CancerCompass message board discussion started by TXMomOfFaith on 6/14/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,25046,0.htm Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ When you found out you had a nodule and that the doctor wanted to do a biopsy, how many of you were scared to death that you had cancer? I am still having a hard time believing that I am not going to die from this. TXMomOfFaith Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT I didn't have a biopsy because my ENT surgeon said the FNB wasn't always accurate in getting a sample of all of the cells.  I supposedly had a 1% that the nodule/tumor was malignant. I had a TT and BINGO...it was 'tall cell' papillary.  Our bodies go through so many changes that affect our emotions with all of this.  It's natural to be scared.  People on this board are very helpful and will give you support and comfort that no one else can give us.  I'm still scared sometimes---but the board always gives me comfort, answers or advice.  I hope this helps.  Tara  YaYaTara Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Who said you were going to die from your thyroid cancer??  Don't assume just because you were diagnosed with a cancer that you will die from it.  I was diagnosed with melanoma when I was 21, that was ancient history ago, breast cancer over 4 years ago and tall cell papillary thyroid cancer a year ago and no one said that I'm going to die from any of these diseases and I don't plan on checking out in the near future either.  There are many people living with cancer today.  Follow ups and follow up treatment, yes but that is a small price to pay for living on.  The usual case of the common type of papillary thyroid cancer in a young person has an excellent prognosis. I work with someone who had it when she was in her young 20's and now is hitting early 40's and has never had a problem other than having to adjust her meds from time to time.  Leemg Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT I just wanted to add that it is normal to be scared and think the worse at times but believe me there are more people out there living with cancer than you can imagine. Leemg Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT I guess I never thought of it like that. I doing my best to not let this get me down. I don't even know if my large nodule is cancer or not, so I suppose I am jumping the gun a bit. I started thinking that if I had not decided to go the doctor on a whim(to see if he could help me loose weight) then I wouldn't even know that I had nodule on my thyroid right now. TXMomOfFaith Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT It's less common that it would be cancer---so try not to worry.  I also have had melanoma 3 times and now tall cell papillary.  Never do I think "I can't handle this."  Let us know what you find out---you are in my thoughts + prayers. YaYaTara Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT I have just gone through it all; and things look great. So happy that they caught it early. Two words of encouragement. (1) My surgeon, in my pre-surgery meeting, told me of a recent study that found that in a sample population those with papillary thyroid cancer live longer than those without papillary thyroid. (Maybe due to being cured and checked.) That was a very good thing to hear your doctor say. (2) I was looking through the NY Times Book of Knowledge (or something like that title... big book). In the medical section they had the rate of US deaths from various cancers. Big numbers for breast, lung and prostrate. Went all the way down to a few thousand for eye cancer and other real obscure cancers. Thyroid wasn't even on the list. Didn't even make the list!! So even if there are errors in these things, you're still RELATIVELY well off. Let serenity reign. You'll need an even head and optimism to get through the hypo/LID/RAI period... which is a cure for what ails you. If it wasn't caught I'd be here today with a thyroid swelling up and choking off that tight neck area. Want cancer... of course not. But now that I'm cured... it's a beautiful day. RedStar RedStar17 Sun, 15 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 6/14/2008 TXMomOfFaith wrote:When you found out you had a nodule and that the doctor wanted to do a biopsy, how many of you were scared to death that you had cancer? I am still having a hard time believing that I am not going to die from this.                         Hi!                            It is only human to feel somewhat scared. But what you're scared of is the unknown. Once the bio is done you will know what you are dealing with. Remember knowledge is power and that power can overcome the fear in you.My prayers will be for it to be nothing but if not then to give you faith and hope to overome it.  Take Care   John jorolo1 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT I have found the not knowing and the waiting to be the worse.  Too much time to allow you mind to go amuck.  So, I know it is difficult.  It was a good thing that you went to the doctor.  It is always best to treat things early.  I found out matter of fact myself.  Went in for a check up for something unrelated only to find I had several nodules that needed further investigation.  Are they going to do a FNA (fine needle aspiration) on the nodule??  Leemg Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Me! I was scared! My nodule ended up being Papillary Carcinoma, over 1 CM and had TT and RAI last month. It isn't so much that I am scared anymore--knowledge *is* power, and you will find you rise to the challenges you face-- but I am very much "changed" about how I approach and interpret things. Not better, not worse but I am different. I admire those here who have great outlooks and try to learn from them. jenneric2000 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT yes i am getting a fna done tomorrow. TXMomOfFaith Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Let me just inform you, that in my case they knew right away so I came out knowing I had thyroid cancer so you may want to take someone for support (I didn't have anyone at the time), but I understand that in many cases it may come out indefinitive or questionable and with no real answer.  They are only removing a few cells with a FNA so it is always possible the cells they remove may not show anything.  If that is the case but there is still some suspicion I would press to have what ever needs to be done to know for sure, whether biopsy or scanning.  