Celebrities with Thyroid problems

THYROID CANCER

HGTV viewer discovered host Tarek El Moussa had cancer

HGTV star Tarek El Moussa is currently in remission for thyroid cancer and he has a fan to thank for his good health. The host of the popular series “Flip or Flop” told People magazine a fan’s concerned email prompted him to get a lump on his neck looked at. According to The Independent, a fan wrote to the show’s production company after she spotted the lump while watching the show. The Independent reported the fan wrote: “This is not a joke. I'm a registered nurse. I've been watching Flip or Flop. I noticed that the host Tarek has a large nodule on his thyroid, and he needs to have it checked out.” El Moussa got a biopsy and found out he had thyroid cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes. "The last three years have been a pretty big challenge," El Moussa told People. He explained he is cancer-free, but there is still a concern the cancer could return. "There is always that chance of reoccurrence, but every year that goes by the odds of reoccurrence goes down so it's good," he said. "I have slowed down quite a bit, which is actually a good thing because I can actually relax now." "Flip or Flop" returns for its fourth season on Thursday, December 3.
Published November 23, 2015 FoxNews.com

Lorna Nickson Brown

Never once did Lorna Nickson Brown assume that the lump on her neck was anything sinister. But the relatively unsuspicious growth turned out to be thyroid cancer after she was diagnosed with the disease two years ago. The actress, who has played a part in Agatha Christie's Poirot, Holby City and Doctors, could easily have never spotted the symptoms. In the hope that others will become aware of the little-known sign, she has shared a photograph of her cancer in plain sight. The 26-year-old's Twitter post includes a photo taken before she was given the diagnosis, and a second after having surgery. Miss Nickson Brown told the I newspaper: 'This isn’t what I thought cancer looked like. The minute you tell people, it’s the cancer face. I didn’t feel ill. And on Twitter she added: 'It is not widely known about. 'I didn’t even know what a thyroid was until I was told I have thyroid cancer. Now I know everything about thyroids!' Miss Nickson Brown's mother first spotted the strange lump on her neck, but put it down to her losing some weight. Despite feeling fine, she became increasingly concerned with the growth and she decided to eventually visit her GP three months later. And after undergoing a range of medical tests and scans, they confirmed to her that it was a thyroid nodule - a fluid-filled lump. Further assessment confirmed her worst fears, revealing the mass was malignant and that she needed surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. She has now been in remission for just slightly more than a year after having the left side of her thyroid, where the cancer was, removed. Thyroid cancer is usually treatable and in many cases can be cured completely, but it can sometimes come back after undergoing treatment. Alongside the lump in the neck, other symptoms of the relatively rare form of the disease include unexplained hoarseness, a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. Miss Nickson Brown will be running a marathon next month to raise money for the Birmingham-based charity Get-A-Head, which helped her through her diagnosis. (6 March 2017) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4285818/Actress-26-discovers-t...)

Mark Holden, Australian Idol judge and pop music star

Mark Holden, former Australian Idol judge and 1970s pop music star, recently spoke to the media about his battle with thyroid cancer. The 56-year-old was diagnosed in 2010 after discovering a lump in his neck last September, Australian Women's Weekly reports. "I can speak but I can't raise my voice," he told AWW. "And while I can sing in the low range, I can't sing in my full voice." Holden has a long and varied career in both Australia and the U.S., where he works as a singer, actor and songwriter. Before his diagnosis, Holden became spokesperson for Blue September, a charity that raises funds for men's cancer research. Holden underwent a six-hour operation to remove the cancer. He has recovered, but still suffers restricted movement in his neck and worries he will lose his ability to sing, the news source reports."I can speak but I can't raise my voice," he told AWW. "And while I can sing in the low range, I can't sing in my full voice."

American Idol' Alum Jax Cole

'American Idol' Alum Jax Cole Diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer.
Former “American Idol” contestant Jackie “Jax" Cole is battling thyroid cancer. Cole revealed she was diagnosed with cancer in April and has already undergone surgery to remove her thyroid and nearby lymph nodes. She told My Central Jersey, “It was very unexpected. When you’re 20 years old, you have this Superman entitlement mentality, like you’re indestructible. And sometimes all it takes is God telling you it’s time to take a break for you to understand that you are most certainly not.”Despite hearing the diagnosis, Cole tried to make light of the situation. She said, “The first thing I did when I found out about the cancer was crack a joke. My little bro knows me the best. The second they wheeled me out of surgery, he said, ‘Man! I tried to warn you the music business was cutthroat.’ Thank God I have people in my life that were there to help me deal with this when my reality finally clicked for me. I’m a tough guy, but I don’t think I have ever experienced anything scarier.” She was diagnosed with cancer after she found a "small lump” on her throat. Her doctor eventually found 18 tumors; 12 tested positive for cancer. The 20-year-old isn’t allowing her battle with cancer keep her down, she is prepping for the 2016 TCS NYC marathon to raise money for Tuesday’s Children. She sad, “I have had some time to be with my own mind and reflect lately, and I think it’s time I give this thing a real shot. I am a very theatrical person, so crossing that finish line on November 6 is what I want to do. To officially prove I can kick this thing’s ass.” Jax took third place on season 14 of "American Idol." CELEBRITY NEWS August 09, 2016

Angie Everhart

USA TODAY May 13, 2013 and E! Online reported. The 43-year-old actress and former supermodel (Sports Illustrated swimsuit model), Angie Everhart has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. "Word has been trickling out about supermodel/actress Angie Everhart's health," a rep for the stunning star tells E! News. "She wants to set the record straight by letting everyone know that it is true that she has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. However, the prognosis is good." The rep added that Everhart "will undergo surgery tomorrow [May 14] and expects to be back to work and to mommy duties in a few weeks." The rep noted that Everhart hopes that by sharing information about her health with the public, it will "encourage people to learn about cancer prevention, its signs and treatment immediately." Everhart struck fame as a redheaded teen, covering fashion magazines like Elle and Glamour before gracing the pages of several issues of the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. Everhart, who was married briefly to Ashley Hamilton in the 1990s and was engaged to Sylvester Stallone in 1995 briefly and to Joe Pesci before they split in 2008, has graced several Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues and has appeared in films including Last Action Hero and Another 9½ Weeks. She is mom to son Kayden, born in 2009. She has also appeared in countless films, including "Last Action Hero," "Payback" and "Take Me Home Tonight."

Tony Harnell

Former thyroid cancer patient Tony Harnell fronts new awareness campaign. Former Tnt rocker Tony Harnell has signed up to front a new thyroid cancer awareness campaign after successfully beating the disease in 2009. The star will shoot a series of adverts for the American Association Of Clinical Endocrinologists to help educate others on the illness and its warning signs. The Intuition hitmaker says, "As some of you know, I had thyroid cancer in 2009 and had successful surgery and have been cancer-free since. It's a very curable disease, but it is in the neck area, so, as a singer, it was pretty traumatic, but it's not a death sentence. "I didn't say anything about it to anyone outside my family 'til I was fully recovered vocally and physically, but I'm definitely not the same person as before. I'm so glad to be able to share my story so others can understand the disease better, as it's the fastest-growing type of cancer in America." The ads will be released in September (13) to coincide with America's Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month (MSN Music Entertainment, July 12, 2013, 11:02 AM EST)

Miss USA Contestant Gabrielle Neilan

In a world where imperfections stick out like sore thumbs, Gabrielle Neilan isn't hiding hers. In fact, she's embracing the subtle scar on her neck. "It's my strength," she says, before joking, "You can hardly notice it. It's like a fat roll on my neck." The fact that Neilan, 22, can be so humorous about it is refreshing. It's also shocking, considering she is one of 51 women competing in Las Vegas this weekend in the Miss USA pageant. Besting the other women is a tall task, of course, but the brunette beauty has been through worse. It wasn't long ago her Miss Oregon USA sash was replaced with a hospital gown and her stage was replaced with an operating table. Recalling that fateful October day, Neilan said, "I woke up with a lump on my throat. It hurt so bad. It felt like I was swallowing an apple every time I was swallowing." After several trips to the doctor, cancer was discovered in her thyroid. Although she needed surgery quickly to remove the organ in her neck, Neilan would not let it affect her pageant dreams, and the Miss Oregon USA pageant was only two weeks after the operation. "It's hard because you go through something like that and then you think of the little things in life and you realize they're not really that big a deal, so don't stress on it," she told PEOPLE. "It's been rough, honestly, the whole journey getting here. I went through two surgeries before my state pageant. Then in January I went through radiation. It's been up and down but I'm finding the positive at the end of the day." Her optimism is paying off. Just two weeks ago, Neilan found out her cancer is in remission. "The timing is perfect," she said. "Perfect." An interesting word. The quintessential word in the pageant world. But, it's Neilan's imperfection and perseverance that may gain her the Miss USA crown. (People.com, by Mark Gray 06/13/2013)

