FOR "TODAY," ANNE THOMPSON, NBC NEWS.
>> WELL, VICTORIA IS WITH US NOW
FROM HER HOME IN TAMPA.
VICTORIA, IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU.
YOU SURE LOOK GOOD.
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
I KNOW YOU’VE HAD YOUR SURGERY.
>> GOOD MORNING, SAVANNAH. I’M FEELING SURPRISINGLY WELL.
I’M FEELING SURPRISINGLY WELL.
I LOOK LIKE I LOST -- ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED, I’D SAY I’M 90% BACK
TO NORMAL.
OR AT LEAST MY NEW NORMAL.
>> AND YOU KNOW, YOU GOT THAT
EMAIL FROM A VIEWER.
AND ALL OF US KNOW WHO WORK IN
TV, SOMETIMES YOU GET EMAIL FROM
VIEWERS AND SOMETIMES THEY CAN
BE A LITTLE WHACKY AND IT MIGHT
HAVE BEEN EASY TO DISREGARD.
WHY DID YOU PAY ATTENTION TO
THIS?
>> HONESTLY, BECAUSE I READ IT
TO MY BOYFRIEND.
I THINK WE WERE HAVING DINNER
THE NIGHT THAT I RECEIVED THAT.
I GO, READ THIS WEIRD EMAIL I
GOT TODAY.
I WAS TOTALLY JUST GOING TO
DISMISS IT.
I WAS LIKE, I DON’T SEE
ANYTHING.
WHO KNOWS.
AND HE’S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT’S
NOT GOING TO HURT JUST TO CALL
YOUR DOCTOR AND CHECK IT OUT.
THE WORST THAT HAPPENS IS THAT
IT’S NOTHING.
SO I’M GLAD THAT I LISTENED TO
HIM.
>> NO QUESTION.
AND I KNOW WE ALL JUST WANT TO
GO ON WITH OUR LIVES.
YOU DON’T WANT TO HAVE A HEALTH
PROBLEM, BUT THANK GOODNESS YOU
DID CHECK IT OUT.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT NOW AND
LOOK BACK AT THE VIDEO THAT THE
VIEWER SAW AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT
THE SYMPTOMS ARE, IN RETROSPECT,
DID YOU THINK THAT THERE WAS
SOMETHING GOING ON?
>> ONCE IT WAS POINTED OUT TO ME
AND I HAD MY DOCTORS EXPLAIN THE
AGNAT MY I COULD SEE IT.
TO GIVE YOU THE SHORT VERSION, I
HAD A NODULE IN MY MIDDLE OF MY
THROAT.
IT WAS FORCING MY THYROID GLAND
OUT TO THE SIDE OF MY NECK.
THE GLANDS DEVELOPED CANCER.
ONCE IT WAS POINTED OUT TO ME, I
COULD SEE IT.
UP UNTIL THEN, I REALLY HADN’T
NOTICED.
I THINK IT WAS A GRADUAL CHANGE
OVER TIME AND THOSE ARE HARD TO
NOTICE ON YOURSELF.
I THINK WE CAN ALL RELATE TO
THAT.
BUT NOW IT’S FUNNY NOW THAT THIS
HAS BEEN RECENTLY INTRODUCED TO
ME, WHENEVER I SEE SOMEBODY NOW
MY EYES IMMEDIATELY GO TO THEIR
NECK.
DOES THEIR NECK LOOK OKAY?
IT’S FUNNY HOW YOUR THOUGHTS
CHANGE AFTER THAT.
>> WELL, YEAH.
YOU MAY SAVE A LIFE YOURSELF
WITH YOUR EYES OPENED FOR IT NOW
TOO.
HAVE YOU BEEN SURPRISED AT HOW
MUCH ATTENTION IT’S RECEIVED AND
HOW MUCH SUPPORT YOU’VE GOTTEN
FROM VIEWERS AND PEOPLE WHO’VE
HEARD YOUR STORY?
>> OH, MY GOSH.
THE REACTION AND THE RESPONSE TO
THIS HAS BY FAR BEEN THE MOST
OVERWHELMING ASPECTS.
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THE
CRAZIEST PART OF HAVING CANCER
WOULDN’T ACTUALLY BE THE CANCER
PART.
BUT THAT’S THE CASE HERE.
IT’S BEEN FANTASTIC.
THE LOVE AND SUPPORT HAS BEEN
PROBABLY THE MOST PHENOMENAL
THING I’VE EXPERIENCED IN MY
ENTIRE LIFE.
AND IT’S REALLY HELPED TO POWER
ME THROUGH THIS, KEEP A REALLY
POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
AND IT’S ACTUALLY INSPIRED ME
TOO.
