Lorna Brunelle has always used her voice as an instrument to entertain others. But recently she found it to be an instrumental device in her quest for empowerment.

In December of 2004, Lorna was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. There is a moment between hearing the diagnosis and delivering the news to your family that gives anyone—even the most unwavering woman--- pause. What do you do with that information? First, it is a matter of life or death. Second, for Lorna, it was a matter of a career.

Lorna Brunelle is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory. She is a singer, a pageant coach, an associate at Boston Casting, Inc., and the owner of The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts and The Alley Theatre in Middleboro. But when diagnosed with thyroid cancer--- the one thing that could take her health and her voice away--- she also became a fighter.

 “I’ve been using my voice since the age of four to sing and entertain. But it wasn’t until I got cancer that I found the power in my voice,” she said in an interview with South Shore Woman.

The illness, however, was just the beginning of the battle. Lorna soon found out that she would need to stand up to the doctors….And, it all started with “The Bow Tie Bastard,” the surgeon who was to operate on Lorna. He did not make a great impression:  

“Small in stature, with an English accent and a bow tie fixed tightly around his little neck…He never acknowledged my husband or my mother. I was, once again, put out. This time it was by the surgeon’s lack of manners. Everyone knows that cancer affects the entire family. I was taken aback when he didn’t say hello to mine.”

But that was just the start, Bow Tie Bastard paid little mind to Lorna’s questions and concerns that there could be vocal damage during the surgery.

Lorna--- after listening to her mother and husband lecture her that it was about his talent as a surgeon, not his bedside manner that mattered--- decided to trust her heart…and fired the bastard.

He was rude, uninformative, and aloof. As were many other nurses and caretakers that Lorna met along her cancer journey. But there was one man, Dr. Gregory Randolph, of Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary, who made all the difference. He treated Lorna as a human being first and a patient second.

Lorna writes about this experience, and much more, in her new book “Dirty Bombshell--- From Thyroid Cancer Back to Fabulous.” Many of the chapters are dedicated to the importance of the physician-patient relationship. “The book is there to say that you have options,” Lorna said. “You can get a second opinion. It is okay to shop around until you find someone who is a rock star in the operating room."

After the removal of her thyroid Lorna still had a long road ahead of her. Next, she had to swallow a radioactive pill. A pill that forced her into isolation for a week and to follow strict instructions, including: Flush the toilet three times after using it; Don’t stand within 6 feet of the elderly or children; Keep your clothes away from your spouse’s when doing laundry; Oh, and keep the paperwork with you when you travel--- as Homeland Security detectors might alert staff that you are carrying a bomb.

Indeed, the girl who was a bombshell in her 20s had swallowed a radioactive pill in her 30s. Suddenly, she was a “Dirty Bombshell.”

Although she will always be on medication to supplement her thyroid, Lorna is living life to the fullest these days. As if her work with actors and pageant contestants doesn’t keep her busy enough, she is also touring for book signings, and you can even catch her on the Style Network’s popular reality TV show “Wicked Fit,” with Katie Boyd.

Despite her active lifestyle, she has learned to stop and smell the roses. Her message to you: Slow down, tap in, take naps, or just enjoy an hour to yourself with a cup of coffee. In addition, she said, speak up.

“You have to find your voice,” Lorna said. “At the end of the day, there are few people fighting for us. We have to be our biggest and loudest advocate.”

-SSW-

                             Lorna (middle) flanked by "Wicked Fit" star Katie Boyd and Katie's mom

Editor’s Note: When I interviewed Lorna Brunelle something clicked for me. She is articulate, honest, and funny. Her story is not just about cancer, it is about finding strength. After speaking with her, then reading her book, I feel I learned a lot about myself.  I know you will, too. Read “Dirty Bombshell-- From Thyroid Cancer Back to Fabulous,” to laugh, cry, reflect, and embrace life. xo!

By Stephanie Neil

Stephanie Neil is a journalist. Her business, technology, and human interest stories have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines including eWeek, Managing Automation, The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Huggies Baby Network, South Shore Woman, and The Boston Globe.  She lives on the South Shore with her two kids, two cats, and a dog. Contact info: stephanieneil@comcast.net  or 781-378-1652. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieNeil