Endocrinology Clinical care Voices in the Community Opinion and Personal Narratives

Letting Go of My Butterfly

As Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month ends, Dana Powell Baker reflects on the complex decisions that patients make after diagnoses

By Dana Powell Baker 09/30/2026 Opinion 7 min read

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3 Topic Commentaries

Letting Go of My Butterfly

Letting Go of My Butterfly

Wendy G. Lichtenthal, PhD

Clinical Psychology (Grief and Bereavement)
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University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

We are wired for connection, so when we lose someone central to our lives, we often respond with distress and longing.

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Sarah T. Stahl, PhD

Psychiatry (Geriatric Mental Health, Sleep and Circadian Health)
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University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Everyone grieves differently. There’s no timeline.

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Holly G. Prigerson, PhD

Geriatrics; End-of-Life and Bereavement Research
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Weill Cornell Medicine

We didn’t invent a new problem. We gave a name to something people have been struggling with for centuries.

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About the Author(s)

Dana Powell Baker

Dana Powell Baker, Ed.D., MBA, MS, CPH, MLS(ASCP)CM, is Senior Manager, Academic Partnerships, The Association of Public Health Laboratories, USA.

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