By Lee Baas, PhD, Psychologist
A few weeks ago, I flew from Shanghai to Bangkok. My seatmate was a lady, probably close to 50 years old.
Tattoos are very common in many parts of Asia. Some men and women have many tattoos — on their arms, legs, and neck. I have also seen a few on faces. The tattoos are of many different designs and colors although many of them are dark. Once in a while, I see a person with a single small tattoo. It generally has some special meaning for them.
The woman sitting next to me (Marie) had a small, very colorful butterfly tattoo on her arm. The reason I noticed it was because the night before I had been reviewing information about thyroid cancer and other thyroid problems. I wondered if Marie’s tattoo had something to do with her thyroid.
What has thyroid awareness got to do with butterflies and butterfly tattoos?
I am sure that many of you know that your thyroid has a butterfly shape. It is located in the base of your neck just below your Adam’s apple. This small gland has a very important function as it relates to different glands and organs in your body. It provides support service to your heart, liver, kidneys, and even your brain. When the thyroid gland is not healthy and is not able to function the way it should, you will also very possibly notice increased stress, tiredness, and weakness.
And the butterfly tattoo?
While a pale-blue ribbon is worn by many people, especially women, to show that they support thyroid cancer survivors, some cancer survivors want others to know that they are a survivor and have gotten a butterfly tattoo.
Marie was a cancer survivor. 18 months ago, she had surgery to remove her cancerous thyroid. I asked her if she had been suspicious about having a thyroid problem or if her medical provider found it during some routine test. She said that she had taken action and called her medical provider when she noticed that her thyroid gland was getting bigger. She also felt some growth on the one side that gave her concern. Let me add here that an enlarged thyroid does not necessarily mean that there is cancer. There are a number of other causes for an enlarged thyroid, but Marie’s action when she noticed a problem allowed for early detection and treatment.
I told Marie that I was writing an article about cancer awareness and I asked her what she thought was important to include in the article.
She told me two things:
- It is very important for a person to have their thyroid gland checked if they see or feel any irregularity in the gland.
- She also wanted to assure everyone that treatment for thyroid cancer, including surgery, has a very good prognosis. This is especially true if the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.
That is good advice!
We have not discussed the many other problems of a non-performing thyroid gland. Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are very common problems. More research is needed as to the causes and effect of a thyroid that is not functioning properly. I am happy to see that more research is being done regarding the relationship between a low thyroid patient and those with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Many of the symptoms of those identified with CFS are similar to those with hypothyroidism.
Lee Baas, a psychologist, works with WITS (Walking In Their Shoes) International. They provide free supportive psychological services on-site to those who are doing humanitarian service internationally. For more information, www.witsinternational.com.