Sofia Vergara wins battle and now helps others, “Today, I can say I survived cancer”

Recently, the renowned actress Sofia Vergara published a touching message in which she announced the struggle she faced at the beginning of her career as an actress, when she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. According to data from the American Cancer Society, this disease is more common in women, usually being diagnosed when the patient is young. However, one expert pointed out that 95% of patients usually recover, which makes it crucial to focus on early diagnosis.

We, from awesome.clubwe want to tell in detail how the actress overcame this phase of life, showing the reasons why the famous kept the disease a secret and also telling why she decided to reveal her story.

Currently 49 years old, Sofia Vergara is one of the most influential and highly paid Latin actresses and models in Hollywood, according to Forbes magazine. Despite this, she recently revealed that she had suffered from thyroid cancer at the age of 28.

In the latest edition of Stand Up to Cancer, an initiative created by women that since 2008 seeks to raise funds to finance research and the fight against cancer, Sofia participated as one of the hosts, giving her testimony as a survivor of that condition.

“At age 28, during a routine medical visit, my doctor noticed a lump on my neck,” said the actress, known for her role on the Modern Family series. In addition, she told how traumatic it can be to receive news of this nature: “When you hear the word ‘cancer’, anyone gets scared”.

“I read all the books and found out everything possible about it. I was lucky to discover the disease in time and to have the support of my doctors and, most importantly, of my family”, he said during the broadcast of the event on TV.

In her recent post, she narrates, “At age 28, ‘cancer’ was not a word I expected to hear. It was just a routine exam. But the doctors found a lump in my throat, and that word became part of my story.” She continued: “I spent countless hours on radiotherapy and eventually having surgery. Today, I can say that I am a cancer survivor.”

“This photo was my first acting lesson after diagnosis and treatment, and the scar on my throat reminded me of how blessed I felt that day, and every day since. I’m lucky and grateful to be able to share my story and say: early diagnosis is very important! Schedule your annual exam for later this year if you haven’t already,” said the actress.

In addition to the television event, Sofia was the face of the Sigue el Guion (Follow the script) campaign, also aimed at raising awareness about the disease. “It is very important to ask, get informed, go to the doctor if you notice any symptoms; especially women, who go through so many changes in life, such as menopause and pregnancy. All of these alter our thyroid,” she explained.

“I had several tests and finally they said I had thyroid cancer. When you’re young and you hear the word ‘cancer’, your mind travels to different places, but I tried not to panic and decided to get informed”, said Sofia.

At the time, Sofia preferred not to make her diagnosis public. In 2011, she spoke out on the issue of keeping her illness a secret until after the cancer had disappeared thanks to surgery and radiation. “I didn’t want publicity on top of that,” she said, “Having cancer is not fun. You don’t want to deal with anything other than what you’re already going through.”

In addition, she said she underwent surgery that involved risks, such as losing her speech or facial movements. The procedure served to remove the thyroid gland, followed by radiotherapy stages. For this reason, the actress needs to take medication for the rest of her life, in order to replace the hormone production previously carried out by that gland.

The artist, who also served as a judge on the famous program America’s Got Talent, reflected on the learnings left by her experience: “In times of crisis, we are better together”. She pointed out that “your priorities change. You stop worrying about little things.”

About the scar left by the surgery, which is almost imperceptible, she explained that “nowadays it is possible to do several things with the scars. They already use laser and cortisone injections. It’s not as noticeable as it used to be.”

And the learning experience experienced by the famous woman also became a reason for her to dedicate herself to more forceful initiatives involving the panorama of the disease: today, she sponsors an organization through which a cancer center is being built in her hometown, Barranquilla, Colombia.

“I visited the cancer ward at a hospital in Colombia, and parents sat on the floor while their children went through treatment. When you are a mother and have a sick child, you feel as if you have the disease yourself. I want to establish a comfortable place for parents,” he said of the project.

Happily married to actor Joe Manganiello since 2015, Sofia always seems to be very loved. On her last wedding anniversary, her husband published a video saying the following: “Today marks six years since I married the woman of my dreams”.

Without a doubt, the actress continues to live every moment of her life intensely, proving to be one of the most supportive celebrities, with different initiatives and social works beyond the fight against cancer.

Sofia Vergara is not just a beautiful woman: she is also fun, talented, hardworking and concerned about others. Her resilience leaves us with several reflections, not only about the importance of constant self-care and health care as a form of prevention, but also about the new meaning given to life when we get a second chance.

How do you usually take preventive care of your health? What would you do if you also got a second chance?