Newbie in need of support

warriormum
warriormum Member Posts: 20
Hi everyone, I hope it's ok to be posting here as I don't yet have a diagnosis of cancer, but I've benn reading the boards for a few days now and have been so reassured by all the in formation and support offered here. After feeling a large lump on my Thyroid last December and having many ultrasounds, 2 biopsies and seeing endos, surgeons etc, I've been diagnosed with a follicular neoplasm and am undergoing a hemithyroidectomy next Wednesday to determine if it's cancer or not. I've been told there is a 20-30% chance it's a malignant growth (does anyone know how accurate that is?), and am here really because the waiting, the not knowing and the "what if's" are driving me nuts!!!!! I'm a 32 year old midwife and mother of two and everytime I even mention I'm worried or upset at potentially having cancer I'm yelled at for being negative. Surely it's normal to be anxious and worried at this time??

Anyway, I'm keen to hear of others experiences before cancer diagnosis. As I mentioned my surgery is next week, then I'm to wait a week before seeing the dr post surgery for diagnosis (MORE waiting). My tumour is approx 2.5cm, I have this feeling, deep inside me that it's cancer, but I haven't dared mention that to anyone is real life. So, that's me.

Catherine
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Comments

  • lesliemarie8
    lesliemarie8 Member Posts: 2
    Support :)
    I understand that the thought that it could be cancer is scary. Like you, I had this knowing that it was cancer; like God was preparing me for the news. Even when the doctor told me the results of my biopsy, he still wasn't calling it Thyroid Cancer (I think he was afraid to tell me because I was at the appointment alone and somewhat young). The surgery confirmed what the biopsy showed and what I thought: it was Stage II Papillary Thyroid Cancer. I wasn't really shaken though, oddly enough. I am so grateful for the research and treatments that have been developed over the years and as a somewhat young person (age 28), with the type of Thyroid Cancer I had, the prognosis was outstanding. I dare not say that any type of cancer is easy to deal with but I definitely know that what I went through as far as treatments were nowhere close to what I have seen so many family members endure with other cancers (breast, ovarian, etc).

    Is your concern a result of negative thinking? No; you have to prepare yourself just in case it is cancer. Is it worth allowing anxiety and fear overtake you? No; you have so much to look forward to. This will just make you hold your children a little tighter and appreciate everyday a little more than you have before. Don't be afraid to ask your doctors these questions you have about what if it is cancer; they should be discussing the plan with you and answering any and all questions that you may have. I found the Thyroid Cancer Survivor's Website to be a great resource for me when I was going through diagnosis, surgery, treatment, and follow-up. The site is www.thyca.org.

    Many blessings on your upcoming surgery. Prayerfully, it isn't cancer, but if it is, you can defeat it!
  • nasher
    nasher Member Posts: 505
    hopeing its not cancer
    I am 1 year out now and its been a long year.

    yes it is perfectly fine to post here, honestly I wish i knew about this board prior to being diagnosed.

    on myself i had a 7.1 cm follicular neoplasm. and they did a partial thyroidectomy and removed that 1/2 the thyroid later they found out that i had both follicular and papalary.

    I dont know how accurate the 20-30% is honestly.

    are you hypothyroidic as well. yes its normal to be anxious.

    I hope it is not cancer but eithor way keep posting here.

    yes it drove me nuts cause in 5 december of 2009 they found the growth and it wasnt till 12 febuary 2010 before they operated they were wanting to do a wait and see on me but it was interfering with my breathing so it got pushed up...

    make sure the surgen has permission to remove the entire thyroid if they find its cancer while in surgery... sometimes they can tell while they are still in there and it prevents another surgery.

    ask thousands of questions both here and to your doctor, become informed.

    sure there will be lots of people who tell you that your being negitive.


    Oh and if it is cancerious... when the doctor tells you something like "this is the best type of cancer to have" or something of the like... ask him if he wants a transplant of your thyroid tissue...

    if its not cancerous then keep posting and talking about your experiance as you want to. and remember anyone who dosnt have cancer is where most of us want to be.

    also make sure they do blood tests afterwords for calcium and vitimin D. cause your parathryoids may stop working for a few days (or in my case they 2 of 4 of mine were removed)

    also remember if they take your thyroid out and it is cancerous then you are now a survivor.

    definatly get informed though and if they mention about you being negitive tell them its cause your thyroid is not working right (and honestly it may be).

    find some friends and faimly to support you through this.

    definatly go to thyca.org and register there as well they will probably find someone to talk to you eithor localy or on the phone who is farther along then you are. I didnt serch out these places till after i was told it was cancer and it would have helped me so much.

    good luck and keep us informed

    Craig
  • warriormum
    warriormum Member Posts: 20
    nasher said:

    hopeing its not cancer
    I am 1 year out now and its been a long year.

    yes it is perfectly fine to post here, honestly I wish i knew about this board prior to being diagnosed.

    on myself i had a 7.1 cm follicular neoplasm. and they did a partial thyroidectomy and removed that 1/2 the thyroid later they found out that i had both follicular and papalary.

    I dont know how accurate the 20-30% is honestly.

    are you hypothyroidic as well. yes its normal to be anxious.

    I hope it is not cancer but eithor way keep posting here.

    yes it drove me nuts cause in 5 december of 2009 they found the growth and it wasnt till 12 febuary 2010 before they operated they were wanting to do a wait and see on me but it was interfering with my breathing so it got pushed up...

    make sure the surgen has permission to remove the entire thyroid if they find its cancer while in surgery... sometimes they can tell while they are still in there and it prevents another surgery.

    ask thousands of questions both here and to your doctor, become informed.

    sure there will be lots of people who tell you that your being negitive.


    Oh and if it is cancerious... when the doctor tells you something like "this is the best type of cancer to have" or something of the like... ask him if he wants a transplant of your thyroid tissue...

    if its not cancerous then keep posting and talking about your experiance as you want to. and remember anyone who dosnt have cancer is where most of us want to be.

    also make sure they do blood tests afterwords for calcium and vitimin D. cause your parathryoids may stop working for a few days (or in my case they 2 of 4 of mine were removed)

    also remember if they take your thyroid out and it is cancerous then you are now a survivor.

    definatly get informed though and if they mention about you being negitive tell them its cause your thyroid is not working right (and honestly it may be).

    find some friends and faimly to support you through this.

    definatly go to thyca.org and register there as well they will probably find someone to talk to you eithor localy or on the phone who is farther along then you are. I didnt serch out these places till after i was told it was cancer and it would have helped me so much.

    good luck and keep us informed

    Craig

    Thanks
    Craig and Leslie, thanks so much for posting, it really takes away that sense of "I'm the only one in the worls going through this".

    Craig, I have declined the frozen section during surgery and will not give permission to have a total thyroid removal until after the official pathology report, as I've done a bit of research which calls into question the accuracy of it, and would rather risk a second surgery than unecessary medication for the rest of my life! To be honest I fear the disruption to my body caused by the loss of Thyroid hormones almost as much as I fear the cancer, from what I've read here it seems to take such a toll on people as they struggle to find the best level of thyroid hormone for them

    Will keep you all updated and thanks again for welcoming me into this community.
  • sunnyaz
    sunnyaz Member Posts: 582

    Thanks
    Craig and Leslie, thanks so much for posting, it really takes away that sense of "I'm the only one in the worls going through this".

    Craig, I have declined the frozen section during surgery and will not give permission to have a total thyroid removal until after the official pathology report, as I've done a bit of research which calls into question the accuracy of it, and would rather risk a second surgery than unecessary medication for the rest of my life! To be honest I fear the disruption to my body caused by the loss of Thyroid hormones almost as much as I fear the cancer, from what I've read here it seems to take such a toll on people as they struggle to find the best level of thyroid hormone for them

    Will keep you all updated and thanks again for welcoming me into this community.

