Florey Cruz-Cerpa is a healthcare professional at Hackensack Meridian Mountainside Medical Center. Like her colleagues, she took to Facebook this spring to share stories of uncertainty, exhaustion and solidarity with her peers. She hoped her stories would serve as a sign of unity and perseverance.

One evening, Florey posted a selfie, which was seen by Anjali Grover, M.D., an endocrinologist at Mountainside Medical Group and friend of Florey’s. Dr. Grover texted her immediately to say, “Hey, don’t mean to be a stalker, but I don’t like the way your neck looks on that selfie. It could be the lighting, but let’s have you see your primary care and get your thyroid checked out. It could be nothing, but it’s better to be safe and sorry.”

She started to worry as Dr. Grover began asking her if she had experienced any symptoms like fatigue, weight gain or constipation. Unfortunately, she had experienced these symptoms. To Florey, that was just part of working long hours during the pandemic and going through perimenopause at the age of 50. She promised to make an appointment with her primary care physician, Julie Kidangan, D.O., at Mountainside Medical Group to follow up with her suspicions.

Dr. Kidangan assessed her symptoms and agreed that there was a possibility of a thyroid condition. She ordered bloodwork and an ultrasound. Based on the results, she would decide if she should consult with an endocrinologist. Her initial results came back within a few days where they found a present but malignant nodule and elevated levels in her bloodwork. Based on these results, Dr. Kidangan wanted to repeat the bloodwork in one month to check for changes in her baseline results.

When the follow-up results came back, it did confirm a consultation with Dr. Grover. Some numbers were better, but others weren’t. She met with Dr. Grover, who explained all her options.

Dr. Grover diagnosed Florey with Hashimoto’s Disease, otherwise known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. This disease is prevalent in women her age and can be managed with lifestyle changes like weight loss, exercise, repeat bloodwork every four months and an ultrasound every six months.

Florey was relieved to learn that her weight gain and fatigue were unrelated to the long hours at work, or even her early journey towards menopause. It was very frustrating to her, knowing that changes are prone to happen while women go through their menopausal years. “Menopause makes you feel hopeless and you just want to give in and let nature take its course,” she shared.

Since the initial scare, Florey has taken a proactive approach by taking charge of her health. She joined a gym and has made changes in her diet. She has lost 16 pounds so far and plans to lose more, which will help improve some of her thyroid levels. Stress also has a critical part in this disease, so she meditates and practices other integrative medicine techniques in her everyday life. Her goal is to continue on this path, so she will not need medication. Only time will tell, and that is her incentive.

Florey shared that her doctors and the Mountainside Medical Group team are amazing and have made this journey much easier for her. She feels lucky to work with them in a professional setting, but now they are a part of her family. Florey is sharing her story in hopes of reminding others to check in on their loved ones.

“Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words,” Florey stated. “With today’s social media posts, we are more visible and are able to stay connected to family and friends. Who would have thought this would make such an impact on my future health and wellbeing? Thank God for Dr. Grover’s professional eye. Never give up, and ask your doctors questions about what to expect and what you can do to help/improve the journey.”

If you are looking for a new doctor, visit www.mountainsidedocs.com to schedule an appointment.