Goiters in Children

[mommasita]

This morning I took my DD11 to my GP as she had a sore throat and the Pediatrician is on vacation.

He told me that her tonsils were swollen, did a strep test. Then went on to ask if I was satisfied with my Pediatrician, right there I knew something was up.
Then he made me feel, and she has a goiter on her thyroid. You can feel it

She will be going for blood tests Saturday morning, and he requested an Emergency Ultrasound of the thyroid. I am waiting for the Children's Hospital to call back.

In the meantime, Google is not your friend, and I was wondering if anyone had any experience in this.

TIA

He mentioned we have to do this ASAP, and that this "might" be the reason she is not growing.

 

[ENSOCK]

no advice; never heard of it but hugs and pixie dust that it turns out to be nothing.

 

[mommasita]

no advice; never heard of it but hugs and pixie dust that it turns out to be nothing.

Thank You Much needed and appreciated.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Hope you get some answers quickly. Prayers for you and your daughter that she has the best of care and makes a quick and speedy recovery.

 

[mommasita]

Thank You both.

I am having positive thoughts. I just can not go any other direction.

 

[nmmom95]

No advice, but and prayers.

 

[katesorad]

No advice, but and prayers.

Same here.

 

[JerseyJanice]

FWIW, I remember seeing people with goiters quite a bit when I was growing up in the 60s/70s. It's been many years since I've seen anyone with it, so I believe they must be treated far more effectively now.

Good luck, mama.

 

[cabanafrau]

My first instinct is I haven't heard that term in years & years, so I'm sure medicine has made lots of advances in this area and they are probably very treatable now.

Try not to worry, mom. I know that's next to impossible when it comes to your child, but I strongly suspect this can be dealt with.

Can't wait to hear a good news update from you.

 

[mommasita]

Thank you, each and everyone of you.

Tomorrow at 3pm is the Ultrasound, and her blood work is Saturday, with a return visit to the Dr. on April 11th. I hope something can be said/shown tomorrow at the Ultrasound.

 

[Bilberry]

I remember seeing this doctor write about noticing more patients with goiters. I now take kelp/iodine tablets in the morning with breakfast.

"Goiter, goiter everywhere"
http://www.heartscanblog.org/2009/05/goiter-goiter-everywhere.html

From the article:

In my office, now that I'm looking for them much more systematically and carefully, I am finding about 2 people with goiters every day. They are not the obvious grotesque goiters of the early 20th century (when quack therapies like the last post, the Golden Medical Discovery, were popular). The goiters I am detecting are small and spongy. Yesterday alone I found 5 people with goiters, one of them visible to the eye and very distressing to the patient.

It seems to me that iodine deficiency is more prevalent than I ever thought. It is also something that is so simple to remedy, though not by increasing salt intake. Kelp tablets--cheap, available--have been working quite well in the office population. My sense is that the Recommended Daily Allowance of 150 mcg per day for adults is low and that many benefit from greater quantities, e.g., 500 mcg. What is is the ideal dose? To my knowledge, nobody has yet generated that data.

 

[Kimberle]

No experience. But best of luck. It's so scary when our kids get sick.

 

[krcit]

Hoping for the best results for you and that these next 2 weeks go quickly. Please update us.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I was also posting on yur other thread Momma

Do you know what blood tests are being ordered?

When my ds went to the pediatric endocronologist, she was testing him for 14 different things. She looked at him and ruled out Addisons disease and another one I cant remember. Theyalso did an xray to check his bone growth/bone age using the wrist.

Wishing your dd all the best.

 

[mommasita]

Thanks again everyone.

luvmarypoppins: RIght now it is the thyroid cascade. It may be different in French here. She has had the bone xray done.

It is a rough night tonight here, but thankfully we have the U/S tomorrow, which should help somewhat.

I am trying to keep her away from the computer. I anticipated a lot of questions, as she reads A TON, and earlier she asked me if she had cancer, etc. She has seen too much. I said "don't be silly". Let us take one thing at a time here.

 

[christiane]

Mommasita, I join with everyone else wish your daughter the best.

My friend's son is about the same age as your daughter & he was just diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease. He had not yet developed a goiter; he was just found to be overweight for his age group. He is now under the care of a pediatric oncologist & is doing well.

Before my friend told me about her son, I did not realize that children could be hypothyroid. He will need medication lifelong, but other than that, he will be just fine. I hope the same for your daughter.

Christiane.

 

[Alphabetsoup]

I would relax a bit (I know it is hard Mama!)

I was dx with a goiter about 2 years ago now. I had a rather large lump on the right side of my thyroid and a smaller one on the left. They did the bloodwork (normal) and did an ultrasound. The nodules looked benign, but they sent me for a biopsy (this was the worst part). If they want to biopsy your daughter (which they may want if there are nodules, because it is the best way to see if they are problematic) you might ask if they can give her versed or sedate her. I was scared and tried to talk my hubby into letting me skip it (I'm a chicken!)

Anyway, here is the good news...goiters are RARELY cancer. Also, most thyroid cancers are slow growing, easy to get rid of and don't come back. Since they are slow growing they rarely metastasize outside of the thyroid.

I have a friend who had mild thyroid cancer dx at 16...had her thyroid out at 19 and is celebrating 20 years cancer free this week.

Hang in there...and do try to avoid 'Dr. Google'....

 

[sduck]

First, here is a site that offers information re: the thyroid written in three versions, adult, children, and teens.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/growth/thyroid.html#

It's important to know that a goiter is a swelling of the thyroid. It is extremely common. The site does go through all the different diseases that the thyroid can create, symptoms, etc. It does mention cancer in passing, but cancer is one of the most treatable cancers. I would explain to your daughter that all medical information will talk from the most common to the most obscure with the cancer being the most obscure for her. Even freckles etc if googled, can be seen as cancer.

Most likely your daughter has an underactive thyroid. It is treated with medication. A pill. Once a day. Even if they find nodules (little cysts) they most likely will just try to treat with the pill first.

Even if it is determined that her thyroid is no longer working and had to be removed, once again the final step is taking a pill. Yes, a pain in the butt for a child but so much easier to control than many other diseases out there.

Explain to her that her life will be pretty much the same either way. If she is under-active and has had a hard time with being chunky this may go away. The pill will also help control other problems from dry skin to thin hair, etc.

I am positive that she is scared. But I would go to the link above and read it. Then if you approve, then her read about it. I would rather my child get information that will allow her to know what is happening rather than be scared and thinking the worst.

I don't know if your daughter is a picky eater, but back in the day, lack of iodine was the major cause of goiters. Her diet may be a contributor to the problem.

And last but not least, I would also have you tested and any other children (even boys) as thyroid problems tend to run in the family.

Hope that everything works out, and as some one who has gone through it, if I could pick a problem (goiter, diabetes, RA, etc), goiter would be the one under Totally healthy.

I will keep you both in my thoughts.

 

[mommasita]

Thanks to everyone.

Sduck: thank You. Today friends are taking me out shopping and for lunch, or I would be stuck on the computer. This way, I have no time until I pick her up at 2.

I will most DEFINITELY read that when we get back, and then have her read it.

Thank You so much.