Is there neglect of the doctors part?

Tamika30
Tamika30 Member Posts: 9
edited March 2014 in Thyroid Cancer #1
I had went for a routine doctors visit in 2007. This is went my doctor noticed a lump in neck. I visited the ENT clinic. At this time they noticed I had a cyst. They did a biosy and drained the cyst. The cyst reappearred again a few months later. They did another biosy and drainage. Both biosies came back negative and I was told that was everything ok and that I had nothing to worry about. At both times a sonogram was done and they saw nothing past a cyst. But the cyst reoccurred twice more with two more biosies in 2008 and 2009, tests still came up negative. It was not until May of 2009 that I started having a pain in my right thyroid where the cyst was located. I went to the doctor and he was about to blow me off like everything was ok until I complained a bit. He wanted to give me a muscle relaxer and follow up in 6 months. But I know that I had just had a drainage and biosy less than two weeks ago and something felt different. It was not until I mentioned this that he decided to do a quick sonogram and noticed the cyst had reappearred quicker than before. I wanted his reaction to be lets do the surgery. But a turned and asked me if I wanted to do the surgery in which I said yes and on 6/17/2009 I found out that I had Papillary cancer w/ follicular variant. I was shocked and it shocked and devasted my family. I feel like the doctor could have done something more rather let me go thru four biosies/drainages throughout two years and all the time I had cancer.

I thought while during the surgery they are suppose to take the right thyroid to the pathogistes to be tested before the close my neck up. But this was not the case. I had to go in for a second surgery a week later to remove the remainder of my thyroid. The good thing is that it did not spread to my left side. I just hope it has not spread to any other part of my body. They do not want to do a full body scan until I take the radiation pill in August.

I am thirty year old with two kids. I was just recently married in April. This was hard to deal with and still is.

What are your thoughts?

Comments

  • jcvolt
    jcvolt Member Posts: 69
    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
    Tamika30 Member Posts: 9
    jcvolt said:

    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.

    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.
  • jcvolt
    jcvolt Member Posts: 69
    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.
  • usljh10
    usljh10 Member Posts: 85 Member
    jcvolt said:

    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.

    Are you a Doctor? jcvolt
    How can you tell someone that?
  • jecklehyde
    jecklehyde Member Posts: 33
    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.
  • usljh10
    usljh10 Member Posts: 85 Member

    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.

    Very well said
    Very well said jeckehyde. I'm also cancer free since April 2008. Same procedure. The 1st year getting use to the ideal of having cancer is tough. Doing the low iodine diet sorta stinks. I'm glad I had my whole thyroid removed. Keeping my hormones regulated depends on me (Listen to your body) and my Endo. So far it's been a roller coaster, but it is getting better. I don't worry about it as much. As I look back on my journey, I would'nt do anything different. I'll take my 1 pill a day and smile.
  • Jesusismysalvation
    Jesusismysalvation Member Posts: 2
    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"
  • jcvolt
    jcvolt Member Posts: 69
    usljh10 said:

    Are you a Doctor? jcvolt
    How can you tell someone that?

    protocol
    Stage 1 and most stage 2 they don't do RAI as it often does more harm than good.