when I first clicked here I thought you'd found a new KIND of cancer, like, while doing lab research. and then, wow, just wow. That's super rough news. Then by the end of the video I was so inspired by your perspective and how you have learned what is important TO YOU and what brings you joy. sending you allllll the good vibes from 🇦🇺❤⭐

Bizarre but I'm experiencing something very similar. Doctor in the UK, incidental thyroid nodules found, biopsy confirmed as cancer, also having surgery next week. I really resonate with what you've said about taking positives from this. In particular my empathy for the patient experience has increased a lot; especially in realising just how actively exhausting it is advocating, organising and making decisions on your own care. Wishing you the best of luck for next week, the recovery afterwards and subsequent histology. I hope we both come out of this as stronger individuals and better doctors.

I don't know who you are, but after watching this video, I can tell that you are an amazing person with a huge passion for med school! You are so strong and inspiring as well. Having the strength to say that you're glad that you have cancer and not someone else is so admirable. I hope your surgery goes well, stay strong!!

Hey girl, this video popped up on my page randomly but I’ve had a very similar experience so I wanted to share some insight and things that helped me along my journey. I also found out that I had thyroid cancer pretty randomly and by the time I had it biopsied it had already metastasized to my lymph nodes. I got surgery, radiotherapy and then for almost a year my doctors were planning another surgery that eventually was deemed unnecessary and didn’t happen. The waiting in sterile rooms, for results, for doctors, for news in general was exhausting; the loneliness that comes with ultimately being on this path on my own was heavy; the frustration of knowing so much about your illness but being unable to do anything with that knowledge was overwhelming. I could somewhat predict most of this but what I couldn’t predict was how unpredictable it would be. I had a plan in my mind of what the steps were and how long it would take and I had already made plans to continue my studies, travel, see my friends and go back to the city I live in instead of staying where I was getting surgery and treatment. Well, what I thought would take a couple of months ended up taking around 6 months and up to a year to fully recover. And my case was a pretty basic and simple one. But the amount of bloodwork, visits, pre and post op scans, opinions, ultrasounds, med dosage changes (which lead to fatigue, trouble sleeping, mood swings and a whole lot of other symptoms), yearly checkups and so on took so much of my time and energy, much more than I had anticipated. I say this so you know what to expect because as much as I was very prepared, informed, supported and mentally strong to handle it, it ended up being a wild and especially unpredictable ride anyway. Most people don’t have the words and tools (some don’t even want to try) to handle issues like sickness and death, most people don’t understand that you don’t want to be treated as a dying/sick person or looked at as an abandoned puppy and that you don’t even want to be treated as a “fighter” because it is not a fucking fight. But at the same time you ARE sick and you ARE fighting to find the strength to study/work/be social while dealing with it all. And the worst thing is when people forget. After a brief time of support from literally anyone that hear the news, only a few people remain and eventually when you (hopefully) feel better, it’ll be only you. People move on, but that worry, as small as it will get, will stay with you forever and you’ll be the only one who feels it. That being said, I don’t mean to sound tragic and I’m not saying that you’ll never be happy again, but I think you should prepared for how unpredictable it all is and how much people, events and the course of your treatment will surprise you, shock you and sometimes destabilize you. My advice is, don’t talk about it with everyone, choose a few people that you know will be with you through the whole process and reach out to people in your situation, they are the only ones that can truly understand. Focus on finding distractions and fun in any situation, and especially learn to do that when you’re alone, cause you’ll have a lot of time alone. If you don’t have a therapist or a strong support system, find one. Be spontaneous: anytime you have the chance to go on a random adventure or a weekend away or to a party (as long as you’re reasonably aware of your health condition) along the journey JUST DO IT because the following week you might be up to your neck in doctor’s appointments or too exhausted to do it. Also, take advantage of any special treatment you can get, tell people with intrusive questions to fuck off, say no to unwarranted “advice” and accept all snacks and meals that people will want to give you. Find ways to truly deal with what you’re going through, to feel what you feel and to have safe places to express all of it. Besides, of course, a speedy recovery, this is all I wish for you: to find the time and strength it takes to know yourself, face your feelings and acknowledge that it will take time to feel normal again but that it will happen❤️ Ps: sorry for the long (and probability messy, as English is not my native language) comment, I hope it could be helpful in some way and that it inspired you to seek other people who know what you’re going through🌱

I absolutely adore your personality. You will make an excellent Dr. Keeping you in my prayers

Is a chronically ill girly I can definitely relate to ‘being a patient is a full time job’, because it literally is. So many doctors appointments, so much blood work, so many scans etc. I’m very lucky that I don’t have cancer (my neurologist was convinced I had brain cancer but that ended up not being the case), but yeah, so many things you said really resonated with me. I’m also someone who can deal with these things pretty easily on my own, but I’m still really glad I took a friend with me when I had to get an mri of my brain. Definitely for anyone who is going through something similar right now : take someone with you to your appointments 💕💕💕 it helps so much. Don’t be afraid to rely on your support system. And I really do hope your surgeries go well. I’m not the praying type, but I’ll send positive vibes.