Flip or Flop Host Tarek El Moussa

Flip or Flop Host Tarek El Moussa Battling Thyroid Cancer (People.com, by Raha Lewis 09/10/2013). HGTV's Flip or Flop has loads of fans, but one in particular changed host Tarek El Moussa's life entirely. Ryan Read, 31, a registered nurse, was watching a marathon day of season one earlier this year when she noticed a lump on El Moussa's neck. "She didn't want to seem like a crazy fan," says El Moussa's wife and co-host, Christina. "Instead of writing to us, she Googled and found the production company and sent an email saying, 'This is not a joke. I'm a registered nurse. I've been watching Flip or Flop. I noticed that the host Tarek has a large nodule on his thyroid, and he needs to have it checked out.' " Tarek, 32, knew something was amiss. "I was having a harder time swallowing, and this lump was getting bigger," he tells PEOPLE. "I actually went to the doctor twice for it, and they said it's nothing. So, once I saw [the note from Read], I was like, 'You know what? I need to get a second opinion.' " An ultrasound initially showed a 5 percent chance of the lump being cancerous. But when the doctors conducted a biopsy on June 12, they realized it was cancer, and the lump had to be removed entirely. "They said they would remove half of it and be done in an hour," says Tarek. "But it ended up being four hours, it was cancer, and they ended up removing my entire thyroid. … When I woke up, my wife was crying and the first thing I asked was, 'It's cancer, isn't it?' And she said, 'Yeah.' " he bad news didn't end there. The cancer had spread to his lymph nodes, and he had to undergo radioactive iodine therapy, which meant he had to be isolated from his family for their protection. "It was a nightmare," he says. "They stay in a different bedroom, and I can't stay with my daughter for more than a few minutes at a time. She wanted to hug me and watch TV every night and give kisses, and we couldn't do that." Last Friday, Tarek did get some good news. "I was told that the cancer didn't spread beyond my neck," he says. "I'm hopeful now. We're filming a bunch of episodes and going on with life as best we can." Tarek and Christina will discuss their battle with cancer Thursday on an episode of the syndicated talk show The Doctors. Tarek will find out in the next week if he is cancer free, but he has already learned plenty from the experience. "I've always been very work, work, work," he says. "So, I stepped back and re-evaluated what I wanted, like spending time with my family and all that good stuff."

Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 1999. It has profoundly affected his life. At first, it was thought that the rock star had a benign vocal nodule, but he later revealed the real problem himself. Fortunately, Rod’s thyroid cancer was slow-growing papillary thyroid carcinoma and in May 2001 the singer underwent surgery at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to have thyroid gland removed. He made a full recovery and has since been committed to raising awareness about the disease.

“Following the various tests, I sat down in the Cedars Sinai hospital waiting-room in May 2000, confidently expecting to be dismissed. The wait went on for a little while. And then a doctor called me back into his office and explained that a scan had revealed something on my thyroid gland.” “The following day, I went back to the hospital and underwent a biopsy. Under a local anaesthetic, part of the affected area was removed using a needle and taken away for analysis. And the day after that I got a call at home, which I took standing up and which made my palms go cold.”“The results of the tests indicated that the ‘something’ on my thyroid gland was a malignant growth: cancer.”
“In fact, the real alarm, from my point of view, was only just beginning. In order for the surgeon to get to the tumour, it had been necessary to cut through the muscles in my throat.”“The muscles would mend. But, as it was explained to me in subsequent consultations, the muscle-memory built up in them over years of singing would be gone.”

In his interview with USA Today he said: “Needless to say, it was a shock. But fortunately, I had a particularly slow-growing thyroid cancer which was surgically removed, and now I have a clean bill of health…As anyone who has been through this experience knows, when you are so close to something that is potentially life-threatening, you tend to get your life in perspective.”

Brooke Burke-Charvet

Dancing with the Stars co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2012. Brooke Burke-Charvet, co-host of "Dancing With the Stars," announced in November of 2012 that she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The 41-year-old mother of four revealed how a thyroid nodule had been detected, but she delayed followup evaluation. “Long story. I got my results back, and they were not good,” she said in the video posted on her ModernMom blog. “I went for a regular physical and that’s how I discovered this,” she said. “I feel really good, and actually I’ve never felt better. That’s what’s so crazy about this whole thing.” After various tests and a fine needle aspiration biopsy, the diagnosis of thyroid cancer was confirmed. Burke will undergo a total thyroidectomy.

In Los Angeles Times, By Christie D'Zurilla, December 6, 2012,"Brooke Burke-Charvet was resting Thursday after successful surgery to remove her thyroid gland, which had a cancerous polyp. "I'm resting, recovering," the "Dancing With the Stars" co-host tweeted early in the day. "Surgery went well. Dr Adashek is a genius. Thx Dr! Feels like I got hit [by] a car :(" "Thank God it's over. I'm clean, surgery went well & I can talk. Losing My voice was my biggest fear. Thx for all your prayers & light." The 41-year-old kept tweeting through the day, relaying that she was spending time with family and icing her neck, the site of the surgery. The mother of four was also "trying to be still in a hectic house," something she said she was not used to. Burke-Charvet went public with her condition in early November, making a video for fans in which she explained what was up. Since then, she has said, she's received tremendous support from fans and others who've gone through a thyroidectomy. She continued Thursday to be thankful for all the support that had come via social media."

Catherine Bell

Actress Catherine Lisa Bell ( born August 14, 1968) is a thyroid cancer survivor. Catherine Bell is a British-American actress known for her role of Lieutenant Colonel Sarah MacKenzie of the television show JAG from 1997 to 2005 (JAG, Army Wives) . Currently she stars in the Lifetime Television series Army Wives as Denise Sherwood. In addition to her acting, Bell, an activist for the Church of Scientology, has also been a spokesperson for the Thyroid Cancer Survivor's Association. When she was in her 20s, she had thyroid cancer and had to have her thyroid removed. She does not cover the scar on her neck because she "thinks it's kind of cool"., IMDb.com, Inc.

Katee Sackhoff

Actress Katee Sackhoff was diagnosed and treated for thyroid cancer in 2009.Katee Sackhoff is best known for playing Captain Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica," and as "Dana Walsh" on the Fox series "24." Sackoff told the New York Post: "Luckily, for me, I had one of the most curable forms of it. Once the surgery was done to remove my thyroid, I took nine months off." In January of 2010, USA Weekend wrote: "She recently had a one-year check-up, which showed no signs of cancer, but not all of her scars have healed. 'It was the scariest thing I've ever been through,' she says. 'I'm still in therapy trying to get over it.'"

T.A.T.U pop duo singer Yulia Volkova

T.A.T.U singer Yulia Volkova beat cancer but 'mistake' during surgery damaged her singing voice.
Yulia Volkova – one of half of fake lesbian pop duo t.A.T.u – revealed she had beaten cancer, but a "mistake" during surgery left her with damage to her singing voice. The 31-year-old Russian – who performed during the Opening Ceremony of 2014's Sochi Winter Olympics – said the mishap during her Moscow surgery had left her initially unable to speak. A mum of two, she added she'd now recovered from thyroid cancer but needed further surgery in South Korea to restore her voice, which is now soft and husky. Volkova had hidden her cancer from the world for four years, even during the Olympic reunion with her t.A.T.u co-singer Lena Katia – with who she famously kissed during performances. "It was a critical moment for me. When the surgery was over, I had to open my eyes and start talking," she said. "But it didn't happen."I was whispering."Forget about singing. I could not say hello on the phone, people were not hearing me. "Posing as lesbian schoolgirls, the Russian duo shocked the world when they burst onto the scene in 2003.The scantily clad pair would regularly kiss and cuddle during their performances – sparking outrage that their act was just a marketing stunt. But despite their apparently close bond on stage, the 31-year-old singer revealed the duo hadn't kept in touch much since. "Many friends and those who were close to me have gone, saying something like 'Ah, Yulia Volkova, she's a thing of the past, forget about her. "When I was expecting surgery, all kept calling - 'Come on, we're with you, you are strong, you will make it'. "But when it was all over, and they heard my voice after the surgery, they realised they did not need me anymore."Nobody called, even Lena."She added: "I lost lost my voice because of the doctors' mistake. "I mean they hurt my vocal nerve. "I had a thyroid cancer. They damaged my vocal nerve."But despite the pain, Volkova is bravely putting it behind her and moving on: "All the worst is behind me. I never think why or what for," she added. "It happens, and it means it happened in my life in order to take me through it. "It is a certain stage of my life and I believe that such diseases are sent only to strong people. "It is only for strong people, even if they do not survive, they fight to the end." "MIRROR.co.uk" By Rachael Moon 14:13, 7 APR 2016

Veronica Waceke

Kenyan actress Veronica Waceke diagnosed with thyroid cancer (By Ngozi Obiwulu, Nigerian ENTERTAINMENT Today, November 21, 2013, and The Kenyan Daily Post). Kenyan actress, Veronica Waceke is soliciting financial support after being diagnosed of thyroid cancer few weeks back. Veronica’s ailment started off as a painless swelling around her neck and glottis region which resulted in frequent hospital visitation. After some tests at Kenyatta National Hospital, the doctors confirmed that the young actress is suffering from thyroid cancer. Following this, the actress will need to undergo a procedural surgery (costing approximately Ksh 400,000) which will see to the removal of her thyroid gland. A Facebook account with the name ‘The Art Synthesis-Charity Event for Veronica Waceke’ has been set up by some artists to aid her support with its first open event holding on Saturday, November 23, 2013 at the Alliance Francaise. The event will be graced by representatives from the Africa Cancer foundation and entertainers- Jalango, Mama Baha, Nice Githinji, Lizz Njagah, Janet Kirina, Gerald Langiri. Martin Githinji,Ziki, Asali,Heartstrings, Ruth Maingi,Wakimani, Maryanne Nungo. Popularly known as Citizen TV’s ‘Mother-In-Law’, Veronica has also featured in other local TV programmes including ‘Machachari’, ‘Higher Learning’, ‘Guy centre’, ‘Be the Judge’, ‘Makutano Junction’.

Here is the statement released to the public via the group's Facebook page in regard to the event:

The Art Synthesis is an annual charity event started and organized by a group of artists merely coming together to help one of their fellow artists who broke the news to her friends that she has been diagnosed by early stages of Thyroid Cancer. The 1st event will be held on the 23rd November, 2013 at the Alliance Francaise starting for 2:00pm and the 1st beneficiary of this event will be thespian Veronica Waceke.
Veronica Waceke is a screen plus stage actress and you may have spotted her on shows like Higher Learning, where she plays Aida, a sassy University girl who runs an escort company and she lures her friends to join the business with a promise of good pay and the good life. She has also been on Guy Centre, where she plays a talent scout who fishes for new musical talent and goes ahead to promote it. She has also been featured in other local TV acts amongst Be the Judge, Makutano Junction, Machachari and recently, Mother in Law. On stage, she is an actor affiliated with the Festival of Creative Arts (FCA) group who are popularly known for bringing the public numerous exciting stage plays including will you still love me in the morning? Do you love me, No dinner for sinners, among others. She has also done several films including the recently launched Captain of Nakara and Strata which is set to be launched in less than a month’s time. Waceke, a young hardworking passionate actor is now living in fear, fear for her life since doctors diagnosed her with Thyroid cancer. It started off as a painless swelling around her neck. She, and even some of her friends, confused with a lower adam’s apple and even made fun of it. The swelling wasn’t going away and it was gradually increasing in size and this is when she got concerned, her folks too became concerned and it was her mother who eventually urged her to have the swelling checked out. The endless trips to clinics and hospitals begun. She got conflicting results with some doctors saying it was a goiter. She was subjected to many tests with doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital finally finding out traces of thyroid cancer cells in the swelling. The remedy for her kind of cancer is to undergo a procedural surgery which aims to remove the thyroid glands and thereafter be placed under permanent medication to prevent any recurrence of the cancerous cells. The procedure, which will cost around approximately ksh 400,000 saw her concerned friends come to form a support group. The group is called Art Synthesis to symbolize the fusion of different arts. The idea was to use what they do, which is art, to assist in raising funds for the scheduled procedure by showcasing different arts on one stage to the public and charge ksh 500 at the gate. The lineup of activities for the day will include: Skits, monologues, musical performances, a fashion show, with names like Jalango, mama baha, Nice Githinji, Lizz Njagah, Janet Kirina, Gerald Langiri. Martin Githinji,Ziki, Asali,Heartstrings, Ruth Maingi,Wakimani, Maryanne Nungo, Fashion designer Lungowe Lungowe plus many more, all gracing the stage for an entertaining fun afternoon with a cause. The artists have vowed to continue with the Art Synthesis once a year and volunteering their skills as a way of raising funds for cancer patients and creating awareness. The event will be graced by representatives from the Africa Cancer Foundation, a foundation set up by Kisumu County Senator Prof. Anyang Nyong’o.

Karen Smyers

Karen Smyers is a triathlete, competing at the sport’s highest level. On August 15, 2001, she gained America’s top ranking, finishing first in the U.S. Triathlon Championship. In September 1999, Karen went to see her doctor because of what seemed to be swollen glands in her neck. An ultrasound examination showed that part of her thyroid was enlarged and there were five or six other nodules nearby in the neck. A biopsy was done, but no definite diagnosis of cancer could be made. Nevertheless, it was clear that Karen needed to have her thyroid removed because the microscopic findings and her clinical picture were suspicious for thyroid cancer. In December 1999, Karen underwent thyroid surgery with findings of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Joe Piscopo

Comedian and actor Joe Piscopo suffered from thyroid cancer. Piscopo is a long-term thyroid cancer survivor -- his thyroid cancer was diagnosed in the 1990s.

Mark Holden

FORMER Australian Idol judge Mark Holden has scored his own personal touchdown - he has been cleared of cancer (by Staff Writer, The Daily Telegraph September 04, 2010). The '70s sensation, who had a six-hour operation to remove a tumor in his thyroid in April, got the good news on Wednesday. "I just had iodine radiation two weeks ago and they did a scan last Friday," Holden said. "My surgeon called me ... to tell me they didn't find any new tumors. That was an enormous relief and I have actually had my first drink tonight for some time and that felt good, too, because I do like a drink." The one-time King of Pop and Young Doctors star Holden, 56, was diagnosed after discovering a lump in his neck last September. "I don't know that I have a clean bill, but my doctor told me there is nothing new," he said. "The main cancer was in the thyroid but there were secondaries, so it could have gone out into the rest of the body which is what we were concerned about. "They haven't found anything new and the radiation is hopefully going to knock the shit out of the little bastards."

Sofia Vergara

The "Modern Family" star was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2000 when she was just 28 years old and underwent surgery to remove her thyroid. When she was diagnosed, she wasn't experiencing any symptoms. After the removal of her thyroid gland and radioactive iodine treatment, the actress is reportedly cancer-free and uses Synthroid to keep her thyroid hormones balanced. She is now the spokeswoman for the new campaign "Follow the Script," made possible by AbbVie, which aims to educate individuals with hypothyroidism about the importance of being consistent with the treatment their doctor prescribes. HuffPost Celebrity was on hand for the launch of the campaign at the Trump SoHo in New York City on April 17, where Vergara discussed her own battle with the condition and what she does to stay happy and healthy.

Vergara revealed that she discovered her thyroid issue while at her son Manolo's doctor's appointment in 2000. The physician convinced her to get a check-up and then found out that her thyroid was abnormal just by touching her throat. They did a biopsy and uncovered that her thyroid was, in fact, cancerous.

Sofia Vergara was struggling with cancer. Sofia went through multiple radiation treatments before having her Thyroid removed which ultimately led to her being hypothyroid. “You can get on top of it really easily,” Vergara says in an interview with FoxNews.com on April 21st 2013. “It is not something that is going to take your time to go and get tested, so I don’t there is a reason why anyone should be living with hypothyroidism.”

"They removed my thyroid and since then I have to use medication," she told reporters at the event. "I got rid of the cancer and then for me it was, ‘Oh shoot, now I have to live with this condition my whole life ... I have to be on medication my whole life and I don’t have a thyroid.' So, of course I had to make myself realize what was going on with my body and I have to say in the past ten years, I never had a problem. I’m very very straight with the way I try to do what the doctor says and I go to my doctor religiously and get my blood tests."

