The THYROID Thread

[luvmarypoppins]

The nurse practicioner called and left a message that the pathology was NEGATIVE!! Praise God!!

We are playing phone tag. I left her a message if I should still take the antibiotic on the refill and if the surgeon still wants to see me monday.

I still would like him to address this weird feeling in my neck if it still is there after the antibiotic course is done. Maybe he could pull up my last neck sono and use that as a reference point? I think that usually my endo only gets a copy of the sono since she ordered it. He can pull it up since its in the univ. system so that might help.

 

[hcmommy]

I finally have my results to the U/S in hand if anyone can decipher it for me I would appreciate it.

FINDINGS: The right thyroid lobe is heterogeneous measuring 4.4. cm x 1.9 cm x 1.6 cm. Heterogeneous hypoechoic nodule within the anterior medial mid right thyroid lobe measures 4 mm x 3 mm x 3 mm. Thyroid gland is diffusely heterogeneous. The midline thyroid isthmus measures 7 mm in thickness. Heterogeneous hypoechoic nodule within the left isthmus measures 20 mm x 18 mm x 12 mm. Left thyroid lobe is diffusely heterogeneous measuring 3.9 cm x 1.7 cm x 1.6 cm. Heterogeneous nodule within the midportion of the left thyroid lobe measures 6 mm x 6 mm x 6 mm.

IMPRESSIONS: Borderline prominent and diffusely heterogeneous thyroid gland with bilateral nodularity. Dominant 2.0 cm nodule within the left thyroid isthmus. Futher evaluation with nuclear medicine thyroid scan or u/s guided fine needle aspiration is recommended.

 

[mrsklamc]

Basically it just means that there are lumps on your thyroid but they don't know exactly what they are, so they need to test more. I know it's frustrating. The only part I don't really understand is 'diffusely heterogeneous.' *did some googling and it looks like it just means your thyroid is lumpy*

Does it say anything about hyer or hypo echoic?

 

[mrsklamc]

The nurse practicioner called and left a message that the pathology was NEGATIVE!! Praise God!!

We are playing phone tag. I left her a message if I should still take the antibiotic on the refill and if the surgeon still wants to see me monday.

I still would like him to address this weird feeling in my neck if it still is there after the antibiotic course is done. Maybe he could pull up my last neck sono and use that as a reference point? I think that usually my endo only gets a copy of the sono since she ordered it. He can pull it up since its in the univ. system so that might help.

What is the weird feeling in your neck like? I have tingling and really brief stabbing pain sometimes that I assume is healing.

 

[hcmommy]

It said hypoechoic.

 

[mrsklamc]

It said hypoechoic.

If I recall correctly that makes it more likely to NOT be cancer, but I can't remember which mine was and of course now that I'm looking I can find my CT scan and film but not my ultrasound.

It's funny I have these huge copies of my CT scan ...film, I guess you would call it. I don't think it will ever be useful for anything and yet I can't get rid of it.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Went to the ENT surgeon yest. He said my pathology and cytology was negative for thyroid cancer, leukemia and lymphoma, Praise God.

He said he still feels a remnent left of the node so he wants to see me again in three weeks. He is also sending a note to the rad. onc. and endo. I am hoping the rad. onc. will stick with her original plan and only do thyrogen and blood tests, versus diet and scan. I hope she agrees that if the path was negative I should be ok with just the thyrogen and blod test.

 

[hcmommy]

Congratulations luvmarypoppins!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Today I am going for the blood test. The gp ordered a cmp and B12 level.

I think next friday I will get the B12 shot, regardless of whether he has the labs back.

The lymph node is so tiny now.

In about 55 days I will be at the GF and BC! After all the winter weather and health stuff, I need a vacation. And since the hotels are free I am really

 

[Christine]

In about 55 days I will be at the GF and BC! After all the winter weather and health stuff, I need a vacation. And since the hotels are free I am really

Hey now!! Didn't you just get back!!!!! I'm jealous.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Hey now!! Didn't you just get back!!!!! I'm jealous.

Well we were there in December. We are creatures of habit. Usually December and May. I am trying to talk my dh into the food and wine. We have never done that. Not for the drinking part, which we dont do, just the eating and good weather. I need to find some kind of deal for that. He has an ap and can also get the govt. discount at the swan or dolphin.

I got a new lab tech and all I can say is ouch. I think this girl was so inexperienced. She couldnt get the blood to come out and kept poking the needle around inside me. I almost said something as the needle was coming out and poking me really bad and now I have a nice bruise. I also thought the dr. ordered a cmp but its just a cbc after I looiked at the script.

And the lymph node is getting smaller.