    Welcome Catherine
    I am hoping for the best outcome for you. I am a Papillary Thyroid cancer survivor; thus far. I have been through three surgeries and two Radioactive Iodine treatments since November of 2009. I have a B-RAF mutation gene, so my cancer is more aggressive and more difficult to treat with higher risk of recurrence and metastasis. I am getting ready to go back for another Fine Needle Aspiration on another Lymph node only five weeks after my last RAI treatment. Some of us battle this for life and others have surgery, one treatment and are done with it. If this is cancer in your case I pray that you are one of the ones that gets through it without recurrence.

    I haven't had a problem with my Thyroid levels since being put on medication. My Dr. got it right the first time. I am lucky in that aspect but unlucky in others. Be aware that with half of a Thyroid (if it's not cancer) they still may want to put you on replacement hormone therapy at smaller doses to make up the difference. Some patients go for years without the replacement and then later in life find that they need it.

    Some surgeons can tell if the tumor is cancer in the OR if they have a Pathologist/Biologist present. If this is the case you could opt for the total Thyroidectomy at that time. If it is cancer the best course is to remove the whole Thyroid in one surgery. The longer cancer is present the higher the probability of later stages and metastasis.

    This is a good support site. I hope you will keep us posted on your progress and lean on us whenever you need. I wish you had more support in your home. The possibility of any cancer is very uncomfortable and you really need someone you can talk to. Expression is the first step to beginning the process and facing fear. Negativity is one thing, fear and mental discomfort is another. I think your family needs to understand the difference. Don't be afraid to tell them what is on your mind.

    Blessings and prayers,
    Julie-SunnyAZ
  • LizP
    LizP Member Posts: 17
    Frozen section
    Hi,
    Good luck with your surgery on Wed. I had my first thyroid surgery on July 27,2010 to remove a large nodule. It was very scary not knowing what to expect. My tumor was fairly large, turned out to be 4.7 cm. so my Dr advised a partial thyroidectomy within 6 weeks of my ultrasound. He also recommended a frozen section while I was in surgery. If the pathology came back positive during surgery they would remove the entire thyroid. If inconclusive they would not.

    From my experience, the Dr.s don't perform TT if they are not certain of cancer. I had a small thyroid nodule 6 years ago. I had fine needle aspirations that showed no cancer. I was scheduled to have a partial thyroidectomy and my surgeon at that time didn't think it was necessary. I put it on the back burner and did not have it checked annually.

    The results from my frozen section during surgery did not show cancer. They did not remove my thyroid. A week after surgery, I went back for my check up and the pathology showed cancer. I had my 2nd surgery on Aug. 10. The Dr. wanted to do it quickly before any scar tissue formed.

    All in all I am doing well. I recovered quickly. I was back to work 4 days after my total thyroidectomy. RAI came 6 weeks later.

    I would advise you to talk to your dr. about the frozen section. My experience is that the Dr.s err on the conservative side and will not do a TT if they are unsure of cancer.
    If they are positive of cancer, (and your odds are that you wont have it) you can avoid a 2nd surgery if you agree to the TT in advance.
  • nasher
    nasher Member Posts: 505
    LizP said:

    Frozen section
    Hi,
    Good luck with your surgery on Wed. I had my first thyroid surgery on July 27,2010 to remove a large nodule. It was very scary not knowing what to expect. My tumor was fairly large, turned out to be 4.7 cm. so my Dr advised a partial thyroidectomy within 6 weeks of my ultrasound. He also recommended a frozen section while I was in surgery. If the pathology came back positive during surgery they would remove the entire thyroid. If inconclusive they would not.

    From my experience, the Dr.s don't perform TT if they are not certain of cancer. I had a small thyroid nodule 6 years ago. I had fine needle aspirations that showed no cancer. I was scheduled to have a partial thyroidectomy and my surgeon at that time didn't think it was necessary. I put it on the back burner and did not have it checked annually.

    The results from my frozen section during surgery did not show cancer. They did not remove my thyroid. A week after surgery, I went back for my check up and the pathology showed cancer. I had my 2nd surgery on Aug. 10. The Dr. wanted to do it quickly before any scar tissue formed.

    All in all I am doing well. I recovered quickly. I was back to work 4 days after my total thyroidectomy. RAI came 6 weeks later.

    I would advise you to talk to your dr. about the frozen section. My experience is that the Dr.s err on the conservative side and will not do a TT if they are unsure of cancer.
    If they are positive of cancer, (and your odds are that you wont have it) you can avoid a 2nd surgery if you agree to the TT in advance.

    Frozen section
    On my surgery the frozen section came back inconclusive and the final tests showed 2 types of thyroid cancer so I had the 2nd surgery.

    @ warriormum - If you have decided to opt-out of the frozen section and opt for the 2nd surgery if needed later I am not going to argue with you about it, and it sounds like you have done your own research and have made up your decision and that YOU are taking charge of your surgery so I am happy with that. Prior to the positive for cancer they had already determined that the 1/2 of my thyroid that I had left would not make up to normal thyroid levels so I would have had to have been on medication for the rest of my life either way (just a smaller dose).

    yes it can take a toll on you for the thyroid hormones not being the same as before but in my case my thyroid was going bad cancer or not and it was the cancerous section that was keeping my levels in the normal range (all 7.1 cm of it).

    It is true that your body normally recovers faster from smaller surgeries and it will give your parathyroids a chance to start working again from surgery shock.

    the only thing I will advise is that you give them permission that is there is 100% no doubt that there is cancer while you are under that they do whatever is necessary. Again I am only advising you from my history and what I have read but the choice is yours and don’t let the doctors steer you away from your choice.

    Good luck and keep us informed on how things go

    Craig
  • warriormum
    warriormum Member Posts: 20
    nasher said:

    Frozen section
    On my surgery the frozen section came back inconclusive and the final tests showed 2 types of thyroid cancer so I had the 2nd surgery.

    @ warriormum - If you have decided to opt-out of the frozen section and opt for the 2nd surgery if needed later I am not going to argue with you about it, and it sounds like you have done your own research and have made up your decision and that YOU are taking charge of your surgery so I am happy with that. Prior to the positive for cancer they had already determined that the 1/2 of my thyroid that I had left would not make up to normal thyroid levels so I would have had to have been on medication for the rest of my life either way (just a smaller dose).

    yes it can take a toll on you for the thyroid hormones not being the same as before but in my case my thyroid was going bad cancer or not and it was the cancerous section that was keeping my levels in the normal range (all 7.1 cm of it).

    It is true that your body normally recovers faster from smaller surgeries and it will give your parathyroids a chance to start working again from surgery shock.

    the only thing I will advise is that you give them permission that is there is 100% no doubt that there is cancer while you are under that they do whatever is necessary. Again I am only advising you from my history and what I have read but the choice is yours and don’t let the doctors steer you away from your choice.

    Good luck and keep us informed on how things go

    Craig

    FRozen section
    Thanks for your words of advice Liz and Craig. Re the frozen section, I discussed with the surgeon not wanting a Thyroidectomy unless there was an absolute 100% diagnosis of cancer and he agreed then that there was no point doing the frozen section with this surgery, and I'm happy with that decision as I contemplate my surgery tomorrow.

    Craig, I really like the way you are supportive of me making my own informed decisions, I think too often patients submit to whatever it is the drs suggest, often with regrets later on. I too am a healthcare professional and always advocate for my patients in a way that puts them at the centre of the decision making, after all it is THEIR body. I also have a keen interest in natural healthcare and approaches to healing so if this turns out to be cancer I will have a lot of decisions to make regarding further treatment. Before you all jump on me and tell me I'm crazy lol, I'm not saying I wouldn't go the tradition RAI route, I'm just saying I would research ALL options and make a decision from that. Heck I'm probably jumping the gun here as the odds are with me that this is not cancer ;)

    Blessings everyone, will let you know how the surgery goes tomorrow.
  • nasher
    nasher Member Posts: 505

    FRozen section
    Thanks for your words of advice Liz and Craig. Re the frozen section, I discussed with the surgeon not wanting a Thyroidectomy unless there was an absolute 100% diagnosis of cancer and he agreed then that there was no point doing the frozen section with this surgery, and I'm happy with that decision as I contemplate my surgery tomorrow.