Chief Justice Rehnquist

Chief Justice Rehnquist died of thyroid cancer in 2005

Published in September 04, 2005 in MedPage Today by Mark Bloom: "Rehnquist had been treated for the disease since last October, receiving both chemotherapy and radiation."The Chief Justice battled thyroid cancer since being diagnosed last October and continued to perform his duties on the court until a precipitous decline in his health the last couple of days," said Kathy Arberg, a Supreme Court spokeswoman, in a statement.Rehnquist was appointed to the Supreme Court as an associate justice in 1971 and was elevated to chief justice in 1982.Although specific details of Rehnquist's thyroid cancer were never revealed, he was believed to be suffering from anaplastic thyroid cancer, an aggressive form of the disease with a poor prognosis.His illness spawned many rumors of an impending retirement, particularly after a two-day hospitalization in July for fever. But Rehnquist was determined to soldier on. "I want to put to rest the speculation and unfounded rumors of my imminent retirement," he said in a statement. "I am not about to announce my retirement. I will continue to perform my duties as chief justice as long as my health permits." Speculation arose immediately after his diagnosis in October that he had anaplastic disease because he required a tracheostomy, which is usually reserved in thyroid cancer for advanced, intractable cases. The majority of thyroid cancer cases are curable with surgery, radioactive iodine therapy, or both. To authorities in thyroid cancer not connected with Rehnquist's care, the tracheostomy signaled the presence of an invasive, poorly differentiated tumor that had either metastasized to the trachea or was causing airway obstruction."

Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov, PhD., (1920-1992) noted science-fiction writer and generally incredibly prolific author (with well over 500 books published in his lifetime), had papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. On December 16, 1971, at the age of 52, a palpable and visible lump was noted at his physical exam by his internist. A radioactive iodine scan on January 10, 1972 showed that the nodule was cold, and Dr. Asimov had a right thyroidectomy on February 15, 1972. His follow-up treatment consisted of a lifelong suppressive course of thyroid hormone. I am happy to report that that is the end of the story. Dr. Asimov survived twenty more years with no thyroid problems to speak of, and eventually succumbed to unrelated causes (kidney failure and associated cardiovascular disease) at the age of 72."Doctor, Doctor, Cut My Throat" is the article Dr. Asimov refers to in I. Asimov when he writes: "The operation gave me occasion to prove how delightful it was to be a writer. Carl charged me $1500 for the operation (well worth it) and I later wrote up a funny article about it (including my little verse) and charged $2000 for the piece. Ha, ha, and how do you like that, you old medical profession, you? (I was happier than ever that I hadn't been accepted by any medical school.)"

Richard Crenna

Richard Crenna, Actor , better known as Sylvester Stallone's former commander in the Rambo movies, died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Reuters reports. Crenna, 76, died of heart failure resulting as a complication of pancreatic cancer. The actor first gained attention as a squeaky-voiced juvenile on radio serials, including A Date with Judy and Burns and Allen, and as the dimwitted lovesick teen Walter Denton on Our Miss Brooks. He grew up to star in such TV series as The Real McCoys and Slattery's People. Crenna moved into feature film in the early '80s, starting with the steamy film noir remake Body Heat and later in The Flamingo Kid and First Blood. Crenna had beaten cancer once already, but was diagnosed with thyroid cancer about five years ago and was struck by fatal pancreatic cancer late in 2002.

Richard Crenna played various movie roles such as Colonel Trautman in Rambo, Mike Talman in Wait Until Dark, and the recurring character, Jared Duff, in the current TV show, Judging Amy. Since the age of 11 when he was in a radio show called The Boy Scout Jamboree, Crenna has made a career out of his voice, acting in over 100 movies. "One of the things you have to understand after having gone through cancer is that nobody understands your body better than you do." He did not want to leave it alone and just hope it went away. For this reason he was persistent about getting tests and he finally had a CT scan showing a lump hidden behind his laryngeal nerve. His regular exam missed it because it could not be detected from the outside. A biopsy of the lump confirmed cancer. "The thing that was most frustrating for me was having lost my voice and not knowing what to do with the rest of my life." He continued filming without telling his co-workers because he did not want to burden them with worrying about him. It was not easy though. "I remember one day on the set I had a shouting scene with Angie Dickinson and I was thinking to myself Am I going to be able to say this or not?" He did get through it and scheduled the surgery for just three days following the shoot. Crenna had the surgery but was left with unexpected results. The tumor was connected to the laryngeal nerve and they had to remove the nerve along with the tumor. Crenna recalls, "It paralyzed my left vocal cord so I essentially had no voice. I was little more than a whisper.'" This was devastating for an actor who was basically defined by his voice. Although he was dismayed at having lost his voice, he rebounded quickly. Crenna explains, "The one thing you have to do in terms of fighting this or any illness is to remain positive and not think Oh, my God, I've lost my voice, but rather Oh, my God, I'm alive! Thank God I'm alive." With this renewed hope and positive outlook, Crenna continued with radioactive iodine - his follow-up therapy, which he calls "the Atomic Bomb." For Crenna this was a simple but frightening procedure. "A man came walking down the hall with this lead vault - he was also in a lead suit. They slid the food to me through the door, and I had to take the pill and be held incommunicado for about 48 hours because my radioactive count was so high. Everything I brought with me - my toothbrush, magazines, and books - were all nuclear waste and had to be thrown away." He was fortunate to have no side effects from the iodine. After his treatment was over, Crenna recalls, "The thing that was most frustrating for me was having lost my voice and not knowing what to do with the rest of my life." Facing his unknown future, Crenna found courage through the support of his family. His wife, Penni, and three children, Seana, Richard and Maria, were instrumental in helping him stay positive and proactive. With this encouragement from his family, Crenna found Dr. Gerald Berke at University of California Los Angeles and scheduled a visit. After Dr. Berke examined Crenna, the doctor told him that he would get his voice back. Surprised, Crenna asked "When? In six months, a year, two years?" Dr. Berke astonished Crenna with the reply, "When you get off the operating table."

Having nothing to lose and his voice to gain, Crenna scheduled the surgery. Crenna remembers with a laugh, "One of the brightest days of my life was to awaken in the recovery room and look up to see my family standing there and say 'I'm fine.' I really could say it. I still have a paralyzed left vocal cord and what you're hearing is my right vocal cord working its tail off. I have almost what I would consider my normal voice back. I used to do a lot of cartoon voices and some of those things I can't do, but the fact that I can communicate and we can sit here having this interview is a triumph of modem medicine."

Jennifer Grey

Dirty Dancing star Jennifer Grey was diagnosed with thyroid cancer during a check-up prior to joining the US’s Dancing with the Stars cast.

The actress saw a neurologist to address the neck problems she’d suffered in a 1980’s car accident before she was given the all clear to dance again. The surgeon noticed a lump while preparing Jennifer for spinal surgery and also operated to remove half of it - upon discovering it was cancerous Grey underwent a further surgery in December 2009 to remove the rest. Grey had noticed the lump four years previously but hadn’t considered it dangerous. "I was so frightened of the surgery’ the actress told wonderwall.msn.com, “ I didn't want to even consider that it would be successful. And it was so successful, I proceeded to do everything else on my to-do list that I was afraid of, including doing [Dancing with the Stars].” Talking about her cancer diagnosis Grey told Access Hollywood ‘I don't consider myself in the same league as people who have had to go through chemotherapy’Grey is now cancer-free and added in a UsMagazine interview that she was ‘so happy’ to be dancing again.

Mary Murphy

Mary Murphy, Celebrity Dancer. She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2007 and had the tumor removed in December 2011. Mary Murphy returned to “So You Think You Can Dance” after a year away. She says she’s cancer free but her vocal chords are still weak and sore. Will she dance again? Mary said, “My body has changed dramatically…I’m still navigating the whole hormonal change thing. I would still like to exit dancing, but I just don’t think it’s going to happen this season until we situate my hormones, you know?”

Mike Butcher

Angels coach Mike Butcher, recovering from cancer surgery, says 'I feel normal'

Los Angeles Times, February 24, 2011: "Doctors informed Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher after a check-up on Wednesday that he is cancer-free following his Feb. 10 surgery to remove his thyroid gland. A cancerous growth was found on Butcher's neck in mid-January."The next step is figuring out whether I have to take a radiation pill or not and dialing in my thyroid medication," Butcher said Thursday in his first public comments since the procedure. "My energy level is good. I feel normal. "I feel I can go through a full day with no problems. I can't yell as loud as I want to, and I won't be singing any time soon, but for the most part, I'm back." Butcher, who lives in the Phoenix area, had gone to a doctor in mid-January because of some bone spurs in his neck. A nodule was detected on the thyroid, and Butcher was sent to a specialist for a biopsy, which showed Butcher had papillary thyroid cancer. "My immediate reaction was, 'Whoa,' you don't want to hear the C-word," said Butcher, who has a three-inch scar at the base of his neck. "I wanted it out of me. I gathered as much information as I could." Among his first calls was to Marcie Salmon, the wife of former Angels star Tim Salmon, who had a similar procedure done in the late 1990s and has suffered no ill effects. "She told me the steps I'd be going through, what to expect, and knowing she recovered and feels fine was very reassuring," Butcher said. "It put my mind at ease." Doctors told Butcher, a former Angels reliever, that there is not necessarily a link between his cancer and his use of smokeless chewing tobacco for 20 years as a pitcher and coach. But Butcher stopped chewing tobacco two years ago, "and that's something I won't do again," he said. "You'll never see me with a dip in my mouth, and I can say never."

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has thyroid cancer.

Los Angeles Times,, December 27, 2011: President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina has become the latest Latin American leader to face cancer, officials announced Tuesday. Fernandez has thyroid cancer and will be undergo surgery Jan. 4, government spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro said (link in Spanish). It was detected last week and convalescence is expected to last three weeks. The spokesman said the cancer has not metastasized nor spread to her lymph nodes.

In The Washington Post ( 01/05/2012):Kirchner was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last week and underwent surgery on Wednesday. And while the initial prognosis is excellent, “Cristina” - as she is popularly known here - will need to be on leave from her duties for three weeks, during which time her vice-president will be in charge.But what’s interesting is the panic that her illness has inspired, as much among her supporters as among her detractors. Even the media - which is, disconcertingly (at least to this journalist), frequently portrayed as the *real* opposition in Argentina right now - seemed anxious at the thought of her being out of pocket for three weeks.

N. Paul Kenworthy Jr.

N. Paul Kenworthy Jr. dies at 85 of thyroid cancer; award-winning camera-systems inventor and cinematographer.

He co-invented the Snorkel Camera System and produced captivating wildlife footage that was featured in Disney's Oscar-winning True-Life Adventure films 'The Living Desert' and 'The Vanishing Prairie.'N. Paul Kenworthy Jr., a camera-systems inventor and cinematographer whose captivating wildlife footage was featured in Walt Disney's Academy Award-winning True-Life Adventure films "The Living Desert" and "The Vanishing Prairie," has died. He was 85.Kenworthy, who co-invented the Snorkel Camera System, died of thyroid cancer Oct. 15 at a senior living facility in Ventura, said his son Kirk. The cancer had spread to his lungs (Los Angeles Times, October 24, 2010).

Ex-Yahoo chief Scott Thompson

Ex-Yahoo chief Scott Thompson reportedly has thyroid cancer

Scott Thompson’s health reportedly contributed to his decision to step down as Yahoo chief executive over the weekend. Thompson has been under fire lately for citing a false degree in computer science on his biography. A report from The Wall Street Journal says that Thompson has started treatment for thyroid cancer, that he did not want his illness made public, and that may also have contributed to his decision to step down. Yahoo’s head of global media, Ross Levinsohn, replaced Thompson as interim CEO on Sunday. The unnamed sources in the Journal’s report did not go into further detail about what kind of thyroid cancer Thompson may have (The Washington Post, May 14, 2012).

Roger Ebert

The film critic, Roger Ebert, 70, won a Pulitzer Prize for his criticism and became the most influential and recognizable critic in the USA, especially after the weekly movie review TV series that popularized the "thumbs up" phrase. Ebert had been battling cancer for a decade, but remained a fixture on the film scene, continuing to attend festivals and covering the Academy Awards ceremony for the Sun-Times. President Obama saluted the critic in a statement: "For a generation of Americans — and especially Chicagoans — Roger was the movies. When he didn't like a film, he was honest; when he did, he was effusive — capturing the unique power of the movies to take us somewhere magical. Even amidst his own battles with cancer, Roger was as productive as he was resilient — continuing to share his passion and perspective with the world. The movies won't be the same without Roger."

When Ebert appeared in 2007 at the opening night of the Roger Ebert Overlooked Film Festival in Champaign, Ill. — his first public appearance after suffering complications from cancer surgery in 2006 — a sold-out auditorium of festival fans gave him two standing ovations. Though he could not speak as a result of surgery, Ebert used a computer program on his Mac that translated his typing into speech. "This is not the voice of HAL the computer," Ebert's Mac said, and the audience laughed. After a series of surgeries and painful recovery, in 2010 Ebert mused about death, writing, in part, "I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear." The Chicago Sun-Times, ABC News, USA TODAY

UK director Antonia Bird

ANTONIA Bird, one of Britain's leading female film and TV directors, has died of cancer aged 62. (By Neil Lancefield AAP, October 27, 2013 news.com.au) She was known for 1990s films including Priest, Face and Ravenous, all starring actor Robert Carlyle. Carlyle, writing on Twitter, said: "Such a sad day today. RIP Antonia Bird. Farewell my beautiful friend." Novelist Irvine Welsh, who was a partner with Bird in the British film production company 4Way Pictures alongside Carlyle and film maker Mark Cousins, paid tribute to "our top Bird" and said she made "amazing films". Her partner gave a statement to the BBC which said she died on Thursday after a seven-month struggle with the rare anaplastic thyroid cancer. She had an operation to remove a large tumour in April, it said. "Despite a determined fight, she had come to terms with the inevitable in the last few weeks and died peacefully in her sleep," the statement added. Bird's TV credits included Spooks, Cracker, the first series of EastEnders in 1985 and this year's BBC One drama The Village. Born in London, she started her career in professional theatre just after her 17th birthday in 1968 and took on various roles in regional theatres including directing, acting, stage management and publicity. She became a resident director at London's Royal Court Theatre in 1978, before switching to TV in the mid-1980s. Bird won best single drama awards at the TV Baftas for 1993's Safe, a BBC Two drama about homeless teenagers, and 2000's Care, which focused on sexual abuse in children's homes. She also won a Bafta Children's Award in 2009 for poetry documentary Off By Heart.

Dan Snyder

Billionaire Redskins owner and entertainment entrepreneur Dan Snyder has successfully battled thyroid cancer.

Arizona's Doug Davis

After thyroid cancer surgery in April, 2008, Arizona's Doug Davis is cleared to pitch. (The Washington Post, MAY 9, 2008),

THYROID NODULE (MULTINODULAR GOITER)

Tipper Gore

Tipper Gore, wife of former vice president Al Gore, had a thyroid tumor. December 31, 1999 Doctors found a growth on the right side of Mrs. Gore’s thyroid after she complained of neck pains. A biopsy of the growth proved it to be inconclusive, and at that point Tipper underwent a two-hour operation called a right thyroid lobectomy, this is the process of removing the right side of the thyroid gland. The tumor was benign, but half of Gore's thyroid was removed.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto

CNN, AP July 31, 2013: Mexico City (CNN) -- Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto underwent thyroid surgery Wednesday, July 31, 2013.
The operation to remove a nodule was successful, said Aurelio Nuño Mayer, head of the president's office. "The president is already awake, and he is already in the room," Nuño told reporters. "Everything went very smoothly, as planned..“ Gen. Fernando Arcaute Velazquez, director of Mexico's Central Military Hospital, said doctors found "no evidence of malignancy" during the procedure. Officials said Peña Nieto will spend half of his four-day recovery period at the hospital, and the rest in his official residence.

HYPERTHYROIDISM (GRAVES' DISEASE)

Sia

v“I’m not crazy! I have Graves’ disease!” the Australian singer-songwriter proclaimed in a 2010 tweet.
Known for her quirky, face-concealing performances, Sia opened up about her fatigue and other symptoms in an interview with The Guardian.
“I basically shat my pants for eight months and shook like I had Parkinson’s,” she said.
"I Have a Disease That Makes My Thyroid Go Haywire

Marty Feldman

Martin Alan "Marty" Feldman (1934 – 1982) was an English comedy writer, comedian and actor. He starred in several British television comedy series, including At Last the 1948 Show and Marty, the latter of which won two BAFTA awards. He was the first Saturn Award winner for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Young Frankenstein. He used his bulging eyes, caused by Graves' disease, to good effect in his work as a comedian.

Click here to see tribute video to Marty Feldman

George and Barbara Bush

Former President George Bush, The 41st President of the United States, and former first lady Barbara Bush, both suffered from thyroid disease. The First Couple both were diagnosed with Grave’s’ disease while President Bush was in office.

In The Washington Post Magazine, Sunday, June 20, 1999; Page 8 article By Bob Woodward he wrote following:

" In April 1991, Patty Presock, Bush's secretary, reported to Burton Lee III, the White House physician, that Bush's handwriting had changed. The president's sleep patterns were erratic. He had lost 15 pounds. The next month, while jogging at Camp David, Bush had collapsed from shortness of breath. His heart was beating irregularly.