MY MOM AND I ARE GOING TO START
A FOUNDATION TO HELP PROMOTE
CANCER AWARENESS.
ESPECIALLY IN WOMEN.
IT’S THE MOST COMMONLY DIAGNOSED
IN YOUNG WOMEN.
I DON’T THINK WE TALK ABOUT IT
ENOUGH OR HOW PROLIFIC IT IS.
>> IT’S A REALLY GOOD ISSUE TO
RAISE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL
BE SAVED BECAUSE OF IT.
VICTORIA, WHAT ABOUT YOU?
CAN YOU GO BACK TO WORK?
WHAT DO THEY SAY YOUR PROGNOSIS
IS?
>> SO I’M REALLY, REALLY LUCKY.
I HAD MY PATHOLOGY REPORT COME
BACK, THE RESULTS OF MY BIOPSIES
FROM THE MORNING OF THE SURGERY.
EVERYTHING LOOKS REALLY, REALLY
GOOD.
IT HAD NOT SPREAD ANY FARTHER TO
WHAT THEY INITIALLY DETECTED.
MY SURGEON IS VERY CONFIDENT HE
GOT ALL THAT NASTY STUFF OUT OF
THERE.
RIGHT NOW IT’S A MATTER OF
HAVING A FOLLOW-UP EXAM IN ABOUT
FOUR WEEKS AND JUST MONITORING
BLOOD WORK AND KEEPING AN EYE ON
THINGS AND BEING DILIGENT ABOUT
MY HEALTH.
BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, I THINK I’M
PRETTY MUCH ON THE ROAD TO
RECOVERY.
AND SHOULD BE GOOD FROM HERE ON
OUT.
>> WELL, I’M SO GLAD.
I KNOW YOU JUST GOT A BIG
PROMOTION AT WORK.
YOU’VE GOT SO MUCH TO COVER AND
WE’RE GLAD TO SEE YOU DOING
WELL.
THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.
I THINK IT WILL HELP PEOPLE.
APPRECIATE IT.
>> NO PROBLEM.
I HOPE SO TOO.
>> AND BEFORE WE MOVE ON, WE
WANT TO GO TO OUR MEDICAL
CORRESPONDENT DR. JOHN TORRES.
JOHN, I MEAN, SHE’S SO YOUNG.
AND THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT
VIEWER WHO HAD AN EAGLE EYE AND
WHO OBVIOUSLY HAD EXPERIENCED IT
HERSELF.
WHAT SHOULD WE LOOK OUT FOR?
>> YOU’RE RIGHT.
IT’S GREAT HAVING THESE ASTUTE
VIEWERS WHO CAN CALL AND SAY
HEY, I THINK THERE’S SOMETHING
THERE. GRATEFUL FOR THE FACT SHE
GRATEFUL FOR THE FACT SHE
ACTUALLY PAID ATTENTION AND GNAW
HER OWN BODY.
IF YOU HAVE ANY CHANGES, SEEK
ATTENTION.
WITH THE THYROID, IT CAN BE VERY
SUBTLE CHANGES.
YOU CAN GET A LUMP AT THE FRONT
OF THE NECK.
YOU CAN GET THESE SWOLLEN
GLANDS.
YOU CAN GET SOME THROAT AND NECK
PAIN.
ON TOP OF THAT, THE SYMPTOMS CAN
BE SUBTLE AND IT CAN BE SYMPTOMS
YOU DON’T REALLY NOTICE BUT
OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT.
HOARSENESS THAT DOESN’T WANT TO
GO AWAY.
YOU COULD HAVE DIFFICULTY
BREATHING, DIFFICULTY SWALLOWING
OR A PER SISSISTENT COUGH THAT
DOESN’T GO AWAY.
THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING ELSE
THAT PEOPLE BRING UP.
IF YOU NOTICE THESE CHANGES, GET
IT LOOKED INTO.
GETTING THAT CHECKUP COULD BE
LIFE SAVING.
>> REAL QUICKLY, IT SOUNDS LIKE
IT’S PRETTY TREATABLE ESPECIALLY
IF YOU CATCH IT EARLY.
>> IT’S ONE OF THE MOST
TREATABLE CANCERS OUT THERE.
LIKE SHE SAID, THREE TIMES MORE
WOMEN THAN MEN.
USUALLY WOMEN IN THEIR 40s AND
50s, THAT’S THE AGE GROUP THEY
TEND TO GET THEM.
ANYWHERE 25 TO 65 YEARS OLD,
SOME THINGS INCLUDE A FAMILY
HISTORY OF THIS.
IF SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY HAD