    Craig, I really like the way you are supportive of me making my own informed decisions, I think too often patients submit to whatever it is the drs suggest, often with regrets later on. I too am a healthcare professional and always advocate for my patients in a way that puts them at the centre of the decision making, after all it is THEIR body. I also have a keen interest in natural healthcare and approaches to healing so if this turns out to be cancer I will have a lot of decisions to make regarding further treatment. Before you all jump on me and tell me I'm crazy lol, I'm not saying I wouldn't go the tradition RAI route, I'm just saying I would research ALL options and make a decision from that. Heck I'm probably jumping the gun here as the odds are with me that this is not cancer ;)

    Blessings everyone, will let you know how the surgery goes tomorrow.

    you have to be the one in control
    No matter what anyone says is best for you. You need to be the one in control of the situation.

    Yes at the start of this all, prior to them determining it was cancer, I was submitting to whatever they thought was best and probably would have done the wait and see if it didn’t start giving me problems with breathing.

    If you know of any natural healthcare and approaches to healing I am sure we would all be interested in reading about them.

    The doctors at the time told me i "probably didn’t need to go through RAI" but I pushed for it and reading about the reoccurrences in people who didn’t go through RAI I am glad I did.

    And aren’t we all crazy in our own way.

    Hoping the surgery goes well, hoping its not cancer
    Either way stay around and keep chatting with us all and especially inform us about any other things we should all think about especially other possible treatments and plans

    Craig
  • warriormum
    warriormum Member Posts: 20
    nasher said:

    you have to be the one in control
    No matter what anyone says is best for you. You need to be the one in control of the situation.

    Yes at the start of this all, prior to them determining it was cancer, I was submitting to whatever they thought was best and probably would have done the wait and see if it didn’t start giving me problems with breathing.

    If you know of any natural healthcare and approaches to healing I am sure we would all be interested in reading about them.

    The doctors at the time told me i "probably didn’t need to go through RAI" but I pushed for it and reading about the reoccurrences in people who didn’t go through RAI I am glad I did.

    And aren’t we all crazy in our own way.

    Hoping the surgery goes well, hoping its not cancer
    Either way stay around and keep chatting with us all and especially inform us about any other things we should all think about especially other possible treatments and plans

    Craig

    Surgery
    Hi everyone, surgery apparantly went well gotta love those discussions post op in recovery when you are barely conscious! Recovery has been pretty good so far, barely any pain, it's the waiting that is doing my head in, get the pathology results in 3 days time.
  • LBlackman
    LBlackman Member Posts: 113

    Surgery
    Hi everyone, surgery apparantly went well gotta love those discussions post op in recovery when you are barely conscious! Recovery has been pretty good so far, barely any pain, it's the waiting that is doing my head in, get the pathology results in 3 days time.

    So glad things went well with your surgery! That's a major thing you can put behind you now. The waiting is the hardest part, you have to be strong no matter the outcome. When they did my surgery they told me it wasn't cancer and I had no idea they were doing a three day study of the part they removed until my Dr. called two days after christmas and said I had cancer. Hopefully they will call with good news for you. Keep us posted and you are in my thoughts and prayers for a postivie outcome!
    Lynne
  • Baldy
    Baldy Member Posts: 243

    Surgery
    Hi everyone, surgery apparantly went well gotta love those discussions post op in recovery when you are barely conscious! Recovery has been pretty good so far, barely any pain, it's the waiting that is doing my head in, get the pathology results in 3 days time.

    Post op discussions
    Mum,

    I had the same experience following my lymphadenectomy. They were wheeling me out of the OR and the surgeon was telling me the preliminary result of the biopsy. I wasn't all there and the main thought going through my head was, "Hey! I woke up!", this was my first surgery. Anyway, all I heard was "[mumble] thyroid [mumble] 20 years [mumble]". I guess it served its purpose, I wasn't surprised when I was told an hour later. In one way I was lucky, I didn't have to wait anxiously to hear it. Hang in there!

    I also had very little pain, if any, following the total thyroidectomy & radical neck dissection. I was stiff and sore, but no sharp pain, which I did have following the lymphadenectomy. But even that wasn't too bad, I think I told the nurse 2 or 3 out of 10. I'm guessing the difference was the lymphadenectomy was done through the sternocleidomastoid muscle, while during the neck dissection it was exposed and retracted.

    I don't know if you have a drain or drains in. Once they remove them, the swelling in the area will increase. Also, I suggest you prepare yourself with a pain pill before you go to have them removed. I had two, one came out fine, the other was painful and I'm guessing may have been very painful if I hadn't fortified myself. I'm almost two months post-op, and the swelling is still there, not as bad as immediately after he removed my drains, but very noticeable to me. There is very little restriction of movement but I can feel it when I move my head. I'm 51, so I'm guessing it'll take a little longer than normal for the swelling to go down.

    Good luck!
    Alan
  • warriormum
    warriormum Member Posts: 20
    Baldy said:

    Post op discussions
    Mum,

    I had the same experience following my lymphadenectomy. They were wheeling me out of the OR and the surgeon was telling me the preliminary result of the biopsy. I wasn't all there and the main thought going through my head was, "Hey! I woke up!", this was my first surgery. Anyway, all I heard was "[mumble] thyroid [mumble] 20 years [mumble]". I guess it served its purpose, I wasn't surprised when I was told an hour later. In one way I was lucky, I didn't have to wait anxiously to hear it. Hang in there!

    I also had very little pain, if any, following the total thyroidectomy & radical neck dissection. I was stiff and sore, but no sharp pain, which I did have following the lymphadenectomy. But even that wasn't too bad, I think I told the nurse 2 or 3 out of 10. I'm guessing the difference was the lymphadenectomy was done through the sternocleidomastoid muscle, while during the neck dissection it was exposed and retracted.

    I don't know if you have a drain or drains in. Once they remove them, the swelling in the area will increase. Also, I suggest you prepare yourself with a pain pill before you go to have them removed. I had two, one came out fine, the other was painful and I'm guessing may have been very painful if I hadn't fortified myself. I'm almost two months post-op, and the swelling is still there, not as bad as immediately after he removed my drains, but very noticeable to me. There is very little restriction of movement but I can feel it when I move my head. I'm 51, so I'm guessing it'll take a little longer than normal for the swelling to go down.

    Good luck!
    Alan

    Waiting ......
    My surgeon won't give results over the phone which is a little frustrating, but he also doesn't charge for the post op consult so I guess that is ok. I will be seeing him tomorrow so not long now, I'm keeping busy today to keep my mind off things. I keep swinging between this feeling of dread that I have cancer, but then reassuring myself that it can't/won't happen to me!

    Alan your surgeries sound painful. I only had a partial thyroidectomy and no drains etc. Re those post op "conversations" I remember having a most inappropriate (though hilarious) conversation with a nurse about these tiny black shorts my suregeon had changed into before leaving the hospital. I was his last surgery for the day and I assume he was headingf off to the gym, I can only hope he was out of earshot at the time!
  • nasher
    nasher Member Posts: 505

    Waiting ......
    My surgeon won't give results over the phone which is a little frustrating, but he also doesn't charge for the post op consult so I guess that is ok. I will be seeing him tomorrow so not long now, I'm keeping busy today to keep my mind off things. I keep swinging between this feeling of dread that I have cancer, but then reassuring myself that it can't/won't happen to me!

    Alan your surgeries sound painful. I only had a partial thyroidectomy and no drains etc. Re those post op "conversations" I remember having a most inappropriate (though hilarious) conversation with a nurse about these tiny black shorts my suregeon had changed into before leaving the hospital. I was his last surgery for the day and I assume he was headingf off to the gym, I can only hope he was out of earshot at the time!

    good luck
    hopeing its non cancerous... I agree the waiting is the worst thing

    for myself I had a drain from when they did the partial and again when they did the completion surgery.

    oh and yes the swelling did go up once they removed the drain, but not my much.

    Some suregons always do drains, and some almost always do not it all depends on the suregon and the amount of expected drainage.
  • warriormum
    warriormum Member Posts: 20
    nasher said:

    good luck
    hopeing its non cancerous... I agree the waiting is the worst thing

    for myself I had a drain from when they did the partial and again when they did the completion surgery.

    oh and yes the swelling did go up once they removed the drain, but not my much.

    Some suregons always do drains, and some almost always do not it all depends on the suregon and the amount of expected drainage.

    Bad news
    So it turns out I have follicular Thyroid cancer. I was oh so calm when the dr told me this morning (but then I had a feeling anyway as I'd mentioned) but then lost it in the car. Returning to hospital in 5 days time for removal of rest of thyroid then RAI to follow.
  • Baldy
    Baldy Member Posts: 243

    Bad news
    So it turns out I have follicular Thyroid cancer. I was oh so calm when the dr told me this morning (but then I had a feeling anyway as I'd mentioned) but then lost it in the car. Returning to hospital in 5 days time for removal of rest of thyroid then RAI to follow.

    So Sorry
    So Sorry!!!
  • csm2007
    csm2007 Member Posts: 25

    Bad news
    So it turns out I have follicular Thyroid cancer. I was oh so calm when the dr told me this morning (but then I had a feeling anyway as I'd mentioned) but then lost it in the car. Returning to hospital in 5 days time for removal of rest of thyroid then RAI to follow.

    I'm sorry that it was follicular cancer warriormum. Try to get some rest the next few days, it's alot to absorb. Just know others are thinking of you.
  • sunnyaz
    sunnyaz Member Posts: 582

    Bad news
    So it turns out I have follicular Thyroid cancer. I was oh so calm when the dr told me this morning (but then I had a feeling anyway as I'd mentioned) but then lost it in the car. Returning to hospital in 5 days time for removal of rest of thyroid then RAI to follow.

    Bad News
    Catherine,

    I am so sorry to hear this. Thyroid cancer isn't as rare as it used to be. Hold strong and keep your chin up. We are all here for you.

    Blessings and Prayers,
    Julie-SunnyAZ
  • nasher
    nasher Member Posts: 505

    Bad news
    So it turns out I have follicular Thyroid cancer. I was oh so calm when the dr told me this morning (but then I had a feeling anyway as I'd mentioned) but then lost it in the car. Returning to hospital in 5 days time for removal of rest of thyroid then RAI to follow.

    :(
    I am sorry you have cancer as well

    we are always hopefull for everyone who comes here.

    I would definatly recomend going through RAI... there are alot of pros and cons of doing RAI therapy, but from the postings on this board as well as others I have noticed that the people who did not do RAI and have reocourances later are always annoyed that they didnt do it.

    be sure to do your reserch and figure out every question to ask.
  • sunnyaz
    sunnyaz Member Posts: 582
    nasher said:

    :(
    I am sorry you have cancer as well

    we are always hopefull for everyone who comes here.

    I would definatly recomend going through RAI... there are alot of pros and cons of doing RAI therapy, but from the postings on this board as well as others I have noticed that the people who did not do RAI and have reocourances later are always annoyed that they didnt do it.

    be sure to do your reserch and figure out every question to ask.

    RAI
    My doctor told me yesterday that RAI is very successful in the prevention of Lung metastasis. I was frustrated that only five weeks after RAI (178 mCi's) I had suspicious nodes. He said that nodes are less likely to uptake the iodine but that it very well could have prevented Lung met's down the road.

    Hugs to you Catherine! Remember that we are always here for you.

    Julie-SunnyAZ
  • warriormum
    warriormum Member Posts: 20
    sunnyaz said:

    RAI
    My doctor told me yesterday that RAI is very successful in the prevention of Lung metastasis. I was frustrated that only five weeks after RAI (178 mCi's) I had suspicious nodes. He said that nodes are less likely to uptake the iodine but that it very well could have prevented Lung met's down the road.

    Hugs to you Catherine! Remember that we are always here for you.

    Julie-SunnyAZ

    Thanks everyone
    Your words of support and kind thoughts mean so much to me. Being follicular cancer already showing vascular invasion I will definately be having the RAI...no doubt about that anymore! I'm trying to stay positive, but find my mind wandering at night when it's dark and quiet, that's when I feel alone and frankly terrified.