I don’t know you, never met you, never seen any of your videos…this randomly came up on my feed, but I am so so soo touched by your story. You might not realize this right now, but this is the beginning of a journey that will test you in ways you can’t even fathom, but be strong and understand that this is all part of your life’s journey. There is a much greater purpose in all these events…

You're such a sweet soul. As soon as you mentioned your surgery on December 6th I looked at the calendar. I wish you a quick recovery from the surgery. so glad to hear you've got a supportive mom with you and great friends. you will make an incredibly well-informed and personable doctor.

Mad respect for your outlook on life, Sally! Keep being a champion at life.

We pray you're doing good now!

Your outlook on this whole situation is very admirable. Best of luck on your surgery, I’ll be thinking of you❤

I just wanted to say that I was diagnosed at 19 last year with thyroid cancer and had a thyroidectomy months later. It’s not as scary as it seems! You got this and I wish you the best of luck 💓. I have a follow up appointment December 6th with my surgeon because of other suspicious lymph nodes.

As a nurse one of my biggest gripes with doctors is they so often don't see the patient as a person with a life - the medicine is the main focus. The way you talk about your experience makes me hopeful that you will be different. It sucks that you've had to learn it by going through this but all power to you ☺

it's rare to see people that are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. Your light-heartedness is infectious. I wish you well, Sally.

1st year of pharmacy school and one of my classmates (very nice person) was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She had to stop being in classes & visited us one day carrying her IV pole around. She never made it back. I think about her from time to time.

You seem like a great, kind and a sincere person. Thank you for being brave and honest, good luck with your surgeries!

Sally, I've been following your medical journey for a while, and I am currently in my 2nd MCAT retake phase and came here for inspiration/advice, but I'm so shocked to see this news. You are so strong and positive and have seriously been such an inspiration to me and others. You will be a great doctor! I wish you the best in your journey and health!!!

I’m sorry that you have to go through this, but I’m glad that you’re able to keep a positive perspective. The silver lining of becoming a more empathetic doctor makes me feel excited for your future. I agree that Your experiences will help bridge patient doctor relationships. I believe you will become an incredibly important doctor. You will be able to heal not only your patients illnesses but aspects of previous medical trauma. I’m sure your future patients will feel so grateful they found you.

Randomly got this video on my recommended. Not really sure what your channel is about, but for some reason I stayed and watched this video. I don’t know you but I’m so sorry you’re going through this and I hope you get well soon. You seem like such a sweet person and you must be smart too, handling everything so well. The world needs people like you. Take care.

me, a current med school applicant who just got told i have a mysterious node on my thyroid, watching your videos 👁👄👁

Im glad for (soon) doctors like you that want to understand how it is for the patience. How the doctor treats you, speaks to you and the empathy they show means so much for the healing! Healing is just not physical, its mental and spiritual too🙏

as someone who has been in hospitals my whole life, you are going to be a great dr. please don't let your spirit get burned out! always keep your love for learning and caring

I dealt with leukemia last year and it was horrifying. I cant imagine having to wait as long as you but good luck with your procedure. Your positivity is great btw. I worked really hard on keep mine and think it helped me a lot this past year and a half. Tske care of yourself.

You go girl. I also had a cancer scare and waited a year to deal with it. It sucks that you had that in the back of your head for so long, and sucks even more that you were right the whole time. Wish you the best on your journey.

You have an incredibly optimistic and positive outlook. ❤

When you said I am thankful its me and not someone else because I was born for this, i can handle this- i cried my eyes out. What a beautiful soul. I have never in me life met someone so selfless.

So glad you caught it when you did. You visually look and sound healthy. There's no sign of any bumps or lumps when looking at you. If it wasn't for those scans that you randomly did it might have taken some time till you feel unwell. All the best with your surgery. Hope you will be well after the procedures.

Good luck!! As a pharmacy student I feel inspired by your passion for medicine and your mentality- when you said this experience helps you empathize, I felt that 😊

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at 20 in now 24 and still cancer free (fingers crossed). I had a full thyroidectomy and 30 lymphnodes, and it removed from my vocal cords. Now have a 3 year old and an pregnant with my second. It’s so weird to hear being so young, I’m glad you caught it

You’re going to be an AMAZING doctor! Sending you love!

