I just did my ct scan and ultra sound.....next FNA needle

Hello all,

I'm real nervous so I just wanted to vent a little. I'm 38, married with 2 kids. I went to the ENT last week because by glands were swollen. He noticed my Thyroid was swollen on one side. He's having me do tests - today was the ultrasound and ct scan of neck and I'm scheduled for the FNA needle on Thursday. Usually I'm a positive person, but for some reason I don't think this is going to be good news. I probably will get my results next Mon or Tuesday from all of this. If there is some cancer on the Thyroid I just hope they can remove the thyroid and that it hasn't spread elsewhere. Just realy afraid and nervous and wanted to get this off my chest. Thank you all.

Ok!  Take a deep breath.  The thought of CA is terrifying to most but this one is highly treatable/curable even IF it turns out to be thyroid CA---and the odds are its not.  But if it is, the treatment process is certainly way less miserable than most Ca treatments, although we do have our issues!  This board is a gold mine of information.....do your homework;  get 2nd opinions; find good doctors;  don't rush into anything.  Thyroid CA generally moves slowly and you have time to think this through to good decisions!  Calm down!  Take care of yourself in the mean time.  And Good luck!  Keep us all posted!   :O)  

Thank you. I am getting a little too worked up. Hard not to I guess. The one thing I did see is that if the Thyroid needs to come out go to an EXPERIENCED dr, because if not there is a chance your vocal cords could be damaged.

You sound like me a month ago.  I stressed and lost 10 pounds.  I had the scans and FNA.  Both test suggest I have a total TT.  I had hurthle cells in a 4 cm nodule.   I had a TT surgery 6/4/2009.   Be sure of your doctor is the only advise I would could you if you should need surgery.  Choose one that has alot of practice doing thryoid surgery.  This can affect your voice in the hands of an unskilled surgeon.  I bet your going be ok.  If you need someone to talk to just email me back.  The unknown is a hard thing to deal with, and doctors seem to think you should just leave all to them and do no research or reading on your own.

Annette

Hi

I also agree that you look carefully for the right surgeon.  Although my FNA turned out negative, I have continued to have choking problems at night(the nodule is growing larger).  I decided to have a Right lobectomy and if it is malignant they will do a total.  It is very stressful, especially the waiting.  I found a surgeon that has done hundreds of these surgeries.  I had to wait to get in and it is a hassle driving to UCSF but worth it.  My surgery is schedule for Monday 6/22/09.  I will post how it goes.  Wishing you the best with the FNA

Hi, Although the thought of cancer is scary, do some reading about thyroid cancer. It is very treatable and you don't have to go through the chemo and radiation that other cancer patients have to go through. The TT surgery, really isn't too bad. I am 50 and it was my very first surgery - ever! I had to go through it twice, they did one lobe once, found the cancer and had to go back a second time about 2 months later for the other side. All things considered, it wasn't too bad! The RAI ( radio active iodine treatment) for me was the worst - although for others not so bad. And really, it could be a whole lot worse. When I was feeling down, I would remember my colleague who had a more severe type of bone cancer and all she went through, and thought, if she could survive and come back smiling from that, I most definitely could get through this. It is beatable. My surgeries were last July and September and I hardly remember that time. My scar is hardly visible and all is fine with the world! (((( Hugs)))

 

On 6/16/2009 Lance1214 wrote:

Hello all,

I'm real nervous so I just wanted to vent a little. I'm 38, married with 2 kids. I went to the ENT last week because by glands were swollen. He noticed my Thyroid was swollen on one side. He's having me do tests - today was the ultrasound and ct scan of neck and I'm scheduled for the FNA needle on Thursday. Usually I'm a positive person, but for some reason I don't think this is going to be good news. I probably will get my results next Mon or Tuesday from all of this. If there is some cancer on the Thyroid I just hope they can remove the thyroid and that it hasn't spread elsewhere. Just realy afraid and nervous and wanted to get this off my chest. Thank you all.

 

Just a word of encouragement for you.  My grandmother had thyroid cancer back in the late fifties, had the surgery .. took armour thyroid supplement for the rest of her life & lived to be 93.  She passed in 1996 from old age after a long, full life (she was an rn).  I don't know but they probably didn't have chemo & radiation way back then...lol.. The only casualty of her surgery was she lost her gorgeous soprano voice; could still sing but kinda reedy sounding.   Good luck to you and hang in there.  Everyone on this site will tell you that mind-set & attitude can make a huge difference... so vent occassionaly but stay positive & well-informed.  :)

Thanks for all the great words of encouragement! I had my FNA test today- it was much easier that I thought. I barely felt a pinch. Anyway, I don't think it will be news I'm looking for next week. The pathologist told me there that it's suspicious for papillary, but she only looked at for for 5 min, so she wasn't 100% positive. I will get the official results next Tuesday (or hopefully earlier).

 I'm trying to stay positive, but broke down crying a few times today. I can't believe this is happening. I'm going to look for a good suregeon that has done a ton of these surgeries. My father-in-law sees the Chief of the ENT dept in Sloan Kettering in NYC (he has throat cancer). I think I might meet with him and have him do it. My blood pressure is way up also. It's been high before this all happened (around 156/95), but now the past week it's up to 170/100 range, I guess due to the stress. I have an appt with my reg medical dr tomorrow, because I need to get on meds or something to bring this down. ( I haven't been to the dr in about 5 yrs before all this).

 I will keep you posted next wk on what happens. Thanks again - trying to stay positive (harder than I thought), but I'll make it through!!

You've come to the right place! We are here to help each other through this strange adventure where we become our own little science projects.   Hang in there!  It's really great that you have what sounds like a good doctor.  Everyone is right.  If you have to get cancer..this is the one to get because it's usually highly treatable.   Breathe.  breathe.  Cross each bridge as you come to it. 

I just got my results from the FNA. It is indeed papillary cancer. I need to have my whole thyroid out in 4-6 wks the Dr would like to do it. I'm going to get a 2nd opinion from a Dr that is really good in NYC. The Dr in North Jersey I saw does about 75 of these a yr - which is a pretty good amount.

I more positive than I thought I would be., I guess hearing it from the Dr.'s mouth that this is close to 100% curable for someone my age, instead of reading it on a website, makes me feel better.

I'll check back with you all soon