Good luck and keep us informed! Leemg Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT It's normal to be scared. For some reason it never really phased me. I did some research after the biopsy and saw that 97% are non cancerous so i didn't sweat it. I wasn't thinking much about it but i had nightmares. I was 15 at the time. My mom waited to tell me, but then dropped the bomb and told me to go finish mulching the yard haha. I think sickness is one of those things that it's harder on everyone else except for you. My family jokes how they had a harder time handling it than i did. Thyroid cancer is very beatable. Don't let it make you think anything different. dontquit8941 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT I wasn't scared; I did online research and figured the doctor had things under control. He didn't want to do a FNA or biopsy so I let it go based on my ultrasound and RI scan (they showed a hot nodule which is usually not malignant). I asked for a scan a year later and the doc said no so I went to a specialist and she did the FNA or biopsy. I HAVE CANCER. Get your doc to do an FNA or fine needle aspiration asap. Its the only way to know for sure not just statistically if you have a malignant nodule or benign. Don't wait a year like I did. I'll be fine; they are removing my thyroid, but it would have been nice to know last year and still have my hair (I lost a lot this year) cancerthyroid Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT It is natural to be scared.  My surgeon told me that the vast majority of autopsies show that people have nodules on their thyroid!  A very few percetage of those nodules are cancerous.  Then, of the ones that are cancerous, a very small percentage of those have spread beyond the thyroid!  So, if you HAVE to have the "C" word, it is best to have thyroid cancer!My friend's grandmother had thyroid cancer at the age of 43.  She just dies of "old age" at the age of 95!  Consider how much further we have come in terms of cancer treatment than 52 years ago.  So, you have a really good chance of survival IF you have thyroid cancer.  But....remember.....that is a BIG if because right now you simply have a nodule!  Good luck and blessings your way!p.s. I now live in TN but lived in Texas for my first 47 years!  I miss it but I realize that being a resident of Texas is just a state of mind....I might live in TN but I will ALWAYS be a Texan!On 6/14/2008 TXMomOfFaith wrote:When you found out you had a nodule and that the doctor wanted to do a biopsy, how many of you were scared to death that you had cancer? I am still having a hard time believing that I am not going to die from this.  gj4csmom Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT Being scared is very normal.  5 years ago when I was diagnosed with Multiple Scerlosis, my family Dr. told me, being scared is normal, we are all afraid of the unknown.  It made perfect sense.  Then  in 2006 I went to her for something totally unrelated to my thyroid, she started doing tests {she is very thourough, and very aggressive in finding out what may be wrong with you}, and found that my thyroid levels were off the wall.  Sent me for a battery of tests, also for a FNA after we found 2 nodules on the left side, and then to an endo.  He agreed with her, and my neurologist that my thyroid should come out, but had to get my levels to a safe surgery level.  He told me that since they were benign that there was not a rush, as my step father was getting ready to have open heart surgery, and since my mother had died the year before {pancreatic cancer, which is how I found this site}, things would be fine.  WEll I put things off, took my meds, youngest daughter got married, ran out of meds, went back to my family dr. for again something totally unrelated, and my blood pressure was life threateneing.  She took me off work for 10 days, sent me back to the endo., he was aggressive in my treatment, and within 2 months I had my thyroid out.  When I went back to the surgeon for a check up after surgery, the biopsy's showed, the 2 nodules on the left side {the original ones were larger, but still benign, I had also developed 2 nodules on the right side in a years time, one being benign and the other being cancer.  Itwas small, 0.5cm, but talking about being terrified, yes I was.  I think the key to making yourself feel better is having Dr.'s you trust completely.  My original endo, he was a brilliant man, but too pre-occupied, and had me second guessing whether I should further treatments for the cancer or not.  I changed endo's,  thru reccomendation of a friend {who had friends who saw her}, and she has made me feel confident that my treatment is going as should be.  She is regulating my levoxyl, and I go back mid July for an ultra sound to see how things are.I unfortunately am going thru a tough time with my MS as it has progressed into my spine.  So being scared is so normal.Hang in there, and trust your Dr.'s.  And if your gut tells you this is not right, then find a Dr. that makes you feel comfortable. Mamaj Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 6/15/2008 Leemg wrote:Who said you were going to die from your thyroid cancer??  Don't assume just because you were diagnosed with a cancer that you will die from it.  I was diagnosed with melanoma when I was 21, that was ancient history ago, breast cancer over 4 years ago and tall cell papillary thyroid cancer a year ago and no one said that I'm going to die from any of these diseases and I don't plan on checking out in the near future either.  There are many people living with cancer today.  Follow ups and follow up treatment, yes but that is a small price to pay for living on.  The usual case of the common type of papillary thyroid cancer in a young person has an excellent prognosis. I work with someone who had it when she was in her young 20's and now is hitting early 40's and has never had a problem other than having to adjust her meds from time to time.  Hello, I want to thankyou for encouraging words I too thing I going to die from this disease, Iam a 42 year old woman recently diagnosed with metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma on may 2008 I had 2 surgery and had to repeat a high dose of idone 131 in January and I been scared depressed and crying allot every day. I am sorry I will pray for everyone Thank You. FREIVENT Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi!  You said you have metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer.  What type of thyroid cancer??  Papillary is the most common and differentiated is a good indication.  Where has the cancer spread??  Beyond the neck region??  When I was first diagnosed with BC 5 years ago this month and all the assurance in the world from my doctors as I had stage 1, I had a bone scan that showed some uptake in my spine.  All of a sudden their optimism deflated, but after 6 weeks of seeking second opinion etc. it was NOT thought to be related to my BC.  A year after that I had a second bone scan and it showed an area of uptake in my ribs, then a 3rd showed a second area on my ribs.  I did not have any symptoms so it was determined that I was having too many false positives and just to follow it based on symptoms only, and 4 years later everything appears to be fine except for my thyroid cancer which shows some presence per my blood numbers but other than follow up told to just keep plugging on.  Let me know what type and where the spread has occurred.  My endo told me about a man in his 40's who had mets in the lungs but it had been stable now for two years.  It seems thyroid cancer progresses a little bit slower than most other types except for anaplastic thyroid cancer.  I am considered to have mets to the neck lymph nodes but that is still curable or you can live with it in remission for a long time.  Leemg Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT