Latashia Webb
My name is Latashia Webb, and I am 39 years old. I would like to share my journey with thyroid cancer.
I saw my primary doctor for my annual visit in June of 2024. My doctor found a mass on the left side of my throat. He immediately referred me for imaging to see what the mass was. In July, I had a CT scan. The results were back in a week. My doctor reviewed them. In August, the CT scan showed I had a mass on my left thyroid of 2.6 cm. The radiologist recommended that I have a fine needle aspiration biopsy to see if there was anything to be concerned about. It took several weeks for the results to come back. When the results came back, I planned to see an endocrinologist to discuss what I thought were all the results, but it was only part of the results, and it would take another few weeks for the other results to come back. Several weeks later, the last of my biopsy results came back. I was told that I had 70% cancer on my left thyroid nodule. We then began to discuss my options. The good news is that we found it early, and it is treatable.
I then scheduled an appointment with the Winship Cancer Institute on October 9, where I was given three options. The first option was watching the mass for several months to see if it mutated. The second option was radiation to shrink the mass. The third option was surgery to remove the entire left thyroid nodule. If surgery was an option for me, she had available dates at the end of October. If I wanted to have surgery, it could be sooner rather than later. When I left the cancer center, I was devastated and couldn’t believe it. After processing that I had cancer, I immediately began to pray and refocus. It was hard, and I was confused, angry, and frustrated. I couldn’t understand why God was allowing me to go through this. I just buried my oldest son in February. I began to pray. After praying and hearing from God, I discussed the findings with my family and decided to do the surgery. It was the best option for me. I was very afraid! In my whole 39 years of living, I have never had surgery. I guess there’s a first time for everything.
The next day, I called the cancer center and told them I would like to get a thyroidectomy. I was then scheduled for a thyroidectomy on October 25. I went to pre-op on October 18, and like any procedure, they told me what could happen before, during, and after surgery. They gave me pre-op instructions. Of course, I was nervous, but I was reminded that I was blessed and would be just fine. On October 25, my family and I arrived at the cancer center at 5:00 am for the surgery. I was prepped and put to sleep, and the surgery started at 7:30 am. It lasted about 2-3 hours. When I woke up from the surgery, I was expecting not to be able to talk, but I was able to speak. I spoke with the surgeon and care team. I was given post-op instructions and my follow-up appointment. I was off work for two weeks to recover.
When I went back in two weeks, I was informed that the cancer had been executed entirely. The surgeon removed it all. Thank You, God! My experience wasn’t long, but it was a journey and a test of my faith. I thank God, my family, friends, and cancer organizations for their love and support during this journey.