You know I got to tell you that I really love how you are a glass half full kind of person and that’s AWESOME! Genuinely I think you are going to be a fantastic doctor and I wish there were more people like you! Honestly I have seen my fair share of doctors over the years but I know that you will become a really great doctor because of the stuff that you are going through right now. I hope you have a wonderful day Sally! ☺️

All the best to you!! edit: you have such a positive energy! Your goal of becoming a compassionate doctor hit me! You already are so much more thoughtful, than most doctors I've met. Again I wish you all the best for this weird time!!

I’m so sorry for everything that’s coming your way. I’m 16 and I had cancer last year that required 3 surgeries to my shoulder. It was DFSP, so definitely not as scary of a diagnosis. It was a huge learning process to accept my own diagnosis even a year and a half later. Go easy on yourself, nobody can be stoic at all times. I’ll be following your updates and cheering you on from the sideline!💛💛💛

I Love the way you talk. ur such a beautiful Person and I wish u all the best

Some of you young people who go through this and blog seem to have great personalities. Very positive and very bubbly

You’re so positive about this and I love your attitude, Hope the best for your recovery! ❤ You’re a really inspiring person, wish good health for you! Wish the best for you ❤

You are going to be such a good doctor.

That's one hell of a story, all the best.

My cousin had the same cancer and found it on herself after her dad (a dr!) denied her concerns for a year. She got a second opinion, got the diagnosis, got her thyroid removed, and now she’s cancer free 10+ years :)

Dear Sally, I've been silently following your journey since your MCAT/interviews. You are going to be an amazing doctor, it just shows🌟 A big hug from an Italian medical student 💞

You're a beautiful human being. May God bless you greatly and grant you divine healing. Will be praying for you to have a successful surgery on Dec 6th.

You are so fucking strong 💛 your mindset is inspiring!

I really apprecate you being so open about your diagnose. I love the way, you try to see some positive aspects within this situation and i wish you the best! You got this and never stop believing in yourself!

Good luck with your surgery. Everything will be fine, especially with that positive attitude of yours and up-beat outlook on life.

knowing your operation is tomorrow, I am sending my best wishes and good luck from germany 🙂 Love your attitude, impresses me a lot!

You have such a lovely attitude in the face of such a hard situation. You'll be a great doctor!

I have a feeling you are going to be just fine. Cancer is scary, but I think you got this. I am wishing you the best and hoping you can become cancer free ASAP!

I don’t understand why so many young people are getting cancer. And, at first, they and some doctors have no sense of urgency, because they don’t expect cancer in young people. I’m glad your mom can come. You have a great personality, by the way.

Stumbled upon this on december 6th, wishing you the best of luck!

I genuinely hope your surgery goes well and you go cancer free I lost my best friend to cancer just last year someone i had known since 6th grade who complained about leg pain in gym class our junior year of high school and we called him a wimp. Couple months go bye he starts to limp constantly, goes to get scans comes back that he had osteo sarcoma which is a more rare bone cancer that is very terminal he fought for 2 years still graduated from highschool and even started doing college virtually! Went cancer free for a year and just did check ups every 3 weeks and it came back out of no where and spread to his lungs and even then he was still smiling and so positive and uplifting. Never really heard him down about it nothing, such a good fukn kid. I miss him everyday , cancer sucks, and the u.s sucks I hope you beat this easy!

First af all you are so stunning and you radiate positive energy! I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when i was 15, so 8 years ago and i´m doing good. My doctors said that it is "the best kind of cancer" which sounds strange but apparently that means the chances of healing are very good. I wish you the best for your surgery, you got this!

You go girl !! This will make you a great woman and doctor !! Blessings for your healing 🙏🌺🌈

Thank you for sharing your story. Praying that you have a full recovery and you can continue your studies. You seem like such a bright star in this world. Hugs!! 🙏🙏💕

you have an amazingly beautiful outlook from something that’s so hard. you will be a great doctor.

Currently undergoing some thyroid tests myself. Wishing you lots of luck and sending healing vibes

Hi sally I am also a med student but from Portugal (europe) I am cheering for you and i hope everything goes well You are very brave and im happy that you are having such an optimistic approach Get well soon

You are going to be a fantastic doctor. You have such a positive attitude and a comforting vibe and you clearly feel passionately about medicine. I would be honored to be treated by future you!

I’m so sorry to hear this. I’m also studying to be a Doctor my prayers go to you ❤️

Glad to hear you have so much support as you go through this. Please consider reaching out to the PCP who told you it was OK to wait to follow up-they gave you bad advice and will continue to give that advice to other patients if they think it had no consequences for you. Wishing you the best of luck.

I'm a sonographer and my coworker found her own thyroid cancer back when she was a student the first time she scanned herself. She had to get her thyroid removed. Blessing in disguise.

You will be a great doctor 😊. Understanding it from a patient’s perspective is very important. I have no doubt you’ll be fine!

You’re delightful

My story is so similar! I am also in Medschool and my fiancee is already a doctor specialized in Radiology. So he one day took me to his clinic to meet his jobmates etc, and also said to me: "let's get you a thyroid ultrasound so you learn a little anatomy as well", I was on second year so it was mostly still learning the anatomy more than how to perform the US. So I noticed he suddenly stopped explaining, turned the screen away from my view (as if I would notice something weird myself at this point lol) and just started being really pale. lol I asked him what was wrong and he almost in a an anger manner said: Luana, we'll talk when we're finished (obviously not angry but really nervous). So by the end he told me, knowing I still did not understand a lot about it that it could anything from a benign cyst to a malign tumor. Also that I had some adenopathies, so that was obviously a cancer but he did not want to scare me at first cause I'd be going home by myself right after it. At night he stepped home crying and telling me he could not be objective when it comes to the ones he loves etc etc. It gave me so much pain to see him suffering because it's obviously a little more difficult when you're the one diagnosins someone you love. There are no class during med school that prepare you for that situation. But everything went well and now I can say that I have the best luck in the world and the best man by my side. Not only the one I love but possibly the one that also saved my life or at least made it less miserable in the future :) I wish you the best! A fast recover and take your meds (I was a horrible patient at first and got my TSH to unimaginable levels, almost got into a mixedemous coma lollll terrible).

Thank you so much for sharing your story, especially while you’re currently living it. Most people don’t share these things until after they heal but it’s cool to see this perspective and it helps me see the hard parts in my life as something positive. 💗

I hope your surgery today is smooth and hope your recovery is swift. You are going to make a great doctor!

You sound similar to me when I was diagnosed. Good attitude is huge and so is being proactive in care. 20+ yrs and going strong. Wish you the best of luck.

You're literally the most precious human being, your view on your situation and your mentality is truly inspiring. I wish you a speedy recovery and a good Christmas.

When you finish your degree, I want you as my doctor. Student nurse here and I honestly can't believe how brave you are about this whole situation, I hope everything goes well and get a fast and easy recovery

I was diagnosed with cancer in university as well, and it changed my life for the better. I 100% agree with becoming a more empathic person! Next time this year I’ll be a registered occupational therapist. 🥰

haha, the literal moment you said 'I look a little worn out' in the video I thought 'gosh she's beautiful'

aw maaaan that sucks! I'm sorry you have to deal with all of this especially while being far from family. You've got this! You're absolutely right when you talked about how you're glad it's you and not someone else. Last year, I had to get brain surgery for an aneurysm (unruptured) and I mean it was traumatic but when you're in it it's a weird psychological thing where like?? I mean it's just happening and you go with it? But then my best friend got diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier this year and all of a sudden I knew how everyone else around me felt during my issues. It's soooo much worse to be on the outside and just worry about your loved ones because it's just so much more stressful. A truly helpless feeling. Would absolutely take the hot seat any day.

Now following you on two accounts. You post infrequently but somehow I always get your vids recommended to me. I’m really distraught to hear this. Thank you for sharing. You got this. Rowan University is lucky to have to have a student like you. This goes to show that those diseases you learn about not only have faces but stories. Life is very fragile and I hope you take note of the compassion and poise that your physicians had for you. You’ll learn that getting emotional with your patients when confronted with a disease is a one way ticket to burn out but compassion can go a long way. Even though in this situation you have a problem that has a solution that doesn’t take away from the stress despite knowing treatment options are available. I commend you for persevering❤.

very lucky way to find out! my mom found out that she had br3ast cancer when a student punched her b00b and it was sore so she had it scanned. I've never stress ate as much as i did the day of her surgery in the hospital cafeteria! It's hard on everyone but that's good because it means that they care about you so remember that if they are feeling the same!

I'm actually crying as i'm watching this. It is so sad. My mom was a labour and delivery nurse. She worked at hospital for 30+ years but only found cancer in her just 3 years ago. She passed soon after 2 months. It's better you found it before it's too late. I wish you a speedy recovery girl!!❤

I love how you are so positive even in a time like this, I really wish you the best in all of this! I don't know if you are religious but I will be praying for you❣