My biopsy

3boys_mom
3boys_mom Member Posts: 47
in Thyroid Cancer #1
Can I just say, MD Anderson ROCKS!! I went in, registered, then had my ultrasound, and stayed in the room--radiologists looked at the pictures and did the biopsy. I choose to skip the lidocaine, not because I was trying to be brave or anything, but because I know how those lidocaine shots hurt, so I figured one needle was better than several. It wasn't too bad. My neck is a little sore tonight, like someone socked me one. :-)

While I was resting on the table, they came back in about 20 minutes to tell me "It's follicular lesions"--so even with a quick turn around, I still don't know. I meet with the dr. at 9:30 tomorrow. I have lots of questions to ask her.

Craig--MD Anderson has it where you can access all of your records and reports online! How cool is that?

Sar

Comments

  • TX Diva
    TX Diva Member Posts: 4
    #2
    Glad to hear MD rocks! :)
    So glad to hear that your experience with MD was great! I asked my GP if he could refer me to MD since he and I both agreed that the endo I had gone to was a quack. My GP told me that I would first have to be diagnosed with cancer in order for MD to take me. Reading your experience has me wondering...Is that not true?

    I do have a second opinion visit scheduled with a second local endo this Friday. I think one of my real issues is simply needing to have the FNA slides reread as well as counseling from an endo who actually knows what's going on! If I leave that visit still uncertain, I might have to see about MD Anderson since it sounds like they are on the ball and get answers quickly. That DOES rock for sure!!

    Keep us posted on your progress.
  • nasher
    nasher Member Posts: 505 Member
    #3
    Yes I also have some access to records online but it’s not always working fully where I am and it’s not every report but normally I can pull my labs up before i go to the doctor so I know what to ask

    Yes its cool.

    Glad you like your doctor too.

    FNA slides are a lot of time inconclusive so...

    yes please keep us up to date on how everything is going.

    oh yes even if you have your records available online i still recommend a hard copy as backup

    I actually have 4 full hardcopies of my record plus a few small portions of things that I can make notes and my own comments on so when i see the doctor I have the question for the result.

    especially with things like lab reports sometimes they just do not understand how YOU work.

    my PCP told me a few days ago that he sees 20-30 people a day so that means each patient gets about 10 min to state there case get diagnosed get referrals written and off again.

    I love reading everyone’s questions and comments it helps me understand my own body better and helps me come up with better questions to ask my doctors about.

    Craig
  • 3boys_mom
    3boys_mom Member Posts: 47
    #4
    TX Diva said:

    Glad to hear MD rocks! :)
    So glad to hear that your experience with MD was great! I asked my GP if he could refer me to MD since he and I both agreed that the endo I had gone to was a quack. My GP told me that I would first have to be diagnosed with cancer in order for MD to take me. Reading your experience has me wondering...Is that not true?

    I do have a second opinion visit scheduled with a second local endo this Friday. I think one of my real issues is simply needing to have the FNA slides reread as well as counseling from an endo who actually knows what's going on! If I leave that visit still uncertain, I might have to see about MD Anderson since it sounds like they are on the ball and get answers quickly. That DOES rock for sure!!

    Keep us posted on your progress.

    MDA and Cancer
    TX Diva
    You do not have to have cancer to go to the Thyroid Nodule Clinic at MDA. I referred myself online. Check out their website--it is very informative.

    Best of luck,
    Sarah
  • 3boys_mom
    3boys_mom Member Posts: 47
    #5
    The results
    Hi all,
    The server has been down--anybody else have problems?

    So I meet with my Dr. (and four interns! LOL) They did a scope of my throat. That was miserable! The biopsy was easier to deal with. My nose is still bleeding on and off because of it. Anyway, my vocal chords do not have invasion on them, so that's great news. She said in a person with a healthy thyroid they would remove the bad half, biopsy it, and leave the good half if the nodule is benign. But since my thyroid doesn't work, she gave me the option of taking the whole thing out--I said take it all out. I know there is a risk of the parathyroids and vocals being messed up--but I told her that's the whole reason I chose to drive 6 hours to MDA, because I wanted the best.

    My chance of cancer is 5-7%. My surgery isn't until Sept. 28th--I'm going to call on Monday and get on a cancellation list. I have my last semester of college coming up. Missing 2-3 weeks would be impossible to make up. Oh well, will handle that as it comes.

    I went over all the "what if" questions if it turns out to be cancer. The time between the surgery and RAI (if indicated) would be 6 weeks. She would want my TSH at 30. I can't believe I forgot to ask about Thyrogen shots, but I can't imagine they wouldn't offer them. She said that she would prescribe Cytomel after the TT. Thank goodness!

    Sarah
  • TX Diva
    TX Diva Member Posts: 4
    #6
    3boys_mom said:

    MDA and Cancer
    TX Diva
    You do not have to have cancer to go to the Thyroid Nodule Clinic at MDA. I referred myself online. Check out their website--it is very informative.

    Best of luck,
    Sarah

    My slides are going to MDA!
    Thought I'd let you know that I convinced my local endo (the second one I've been to) to send my biopsy slides to MD Anderson to be reread by a cytologist! I'm so pleased knowing that will hopefully give me a starting point with a good FNA reading. I'm just praying the FNA was done properly and the slides are substantial enough to get a good reading.

    I plan to wait and see what finding MDA comes back with. I think however that I may end up going down there for treatment because I didn't care much for this endo either. I had to do the asking to have the slides reread, he didn't suggest it. :(

    Glad you've got your surgery scheduled. Keep us posted!
  • nasher
    nasher Member Posts: 505 Member
    #7
    3boys_mom said:

    The results
    Hi all,
    The server has been down--anybody else have problems?

    So I meet with my Dr. (and four interns! LOL) They did a scope of my throat. That was miserable! The biopsy was easier to deal with. My nose is still bleeding on and off because of it. Anyway, my vocal chords do not have invasion on them, so that's great news. She said in a person with a healthy thyroid they would remove the bad half, biopsy it, and leave the good half if the nodule is benign. But since my thyroid doesn't work, she gave me the option of taking the whole thing out--I said take it all out. I know there is a risk of the parathyroids and vocals being messed up--but I told her that's the whole reason I chose to drive 6 hours to MDA, because I wanted the best.

    My chance of cancer is 5-7%. My surgery isn't until Sept. 28th--I'm going to call on Monday and get on a cancellation list. I have my last semester of college coming up. Missing 2-3 weeks would be impossible to make up. Oh well, will handle that as it comes.

    I went over all the "what if" questions if it turns out to be cancer. The time between the surgery and RAI (if indicated) would be 6 weeks. She would want my TSH at 30. I can't believe I forgot to ask about Thyrogen shots, but I can't imagine they wouldn't offer them. She said that she would prescribe Cytomel after the TT. Thank goodness!

    Sarah

    if it dosent work anyways...
    yes I agree if you are going to have some of it out and it is not working anyways to take it all

    on my first lobectomy they removed 1 of my parathyroids but the other 3 did not go into shock.

    When they took the rest of the thyroid out they also took out another parathyroid and the other 2 parathyroids went into shock so i spent an extra day in the hospital and 2 weeks on 4 supplements till my parathyroids were working again. I still have minor issues my calcium level is always low so i have to supplement calcium and vitamin D.

    If you get to the RAI time as long as you follow the LID and during that time they will probably take you off cytomel since there is a shortage of thyrogen at this time.

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