Early in 1971, I noticed a lump on the right side of my neck.  I called it to the attention of two physicians who told me not to worry about it.  But showing it to a third physician, a family friend, I was told to see Dr. Max Som, a head and neck surgeon.

Examining me, Dr. Som remarked that the lump did not belong there and scheduled me for surgery at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx.  The surgery was performed on February 16, 1971.  The lump turned out to be papillary carcinoma.  Following the operation, however, I was not released; Dr. Som decided that I should undergo further surgery.  That procedure was performed on February 23, 1971, and it turned out that my thyroid cancer had spread to lymph nodes under my right shoulder.

Following the second operation, I was turned over to an endocrinologist, Dr. Bernard Sachs, who told me that, if I was going to have cancer, thyroid cancer is the one to have.  He further told me that I was to see him in his office, on being released from the hospital, to have a drink of radioactive iodine, to kill the function of the sliver of my thyroid gland that could not be removed because it was up against the parathyroid.

Since my surgery fifty-one years ago, I have been taking medication to serve as a substitute for thyroid function — Synthroid and Cytomel.

An April 5 Washington Examiner article reports that Russia's President Vladimir Putin suffers from thyroid cancer and suggests that his treatment consists of bathing in deer's blood.  This is news to me.  What my experience indicates is that thyroid cancer is not fatal, with treatment including removal of most of the thyroid gland, a dose of radioactive iodine to remove the remaining sliver of the thyroid gland, followed by medication serving as a thyroid substitute.  I would add that the only red liquid I imbibe is tomato juice — and borsht (if this Russian soup is still available in food stores as a non-sanctioned item).  I would be willing to affirm under penalties of perjury that I have never sipped deer's blood.

I would add that as my treatment began 51 years ago, should any U.S. intel source assert that President Putin suffers a terminal illness, such prognosis likely is no more believable than those reports, five years ago and counting, that Presidents Putin and Trump colluded to put Trump in the White House (until "The Resistance" could organize to thwart his re-election).  Bear in mind what I was told by my endocrinologist, in the winter of 1971: "If you are going to have cancer, this [thyroid cancer] is the one to have."

Of course, given the sanctions policy against Russia generally, and Putin in particular, he is not likely permitted to come to the U.S. for treatment — and, consequently, may well have to settle for drinking deer's blood rather than radioactive iodine.

Image: Pixabay.