Hi Pat:

I am unable to assist you on your questions.  However, I wanted you to know that I am thinking of you.

My best to you.

Kathy

cheerful said:

Hi Pat:

   I am sorry to hear about your thyroid nodules.  I had thyroid nodules and had surgery (a goiter) and it was all removed except for a little piece back in 2004. I have been seeing an endocrinologist who is the top endo doctor in my area since 1995 and I will have to see him for the rest of my life.  I have been taking Synthroid since 2000 and will have to remain on medicine also for the rest of my life.  After the surgery, I found out the nodules came out benign and No cancer which I was very thankful and grateful.  If I had let it go, it would have eventually affected my swallowing, and I did not want it to get to that point, so I had the surgery.  After the surgery, I was hoarse for 2 days, and the hospital had told me the hoarseness could last much longer, thankfully it did not, and I had to remain at home for about a week and recover after the surgery so I could not return to work until about a week later. 

   Before the surgery, I also went through a couple of biopsies over the years, they are painful to go through, and the last biopsy the endo doctor prescribed medication to help me.  I had 11 needles for that particular biopsy.  The biopsy came back inconclusive, so my endo doctor did recommend surgery.

   I wish you the best since you will need surgery and let us ladies know here on the Board how you fare out with your surgery.

Cheerful

a/k/a Jane 

We're all different and I wanted to let you know that I have had a single solid nodule for at least 10-15 years, have ultrasounds every few years and it has not grown.  I had a biopsy done that was absolutely painless about 10 years ago.  I remember I was scared to death of the biopsy and was told by a surgeon that I would definitely be facing thyroid surgery in the future, yet here I am - at least 10 years later, and nothing has changed and I have not had another biopsy as ultrasounds remain unchanged.  That initial biopsy showed no cancer, but some Hurthle cells (or something like that) that can be precancerous.  Nothing yet.    Now - "given my history" (breast and endometrial cancers), I remain vigilant about having it checked, but it still remains the same.  Just body junk I guess.  Wishing you the best.  It is not uncommon to have thryoid nodules they say . . . . not all are cancer.

Suzanne

I hadn't mentoned my other history yet but I had my thyroid removed way back in 1989 for papillary carcinoma.  I used to think I was lucky that if I had to get cancer this was the one (very slow growing type and easily treated) but here I am with a second, unrelated one.  I was 32, had my thryroid removed (not that that surgery was a walk in the park - I think recovery was harder than my hysterectomy due to the muscles in the neck and I was a lot younger) and a radioactive iodine treatment.  I take synthyroid every day and have never had any major issues although I am more sensitive to cold temperatures.

But, as everyone else has stated I think we often have these various nodules that pop up and go away.  It's just that we are now constantly checked that they find things that would other otherwise never been even noticed.  When I had my first CT Scan they found 3 nodules in my lungs.  My doctor said it's probably nothing so I try not to think about it too much and wait until the next CT Scan to see if they are gone.

Debi

UPSC 3A

Pat51 said:

Thank You Ladies

I want to thank all of you for your well wishes and supportive replies.  I saw a surgeon regarding the thyroid nodules.  After he reviewed the scans he found even more nodules!!  He said that they were small at this time and that I could have had them for years already.  He did not want to start sticking needles in my neck yet at this time!   YEAH!!!  I fell in love with him at that moment!!!!  Anyway, he said that he wanted to start with this as a baseline and do another ultrasound in 6 months and see how they look.  He said that even if this turned out be thyroid cancer, it was very slow growing and that 6 months would not make any difference.  I was so releived to not have to have anything done at this time, I forgot to ask most of the questions that I had in mind.  He did not seem too concerned by anything that he saw on the scans, so that relieved most of my fears.  I am trusting his judgement and I am going enjoy the next 6 months and hope for the best at this time.

All of your replies were very much appreciated.  The out pouring of support and compassion on this board is absolutely amazing.   My husband passed away last year so you ladies are my support group.  Again, I appreciate each and every one of you.

Pat

Let's hope that the nodules remain unchanged when you goback in 6 months.  So happy you do not need anything done at this time.  I hope you do enjoy the next 6 months.  Sending you abig cyber Hug.    In peace and caring.  

Pat51 said:

Thank You Ladies

I want to thank all of you for your well wishes and supportive replies.  I saw a surgeon regarding the thyroid nodules.  After he reviewed the scans he found even more nodules!!  He said that they were small at this time and that I could have had them for years already.  He did not want to start sticking needles in my neck yet at this time!   YEAH!!!  I fell in love with him at that moment!!!!  Anyway, he said that he wanted to start with this as a baseline and do another ultrasound in 6 months and see how they look.  He said that even if this turned out be thyroid cancer, it was very slow growing and that 6 months would not make any difference.  I was so releived to not have to have anything done at this time, I forgot to ask most of the questions that I had in mind.  He did not seem too concerned by anything that he saw on the scans, so that relieved most of my fears.  I am trusting his judgement and I am going enjoy the next 6 months and hope for the best at this time.

All of your replies were very much appreciated.  The out pouring of support and compassion on this board is absolutely amazing.   My husband passed away last year so you ladies are my support group.  Again, I appreciate each and every one of you.

Pat

Hi, Pat,

I just want you to know that I am glad that you received good news from your doctor and have 6 months before further testing will be done.   Enjoy each and every moment of the next 6 months!  So far it sounds like this is just another bump in the road and that you will be ok.

Best Wishes,

Cathy 

Pat51 said:

Thank you

Thank you for your posts.  I intend to enjoy the next 6 months and try not to worry.  This is not saying that I will not need treatment at that time, but I am going to enjoy my time until then.  I consider myself very lucky at this time.  I keep each of you in my prayers, especially those actively fighting cancer at this time.

Pat

Hi Pat:

   I am glad to hear that you received some good news for now from your endo doctor regarding your thyroid nodules.

   Do enjoy the the 6 months timeframe and that's good that your endo doctor will have you go through an ultrasound. They are so much easier to go through than a biopsy.  But do keep on top of it and go whenever the endo doctor wants to see you.  

  I am so glad I will never have to have another biopsy done in my neck again - it was just too painful to get through especially with all those needles. Personally, I am glad that I had the thyroid surgery and that it came out Benign with No evidence of cancer nearly 10 years ago - that was a big releif in itself. The surgery though is not that bad, the first week it is a little tough to get through, but after that you will be fine.  

   I wish you a really good outcome.

Cheerful

a/k/a Jane

Was the I-131 pill the radioactive iodine pill?  I had Graves' disease (hyperactive thyroid plus a goiter) back in 1994, and I was given radioactive iodine.  If your pill was the same thing as mine, then there are 3 of us on here who had that pill.  I've wondered since if the radioactivity in that pill could have caused my UPSC or if it could have been a contributing factor in my having gotten it.  There were many other things that could have caused it, too, like drinking too much soda, never having had children, living on a farm as a child where DDT was used, etc., but I do find it interesting that there may have been 3 of us who took that pill.