The diagnosis was Graves disease, an overactive thyroid. Bush had lost some of his zest and stamina. Fitzwater watched for any changes, knowing the press would notice them. He saw that Bush had some mood swings and was not as engaged in his presidency. The president kept delaying his decision to run for reelection in 1992.

After many delays and false starts, Bush decided to run. More than a year later, on July 24, 1992, amid the campaign, the president snapped at a heckler, "Shut up and sit down." Later that day campaigning in Ohio, Fitzwater was worried. Lee said Bush had had an irregular heart episode that morning. The doctor said he was having trouble regulating the president's medication. The dosage, he said, affected mental acuity.

Fitzwater was shocked. When Bush appeared looking terrible and pale, Fitzwater asked Bush's photographer what he was seeing. The photographer confirmed that the president seemed to be drained. Later Bush's shirt soaked through and his voice was weak.

When Fitzwater questioned Bush about his health, the president claimed everything was perfect. But the staff had to push the president, set up special meetings to get him focused. The more Bush denied any problem, the more Fitzwater and Lee realized it was real. The president eventually shut down on the topic and said he did not want to hear any more.

Barbara Bush, who also suffered from Graves' disease, was upset and angry. She faulted Lee for not getting on top of the problem and regulating her husband's medication more effectively. Regardless of who was to blame, the drive and vitality went out of Bush and his presidency."

Dannii Minogue

Dannii Minogue (10 October 2011), got so ill from a thyroid problem she became too weak to hold her son. The 39-year-old star - who has 15-month-old Ethan with partner Kris Smith - is still recovering from a thyroid problem which saw her lose huge amounts of wait and drained her of her energy. She said: "My thyroid stopped working and I had appendicitis. "Leading up to that, I was getting thinner and thinner and stressing because I didn't know what it was. Normally you put on weight if you have an under-active thyroid but there is a percentage of people that have it reversed. It got very hard to concentrate, you can't sleep and I got very weak. "I was finding it hard to pick Ethan up and I was thinking, 'I'm a new mum, I know I'm tired but surely it can't be this hard?' When you've just had a baby you think it must be normal tiredness but it got to the point where I thought, 'This can't be normal.' " The 'Australia's Got Talent' judge and is considering having another child but says it is an impossibility until she is back to full health. Asked if she wants more children, she said in an interview with Stella magazine: "Maybe. Yes, but honestly until I get my health back on track it's not a possibility. Meanwhile I turn 40 this month. I do see babies and think, 'Yummy.' "

John Adams, The Second President of the United States

In book about John Adams by James Grant, Mr. Grant is much taken with the theory that many of Adams's quirks and character defects can be attributed to Graves' disease, a thyroid condition that would account for Adam's sore eyes and the bouts of depression, irritability and paranoia that caused some contemporaries to label him mad. Benjamin Franklin, along with the French, did not know what to make of Adams and his strange approach to diplomacy, which relied heavily on blunt demands and long, lecturing letters to the Count de Vergennes, the French foreign minister, who, Mr. Grant writes, regarded Adams as "contentious, ungracious and even delusional," and at one point tried to have him recalled. The Graves' theory is intriguing, plausible and unprovable. Mr. Grant stands on firmer ground in detailing the frustrations and obstacles that brought out the worst and the best in Adams, who again and again met adversity head on and more often than not triumphed.(The New York Times, March 23, 2005)

Kelly Osbourn

Kelly Osbourne, the reality TV star. Kelly claims her huge weight loss wasn’t due to watching her diet or extreme dancing exercise, but rather because she has an overactive thyroid - hyperthyroidism.

Actress Faith Ford

Actress Faith Ford’s Struggle with Graves' Disease (By Bryan Campbell, EMPOWER). It’s Christmas time. A childhood dream is coming true for the girl from Pineville, Louisiana. As she gets ready to tape an episode of a hit new television comedy, she starts to feel hot and jittery. “Just nerves” is what people tell her. But then she realizes she is having trouble remembering her lines. It gets so bad that someone calls the paramedics. “An anxiety attack,” they say. The young actress is given a glass of milk and a peanut butter sandwich. She knows that something isn’t right. Somehow, she pulls everything together to give her performance. But once the taping is over, the star of the show, Candice Bergen, gives her simple, and ultimately life-saving advice. “You need to see your doctor.” In the fall of 1988, actress Faith Ford should have been on top of the world. The 24-year-old former model had just landed a leading role on the hit comedy Murphy Brown. Playing the loveable journalist, Corky Sherwood, she was an overnight star across the United States. But while she was experiencing virtually overnight success, she was struggling with more subtle changes in her body. “I was losing weight, even though I was eating enough food for two full grown men,” said Ford. While many might think that is a good thing, she knew something wasn’t right in her body. Despite being an avid exerciser, she often found herself very weak. Often, she would find herself incredibly hot, despite being in relatively cool rooms. “I wanted to dip my hands in ice water just to cool down,” Ford recalled. To make things worse, she often felt that she had sand in her eyes. Ford tells of a bonding experience where Candice Bergen invited the cast of Murphy Brown on a ski trip. But every time that Ford would fall down, she struggled to gather the strength to stand up again. Later, after the misdiagnosed panic attack episode happened on the set of Murphy Brown, Ford knew she needed to take the advice of her co-star and go see a doctor. But because her symptoms were somewhat vague, the doctor had a hard time making a diagnosis. “I stayed with my doctor for more than two hours,” said Ford. “Finally, he had an ‘A-ha’ moment and asked me to take a glass of water and swallow.” That’s when the doctor noticed a lump at the bottom of Ford’s throat. It looked like a bulging muscle. Ford had seen it, but assumed it was the result of her workout routine. The doctor knew that it was a malfunctioning thyroid. Ford had a condition called Graves’ disease. This condition is marked by an overactive thyroid. The thyroid gland produces the hormone which regulates the metabolism in the body. In Ford’s case, too much of this thyroid hormone was responsible for the symptoms she was experiencing. Happy to finally have a diagnosis, Ford was ready to deal with the problem. Her doctor prescribed a medication to regulate her thyroid hormone levels. She took the medication as prescribed and thought that her thyroid problems were behind her. Fast forward to six years later, Ford started to notice that, again, she wasn’t feeling right. This time, she recognized the symptoms right away and went right back to her doctor. She received the same treatment as before, but this time it didn’t work. Her doctor informed her that in order to maintain a normal thyroid hormone level, she would have to lose her malfunctioning thyroid. This left her with two options: remove the thyroid surgically, or kill the thyroid using radioactive iodine (RAI) treatment. By this time, Ford was very thyroid smart. She had learned that her mother has an underactive thyroid, and that thyroid conditions are hereditary and highly common in families. Her mother advised her against having her thyroid surgically removed. Add to that the fact that surgery would take her away from work for about three weeks in the middle of the season, and Ford’s decision was easy. She opted for the RAI treatment. Once her diseased thyroid had been destroyed, Ford’s doctor needed to replace the thyroid hormone her body should have been producing normally. She was placed on a synthetic thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Simply put, she started taking one pill, every day, to replace the thyroid hormone her body could no longer make. That was more than 16 years ago. And every day since, Ford takes her medication religiously. “I take it at the exact same time, every day, first thing in the morning,” said Ford. “I take it on an empty stomach and I never skip a day.”

Ford has enjoyed a long and successful career in acting, including Murphy Brown and Hope and Faith, and will next be seen in the upcoming Disney feature film Prom, scheduled for release on April 29th. Recently she ventured into the producing business. She just produced and starred in a feature film entitled Escapee that will be released later in 2011. She’s working with her husband to run a full production company in her home state of Louisiana while helping to invigorate the growing film industry in the state.
In addition to acting and producing, Ford has hosted two seasons of a lifestyle web series for MSN and Kraft called “Mind Body Balance”. On the series, Ford interviews experts and gives tips about how to simplify life in all areas, particularly when it comes to cooking, exercising and organization. Ford enjoys cooking and is the author of the cookbook Cooking With Faith, which features some traditional Southern recipes along with some healthier, updated versions of Southern favorites.
How does she manage to keep up the energy to juggle all of these tasks at once? “Because I feel better today than I did in my 20s,” said Ford. “Once my thyroid was in balance, it gave me my life back.” And she has one simple piece of advice for you. “If you aren’t feeling like yourself… if you just feel like something is different and you aren’t sure what it is or why… it might be your thyroid. So do what I did. Talk to your doctor.” (from http://www.empoweryourhealth.org/magazine/vol3_issue2/Have-Faith-Actress...)

Click here to see an interview with actress Faith Ford

Jillian Michaels

Fitness expert Jillian Michaels has said that she battles thyroid problems.She’s known for kicking butt on the reality TV show “The Biggest Loser” – but fitness guru, Jillian Michaels, has battled her own issues with weight due to a thyroid problem. At the age of 30, Michaels was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid.) Fortunately for Michaels, she has been able to manage the condition with medication and a good diet.

Toni Childs

Pop singer/songwriter, Toni Childs, is in remission from Graves' disease. Toni Childs dropped out of the music scene for nearly a decade to cope with her Graves' disease. Now in her 40s, she is returning to recording and performing.

Gail Devers

Gail Devers, Olympic Athlete, suffered from Graves' disease. Devers almost had to abandon her athletic career due to her thyroid problem. Graves' disease caused her to lose excessive weight and muscle.

Pat Bradley

Pat Bradley, the Top Golfer in the LPGA has a Graves' Disease.

Barbara Leigh

Barbara Leigh was a highly successful fashion model in the 60's and 70's who also worked in film with some of the greatest directors, and alongside some of cinema's biggest stars. In addition to this she holds a cult status to this day among legions of Vampirella fans around the world as the first and "Original Vampirella". Her autobiography, The King, McQueen and the Love Machine, released both in book, and now audio CD format, tells the story of her intimate relationships with three of the most famous and powerful men in Hollywood - Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen and movie mogul James Aubrey. Barbara Leigh was diagnosed with Graves' disease. Through her experiences with the illness, Barbara has come to be a spokeswoman for the National Graves' Disease Association.

Missy Elliot

Rapper Missy Elliott has been largely out of the picture since she released her last album in 2005, and on the verge of releasing her next album, "Block Party," she's finally revealed why. A popular hip-hop artist and songwriter, Missy Elliot is undergoing treatment for Graves' disease. She was diagnosed in 2008. The disease has affected her motor skills, followed by a string of symptoms including dizzy spells, mood swings and hair loss. She told People magazine that she's been struggling with Graves' disease, which affects the immune system, since 2008. "I was [driving and] trying to put my foot on the brake, but my leg was jumping. I couldn't keep the brake down and almost crashed," the Virginia rapper-producer reportedly told 'People' magazine. "I couldn't write because my nervous system was so bad -- I couldn't even use a pen." She has undergone radiation and takes medicine.

Carla Overbeck

Carla Overbeck, captain of the United States women's soccer team, has received a diagnosis of Graves' disease, a treatable condition caused by overactivity of the thyroid gland. She is expected to compete for a spot on the Olympic team, the United States Soccer Federation said in a statement. The sprinter Gail Devers was treated for Graves' disease in 1988 and recovered to win gold medals in the 100-meter dash at both the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. Overbeck will be able to resume full-time training when the United States begins its Olympic training camp in San Diego on April 17. (The New York Times, April 9, 2000)

Christina Georgina Rossetti (poet)

In 1830, Christina Rossetti was born in London, one of four children of Italian parents. Rossetti is best known for her ballads and her mystic religious lyrics. Her poetry is marked by symbolism and intense feeling. Rossetti's best-known work, Goblin Market and Other Poems, was published in 1862. The collection established Rossetti as a significant voice in Victorian poetry. The Prince's Progress and Other Poems, appeared in 1866 followed by Sing-Song, a collection of verse for children, in 1872.

By the 1880s, recurrent bouts of Graves' disease, a thyroid disorder, made Rossetti an invalid, and ended her attempts to work as a governess. While the illness restricted her social life, she continued to write poems. Among her later works are A Pageant and Other Poems (1881), and The Face of the Deep (1892). Rossetti also wrote religious prose works, such as Seek and Find (1879), Called To Be Saints (1881) and The Face of the Deep (1892). In 1891, Rossetti developed cancer, of which she died in London on December 29, 1894. Rossetti's brother, William Michael, edited her collected works in 1904, but the Complete Poems were not published before 1979.Christina Rossetti is increasingly being reconsidered a major Victorian poet. She has been compared to Emily Dickinson but the similarity is more in the choice of spiritual topics than in poetic approach, Rossetti's poetry being one of intense feelings, her technique refined within the forms established in her time.(from poets.org)

Diane Finley (Canada cabinet minister)

As of July 15, 2013 she serves as Minister of Public Works and Government Services in the cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. She was previously Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and the Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). She is a current member of the Canadian House of Commons, representing the riding of Haldimand—Norfolk for the Conservative Party. In 2006, Finley announced that she has Graves' disease. (Wikipedia).

Nadezhda Krupskaya

Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya was a Bolshevik revolutionary and politician. She married the Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin in 1898. She was deputy minister (Comissar) of education from 1929 to 1939. Krupskaya is believed to have suffered from Graves' disease. In female sufferers it can also disrupt the menstrual cycle, which may explain why Lenin and Krupskaya never had children (and the rumours about Lenin allegedly choosing to have an affair with Inessa Armand). As a result of her disease she was codenamed 'Fish' inside the Party, and Lenin allegedly used to call her "my little herring".

Jet Li, Chinese action star

Jet Li says he's being treated for an overactive thyroid, but he's determined to fight the condition head-on. The Chinese action star known for his kung fu skills discussed his diagnosis during the taping of a talent show he's judging in China. In Tuesday's taping, the 50-year-old Li appeared to have a fuller face and heavier frame. He said his weight has fluctuated but he's taking it all in stride. Li joked about his weight gain and said "I'm fat, I don't have the time to lose it. It's a fact!" He explained that exercise is not advised with the medication he's taking. An overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, causes changes in a person's metabolism and heart rate, among other symptoms, but is generally treatable with medications. Li was diagnosed in 2010. He kept his condition under control with medication, but it came back with a vengeance recently. He said that he's tackling his illness head-on. "I'm just a regular guy, I'm not Wong Fei Hung, I'm not Huo Yuan Jia (kung fu heroes he portrays on film), I'm not a hero. I'm just like you." A martial arts champion at a young age, Li turned to acting and began showing off his kung fu skills on big screens in the 1980s. He catapulted to fame in the '90s with the "Once Upon a Time in China" films where he portrayed martial arts master Wong Fei Hung. His Hollywood career includes such titles as "Lethal Weapon 4," ''Romeo Must Die" and more recently "The Expendables 2." Li confessed there are times he's unsure if he's able to carry on with work, but he's determined. "I'm in pain, but I'm not suffering. I'm happy," he said.

Wendy Williams

Even talk-show divas need time off to take care of themselves. Williams recently announced a three-week unplanned hiatus from her daytime gig after being diagnosed with Graves’ disease.
The 53-year-old says she already knew she had a thyroid issue. But it was her viewers who detected her bulging eyes–an outward sign of this common autoimmune disease.
“I kinda knew it,” concedes Williams, who canceled an earlier doctor appointment for a business meeting. “So what I want to say to women, more than men, is stop putting everyone first, because if we’re not good, they’re not good.”

HYPOTHYROIDISM

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most-recognized names in the United States, and perhaps the world. She is a successful talk show host, actress, magazine producer and television producer. Her TV show ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ is one of the most-watched programs in the United States. She has been labelled one of the most influential women in the world, and one of the richest, with her net worth estimated at a whopping three billion dollars. She was also nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the movie ‘The Color Purple’. Throughout the course of her career, which took off in the 1980s, she has forged a very public battle with her weight troubles. A yo-yo dieter, Winfrey continuously gained and lost weight, and spoke about her problems publicly. The unstoppable woman began noticing different changes in 2007. “I was so exhausted I couldn’t figure out what was going on in my life … was still feeling really tired, really tired, going around from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what was wrong and finally figured out that I had literally sort of blew out my thyroid,” Winfrey said in an episode of her show. She says she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which essentially means the thyroid is not working properly. Hypothyroidism occurs when too little of the thyroid hormone circulates in the body, which slows down metabolism, hence causing patients to gain weight. She admits she gained 20 pounds before she was correctly diagnosed. Taking medication for the condition now, Oprah admits she had earlier troubles with her thyroid. Before, she says, she used to have hyperthyroidism. “My body is turning on me,” she said on her show, explaining how it had now changed to the opposite. The 55-year-old seems to have her thyroid under control, as well as her weight.

Gigi Hadid of Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Kudos to this supermodel for standing up to body shamers! Hadid’s recent tweets cut through Internet trolls’ snarky remarks about her “too thin” appearance by revealing the real reason for her weight loss. Hadid began modeling at age 17, before being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the U.S.
“Those of u who called me ‘too big for the industry’ were seeing inflammation & water retention due to that,” the 22-year-old clapped back.
Like many celebrities, Gigi Hadid has often been body shamed online, despite having a figure that got her two Victoria's Secret Fashion Show gigs. Now, the 21-year-old model is speaking out about dealing with an autoimmune disease that could affect her weight: Hashimoto's disease. "It's a thyroid disease, and it's now been two years since taking the medication for it, so for the VS show I didn't want to lose any more weight, I just want to have muscles in the right place, and if my butt can get a little perkier, then that's good," she said. E News by CORINNE HELLER | Fri., Dec. 9, 2016

Victoria Justice, Nickelodeon actress

Victoria Justice: The 23-year-old Nickelodeon actress was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease several years ago. "They had put me on this thyroid medication, and I think the levels were too high for me because it caused my skin to break out," Justice told Health magazine in 2015. "All my life I've always had great skin, so it was really devastating." "Also, at first, I was losing a lot of weight, then I went on tour and I started gaining weight, and it was the most I'd ever gained in my life," added the actress, who is 5'5". "I was, like, 115 pounds. Then when I filmed a movie last summer, I actually went under 100 pounds. It was crazy, but things have leveled out, and I'm back to normal." "I still have Hashimoto's," she added. "But my numbers are back to normal, and I'm not on medication. I feel good."

Nia Vardalos

Nia Vardalos became an international success when her semi-autobiographical film My Big Fat Greek Wedding. “I have thyroid disease, and that coupled with the stress of infertility treatments and years of what I call ‘write a page, eat a snack’ syndrome led to a high blood-sugar problem,” she told Glamour. “So my doctor said, ‘You have two choices: drugs or diabetes. Actually, you have a third choice–you can lose weight", “Before I was diagnosed with thyroid disease, I didn’t understand why I could hang out with my girlfriends, and just suck on a toothpick all night and gain weight . I couldn’t figure it out, and so of course, like most of planet earth, I had tried every diet. I had tried no-carb and high fat; it was too hard to stay on, I got hungry, and the minute you smell a piece of bread, you gain ten pounds, so that didn’t work. I had tried food delivery services, or just frozen foods, but they were overloaded with salt. It was not until after a medical wake-up call, thyroid disease, Nia Vardalos lost 40 pounds. While she’s proud of getting healthy, she’s not looking for applause–or an Oscar-worthy role–because of her new, trimmed-down figure. “I directed my second film. I’m a new mom. Weight loss is the least of my accomplishments,” says Vardalos, who adopted her daughter last year. She’s proof that it is possible to treat your body well with diet and exercise while not defining your worth by your body. Here’s how she stays fit–and keeps it all in perspective. Here she states, “I have thyroid disease, and that coupled with the stress of infertility treatments and years of what I call ‘write a page, eat a snack’ syndrome led to a high blood-sugar problem. So my doctor said, ‘You have two choices: drugs or diabetes. Actually, you have a third choice–you can lose weight.’ I was angry because I had already been let down by the medical community [when the fertility treatments didn't work], so to be told by a doctor that I had to lose weight made me really, really angry. I felt like I’d have to surrender control, but what I realized was that I had already lost control–and doing the things that keep me healthy today have given it back. I often hear my girlfriends say, ‘I have to lose weight.’ There’s this underlying anger towards themselves. I made a promise to myself to cut myself some slack for having gained the weight. I said, ‘Okay, I’ve grieved it, and now I’m on the other side–ready to do something about it.’”

Mary-Louise Parker

Mary-Louise Parker, star of "Weeds" and "West Wing," has hypothyroidism. According to the New York Post, Mary-Louise Parker, 44, “has been treated for an underactive thyroid for years.”

Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt has struggled with an underactive thyroid for a number of years.

Kim Alexis

The former model announced that she suffers from thyroid problems. Alexis has said in interviews that a healthy diet and exercise helped her get rid of the weight she gained after she became hypothyroid.

Kim Cattrall

Kim Cattrall, Sex and the City's Kim Cattrall has Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Linda Ronstadt

10-time-Grammy-winner Linda Ronstadt reportedly struggled with hypothyroidism for years. Her underactive thyroid caused her weight to fluctuate wildly.

Gena Lee Nolin

Actress Gena Lee Nolin, of Baywatch fame, was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism in 2008. Actress and model Gena Lee Nolin, who starred on the hit television series "Baywatch," went through fatigue, weight gain, and other issues in each of her pregnancies, and was told she had post-partum depression. Nolin was finally diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism in 2008, and in 2011, Nolin publicly announced her committment to work to positively raise worldwide thyroid awareness.

Karolina Kurkova

Karolina Kurkova’s Weight Is Affected by Hypothyroidism, Says Fox News. Fox News says that supermodel Karolina Kurkova struggled to get in shape for the Victoria’s Secret fashion show and didn’t get down to her goal weight because of a thyroid disorder.

Apparently her weight woes may have more to do with a medical condition than with just a lack of willpower. According to an insider, Kurkova joins the ranks of 27 million Americans who suffer from the thyroid disorder hypothyroidism, which interferes with the body’s metabolism.

Linda Cardellini

Linda Cardellini: Delivering My Daughter Was Difficult (People.com 05/01/2013 – Paul Chi). It’s been a few fun weeks for actress Linda Cardellini, who recently made her surprise debut on the hit series Mad Men. Her buzzy performance — she plays Jon Hamm‘s neighbor and mistress, Sylvia — is receiving praise and becoming a lively water cooler topic. With her professional career at a high, life was much different a year ago when the actress and boyfriend Steven Rodriguez were expecting their first child.
“It was a very traumatic period,” Cardellini, 37, tells PEOPLE. “I had a really scary pregnancy and a very difficult delivery. My daughter and I are lucky to be alive.” Cardellini — best known for her roles on TV’s ER and Freaks and Geeks – was hospitalized with pneumonia and had several complications when she was nine months along. When it came time to to deliver daughter Lilah-Rose in February 2012, “her heart rate dropped and she had the umbilical cord around her neck,” explains Cardellini. “We had to do an emergency c-section. It was very intense and scary.” “I’m so grateful that my daughter is alive and so thankful that we’ve all come out of it,” she says. “We often forget how dangerous childbirth is.” After the delivery, Cardellini ended up with a thyroid issue that became a major medical problem. “I had to go on medication and because of that my weight fluctuated up and down in a really erratic way. It was hard to get a handle on it,” she says. Today, the Scooby-Doo actress is healthy and enjoying life with her toddler, now 14 months old. “My daughter is very social and opinionated and likes to push her limits,” says the doting mom. “Before she was even [a year old], she pointed to what clothes she wanted to wear. She’s very persistent and she knows exactly what she wants even though she doesn’t have the words to say it.” Cardellini adds, “She points and grunts and shakes her head and she does a few sign language notions.” So where does the little girl get these character traits? “I think she has a lot of her dad. She likes to do some mischievous things like him,” says Cardellini with a laugh. “She also has that strong, independent vibe from me.” As for becoming a first time mother, she says, “I never realized what an enormous amount of love I could feel for someone. Suddenly now that I have this beautiful, innocent creature to protect, I’ve become more aggressive and become much more of a mama bear that I would have never imagined!”

Gina Rodriguez

This Golden Globe-winning Jane the Virgin actress is finally coming to terms with her thyroid disease after an initial diagnosis at age 19.
“I was attending New York University and got very sick,” Rodriquez explained in a 2015 interview with U.S. News. “The doctors thought I had mono, but it turned out to be thyroid disease. Ten years later, I found out I had Hashimoto's–and my doctor said I could have had it for many years.”
Today Rodriquez strives to be healthy instead of obsessing about what the scale says. She achieves that goal by making wise food choices (most of the time) and boxing, she told SELF.

Zoe Saldana Has Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond actress Zoe Saldana has the autoimmune disease Hashimoto's thyroiditis, she revealed in a recent issue of Net-A-Porter's magazine The EDIT. Her mother and sisters also have it. Saldana told the magazine that she focuses on clean eating as a way to help herself stay healthy: "Your body doesn’t have the energy it needs to filter toxins, causing it to believe that it has an infection, so it’s always inflamed. You create antibodies that attack your glands, so you have to eat clean,” she was quoted as saying. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis runs in the family of this Star Trek: Beyond actress. Saldana described her condition, one she shares with her mother and sisters, in a 2016 interview with Net-a-Porter’s The Edit.
“Your body doesn’t have the energy it needs to filter toxins, causing it to believe that it has an infection, so it’s always inflamed,” she explained.
To help fight fatigue and inflammation, she opted to go gluten- and dairy-free, Saldana said. SELF.com, By Carolyn Kylstra, July 22, 2016




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