Is there neglect of the doctors part?

Cyst
That is fairly odd for a cyst to become cancer. Cancer nodules are usually solid.

I would not have had the second surgery since there was no evidence of cancer on that side.

You do have a point about doctors blowing off women a lot. I avoid white male doctors for just that reason.

Tamika30 said:

Cyst
They told me that it is procedure to remove the total thyroid because it could have spread even thought there was no apparent cysts. And that they have to remove it before giving me the radiation because the radiation will damage the thyroid. And my goal is to kill any remaining thyroid tissue to avoid the spread of the cancer.

They should not
They should not be doing radiation on you. As limited as your cancer was the radiation will do more harm than good.

Cyst Like nodules
Hi Tamika, I had a cyst-like nodule that was drained the first year with no cancer cells and it grew back. The second year the biopsy showed suspicion. My ENT said that sometimes happen because it depends what part of the cyst they test. They could miss the suspicious cells.

I had a partial thryroidectomy and it tested no cancer in the operating room. When I went for my follow-up a week later, the tests done after the surgery came back positive for cancer and the other half was taken out. With talking to many people, I found this is quite common because again, in the OR they are doing a quick frozen type of test and after surgery, a more in depth test. Once they see cancer on one side, the automatically take out the other because thyroid cancer is very slow growing and it could be very small on the other side. I had a consult at Memorial Sloan Kettering and they did find a very small spot on my other side.

I had the RAI and at the current time, I am 2 years cancer free. I still go every three months to my ENT and I follow the body scans, ultrasounds etc. I am very optimistic, but know I am in it for the long haul and will do everything I need to do.

You will be fine, maybe tired at times, but if you trust your doctor, then follow what they say. Again because this goes on, you need to make sure you are happy with your doctor. If not, find another.

Dear Tamika...Radiation/ No Radiation?
Each person fighting cancer has a totally different and reaction to all of the various options in cancer treatment, so while getting comfort, new ideas and we share with each other,, all of the new and different treatments available to us(survivors!) and so what I have done on numerous occassions, printed out advice and new treament ideas and taken them to my oncologist and my primary care Dr. and in some cases they were so new, or in another state doing trials, that my Dr.s have come to learn about things that are so new, they weren't known nationaly yet,with exception to the area where particular research and trials
are.I have felt the horrible sting of cancer first in 1994, my Dad died July 25th, from colon cancer after fighting it for several years, my Mom went home to Jesus, Jan,3rd, 1997,
her cancer was first diagnosed, three days before she passed away, massive Brain Cancer, Jan,3,1997 eight days before her 69th birthday, we found out about the Cancer about 64 hours before she went to be with Jesus, I lost my sister who was 20 months older than I was,at the age of 47,( I was 45 yrs.old at the time,) but she had a year and one half longer than any Dr. said was possible she lived about a year longer than than the Dr.s said she would but she did SEVERAL research trials, the Dr.s at MD Anderson hospital and to my knowledge None of the traditional treatments, the Original Oncologists attributed the lengthening as well as the quality of her life was a"Miracle' a term I didn't hear Dr.s use before that. She passed away March, 23rd, 2006 after a VERY DETERMINED person throught her life which ended a couple of months after her 47th birthday, and less than a year later I was diagnosed with extremley advanced "Metastic" defined as a cancer that has spread to other parts of the bodt, in my case,,4 tumors in my right breast, encompassing my small pectoral muscle and 15-17 Lymph nodes, also on the right side, as well as one tumor in my left breast, I was in the operating room within less than a week, doing what is referred to as a double radical mastectomy to see if they could save my life. I am now 48 yrs old,and will be 49 in 6 days, still taking Tamoxifen after doing some chemotherapy(5 weeks, and finisheng my radiation therapy, at least 30 days, on my terms, I spread out the treatments into about 3 or 4 weeks, instead of doing all 31 treatments in a solid daily 31 treatmets. I thank our Good and Merciful God our Father for I have been in remission for over a yearIf anyone has any questions about what any of the 4 types of cancer that I have been dealing with starting with my Dad in 1989, please do not HESITATE to email me or call me, or both, If I don't have the answer, I WILL FIND IT FOR YOU!
May God watch over each and every one of you as well as your families and friends, you are all in my daily.
My Sincerest Best Wishes and Love,

Katheryn

"Jesus is my Salvation"