 

[Christine]

Well we were there in December. We are creatures of habit. Usually December and May. I am trying to talk my dh into the food and wine. We have never done that. Not for the drinking part, which we dont do, just the eating and good weather. I need to find some kind of deal for that. He has an ap and can also get the govt. discount at the swan or dolphin.

I got a new lab tech and all I can say is ouch. I think this girl was so inexperienced. She couldnt get the blood to come out and kept poking the needle around inside me. I almost said something as the needle was coming out and poking me really bad and now I have a nice bruise. I also thought the dr. ordered a cmp but its just a cbc after I looiked at the script.

And the lymph node is getting smaller.

Good for you on the lymph node. Don't you HATE bad lab techs? I love it when I come across that rare one where I can't even feel the needle go in.

I'm still jealous about your trip.

When my kids were small, we ALWAYS went in May. I would just pull them out of school. I loved the weather then and the crowds were not awful. We were there for the Food and Wine festival a few time but never did it because it was all about the kids then.

Once my kids got into higher grades, I couldn't take them out anymore and we've been stuck going in the summer. God, I hate it. They are bugging me to go again but I just don't think I can do another summer trip.

I want to go in May so bad.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Well I read on the American Thyroid Association website that they are expecting a thyrogen shortage until the middle of June for the US.

My rad. onc. mentioned this to me but said it should get straightened out by the beginning of 2011. (Doesnt seem like it, I saw her before christmas)

Anyone have any insight on this. My testing will be middle May so I am hoping my hosp. has a supply of thyrogen and that they wont be using it on a case for case basis. I know I would qualify as the nurse before told me they save it for the older patients etc. and I am already stage 4 so thats gotta count for something.

Also, I told my dh that the nuclear plant in Japan is emitting the stuff I had to swallow. He thinks my logic is strange. He has worked with radiation before too so he is used to all this stuff I guess. He has been banned by the govt. from going to Japan or stopping over there for any flights right now. He is just doing China stuff anyway so it is working out good right now for him.

 

[mrsklamc]

Well I read on the American Thyroid Association website that they are expecting a thyrogen shortage until the middle of June for the US.

I wish you could have had mine. Since it was just the blood test I could have gone on cytomel for a month and then nothing for a week, but my endo thought I would really like the synthroid. Hopefully it will be straightened out by May.

I'm glad your DH doesn't have to go to Japan.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Well I was reading the thy ca website and a lady in NJ said her I -131 is cancelled after she has been on the diet since they CANT get the thyrogen!!

Wow! This has me concerned. I might have to wait to June, its ok with me as I am sure anyone who needs an initial I-131 dose at my hospital will get the thyrogen first because I dont think they normally withdraw anyone anyway. I said before how my rad. onc. always extols the wonders of thyrogen etc.

 

[Suzanne033]

Hey all!!! I am also a Thyroid Cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in August 2000. I had a complete Thyroidectomy. They also removed 8 lymphnodes around my neck and found that 6 had tumors in them.

The worst part of it all was that I had a 1 1/2 yo DD. It was hard because I couldn't be near her throught the nuc treatments because they said I could give her Leukemia (sp).

Just had to have followup surgery in January due to another lump in my neck. It was benign but still scary. The best part was that my surgeon this time also specializes in plastic surgery so my scar is nearly non-existent. The 2001 surgeon did a hack job. DH calls me the Human Pez Dispenser.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Suzanne - thanks for sharing your story. Just curious as to what kind of thy ca you have and if the new tumor occured on the same side as your original surgery. Did they say what the new path of the new tumor was. I just had that biopsy for the lymph node.

MedicBill - I dont know ifyou are subscribed to this thread, maybe I will see if I can send you a pm. Did you get a invite to the cancer talk at sb in Aprill? I am seeing one of those surgeons on Monday anyway so I just might ask him what he will be talking about that I need to know etc. Might save me from going.

Dischick - long time, no post, how are you?

Hope everyone else is dong well.

 

[Granfan]

Hi everyone,
DD age 40 had surgery to remove right thyroid lobe which contained a cancerous tumor. Now they want to take out the other side. Pathology report stated that many drs now do not recommend that if nothing else shows. She had the first surgery about a month ago. Does anyone have knowlege about recent medical guidelines on this?

 

[mrsklamc]

Hi everyone,
DD age 40 had surgery to remove right thyroid lobe which contained a cancerous tumor. Now they want to take out the other side. Pathology report stated that many drs now do not recommend that if nothing else shows. She had the first surgery about a month ago. Does anyone have knowlege about recent medical guidelines on this?

I had surgery 18 months ago- 1/2 my thyroid looked perfect but they told me they no longer left the 'good' half because the cancer just comes back if you do.

 

[Granfan]

Mrsklamc, you had a complete thyroidectomy all at once? I wonder why they only took half of DD's The core biopsy had already told them it was follicular neoplasm. Shouldn't they have taken it all at once.?