need to know
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Heather Wallace first noticed a lump on her neck in May 2017
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Nearly a year later, growing concerned, she saw an endocrinologist but was fired after her labs came back “normal.”
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It wasn’t until 2025, when her thyroid enlarged to the point that it began to interfere with her physical and mental health, that doctors recommended she undergo surgery.
Around May 2017, Heather Wallace began noticing swelling in her neck that resembled a goiter, a marked enlargement of the thyroid gland.
Concerned about her rapid growth and persistent cough, she visited an endocrinologist in April 2018.
At the appointment, the doctor performed a standard thyroid exam, measuring thyroxine (T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) to determine if her thyroid was functioning normally.
Heather Wallace(2)
When those results came back “normal,” the mother-of-three pressed for more thorough testing, but her request was ultimately dismissed for years. “I know there’s something deeper going on, but [the doctor] I or my concerns were never listened to,” Wallace, 40, tells PEOPLE exclusively.
As the goiter continued to grow, Wallace slowly began to realize that it was affecting her daily life in ways that she was not initially aware of.
Activities she once took for granted—long walks, spending time with her children, even basic exercise—were leaving her incredibly exhausted. At the time, she thought she was just out of shape and didn’t realize the stress on her body had been building up over the years.
Heather Wallace(2)
“Sometimes I literally forget I have a giant goiter in my neck because my body doesn’t feel inflamed or bothered,” Wallace admits. “But sometimes I get so excited that my throat feels thick and big.”
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A significantly enlarged neck also means constant public attention. The stranger stared, and while Wallace understood that her situation was unusual, the realization bothered her.
The attention became more painful when online comments turned to ridicule, with people calling her a “green-throated girl” and comparing her to a bullfrog.
Heather Wallace(2)
“My mental health has definitely taken a hit,” Wallace revealed, adding that the emotional toll often leads to episodes of depression. “I had a very negative view of my appearance and I felt ugly.”
Wallace told PEOPLE that it all began to erode her self-esteem due to ongoing symptoms, unanswered questions and changes in appearance. “I had been trying to find out the cause of my enlarged thyroid for years to no avail…I felt like a failure,” she said.
Eventually, after getting another doctor’s opinion, surgery became inevitable. In December 2025, Wallace walked into the operating room expecting a hemithyroidectomy, or thyroid lobectomy, which she believed would only remove her right thyroid lobe. She was “heartbroken” when she later learned they had to remove the entire gland.
“It’s really disappointing,” she admits. “I was very sad when I woke up and found out I had lost my entire thyroid.”
Heather Wallace(2)
That sadness quickly turned to anger when she learned that a subsequent biopsy of her thyroid showed signs of undiagnosed Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disease in which “immune system cells lead to the death of thyroid hormone-producing cells,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
“I’ve spent years going to doctors, but so far, they’ve never examined Hashimoto,” Wallace shared. “I just wish I had known this from the beginning so I could have taken care of myself in ways that I didn’t know I was supposed to do because I didn’t know I had an autoimmune issue until it was too late.”
Two months after the surgery, Wallace said life without a thyroid has stabilized. Medication adjustments helped ease the side effects of the initial high dose of hormones, and her body responded well.
Heather Wallace(2)
Emotionally, the process is more complicated. She is still dealing with the loss of her vital organs and relies on daily medication to survive.
Over time, however, her relationship with her body changed surprisingly. Without her goiter, Wallace said she feels more comfortable in her own skin than she has in nearly a decade.
“Once I get [the goiter] “After taking the necklace off, I was finally able to wear it again after eight years, I finally had a stronger jawline again, and I could hug my family without my neck being pressed between us,” she explained. “I think finally looking like the woman I was when I married my husband 10 years ago really helped me rebuild my confidence.”
Heather Wallace
Now, Wallace hopes her experience will encourage others to believe in themselves when they’re not feeling well.
“Advocate for yourself,” she warned, urging patients to ask questions, seek support and push for thorough testing.
For those with visible illnesses, she emphasized that judgment does not define value.
“You have a purpose in this life and you can make a difference in a lot of people’s lives because you have to face problems every day,” Wallace told People. “Let your heart be brighter than the dark world around you.”
Read the original article on People
