How worried should I be? Hand holding for Thyroid issues please

[G0ldenbrown]

Hi all

I'm posting on here hoping that someone has been where I am right now and can tell me not to worry.

I've had a load of low level health issues for the last 10 weeks or so. Doctor has been amazing and done a load of blood tests, found various things, still investigating. During my first visit he said he thought I had an underactive thyroid and my next was swollen. Thyroid tests game back negative so he referred me for an ultrasound which I had last week.

Yesterday morning he rang me (8.30 am!). Turns out I have a lump on my thyroid, he asked me to go into his surgery ASAP, when I asked if tomorrow would do (as i have an app today) he said no, it MUST be today. When I got there I met with his secretary who has made me an urgent appointment with the ENT dept of the hospital for a biopsy. She handed me a scary leaflet which is meant to reassure me but just makes me think "he thinks I have cancer"

Anyone been here? Am I massively overreacting, my family seems to think I am and in my DH's words "It's no big deal, he's just being thorough"

I'm a bit scared

I have a benign lump on my thyroid which has been biopsied and came back clear.

Try not to worry, thyroid cancer is rare (my dh is an oncologist) and is very treatable if that is what it is (very unlikely though)

To maintain good thyroid health, i avoid sugar, processed foods of any sort, drink lots of water, take a really good multivitamin, eat kelp, exercise etc.

let us know how you get on

I have a dent in my throat from one bout with Graves disease which is one of the many joys the thyroid can throw at you. I am also currently under the weather with thyroid and cortisol levels at a low level but not low enough to treat - this apparently caused by the swine flu I had in Feb!

I know of people who have operations on the thyroid and none of them have been cancerous. You have a right to be worried as it is your health and you should be getting some level of sympathy for any kind of operation!

What did the leaflet say? The thyroid can have lumps that need removed and if you are concerned speak with them.

Good luck!

I had the same experience and had a ct scan of the lump which turned out to be nothing, but was probably caused by glandular fever which I had 30 years ago. So try not to worry.

Yes! I am currently a little further on in the process than you and my thryoid is overactive for which I have been medicated. I was also was rushed to the GP and then the ENT after they found a nodule in my thyroid. It made me panic big time but this haste is standard practice and doesn't necessarily mean the worst.

I had the FNA biopsy which wasn't a jolly outing but not horrendous. The biopsy results suggested that my nodule was benign although the sample wasn't great - too much blood in it - and I have subsequently had a diagnostic scan (radioisotope scan) the results of which I will get next week.

Since the FNA result there is less urgency from the doctors so I feel kind of reassured by that. At every stage the ENT's have stressed that the odds of a thryoid nodule being cancerous are very low and that in the event it is cancerous, thryoid cancer is eminently treatable and survivable.

Knowing what I know now, my advice to would be (1) try not to worry too much, what you have may not be sinister, it might even be a simple neck cyst, my dad had these (20 if it isn't a cyst and it is thryoid nodule of some description then the odds are in your favour, I think 90% of nodules are benign and (3) even if it is malignant (BIG IF) you will be treated very quickly and the prognosis is likely to be excellent.

Please don't worry and don't google, there is a lot of depressing crap on the internet and most of it not relevant or not likely to happen to you.

Hey guys

Thanks so much for the hand holding. Just got back from my (awesome) doctor after an unrelated appointment for blood test results. he says he is sorry for worrying me over Christmas but its not something he wants to wait around on.

He also says that I have elevated white blood cell count and could I ask at the hospital if this could be related as he thinks it's unlikely but they are the experts.

The leaflet basically said that not everyone that was referred on a 2 week wait appointment had cancer but that I have been referred because my doctor believes I may have a condition where time is of the essence.

I have my appointment for the 29th December at 9am.

Thanks so much. I'm going to try and forget about it until after Christmas