How it all began

Back in March 2010, I went to my primary doctor because I wasn't feeling well. I ended up having strep. While I was there, my doctor, (whom I'd just been switched to because my other doctor had left the practice to become head of residency at an area hospital), was asking me how I was feeling in general (obviously at this point I was feeling like crap), and asking me about diet, exercise and all since I am in need of losing some weight.


I told her that I'm always tired, and felt like it was a struggle to lose weight all the time. I'd taken up Zumba and was really enjoying that, going once of twice a week, and walking a couple times a week as well, and was making an effort to watch what I ate, but couldn't seem to make the number on the scale budge. She decided to order up some blood work to check my thyroid, cholesterol, blood count etc to see if there was some underlying cause outside of being a busy mom of 2 children under the age of 5.


So I went and had the bloodwork done, and about a week later received a letter and a copy of the report showing that everything was within normal limits. So I continued on with the Zumba and walking and watching what I ate.


Fast forward to May of 2010. I was back at the doctor's, this time for a work physical. In April I went back to work as a substitute teacher at a daycare that I'd worked at during college. I walk back with the nurse, who has me stand on the scale, and over the past two months, I'd lost a total of 4 pounds, which I was annoyed and happy with. I felt that I'd worked really hard and only managed to lose 4 lbs, but at the same time, it was 4 lbs, which was more than what I'd lost between January and March.


Then the doctor came in. She did the usual for a check up - checked reflexes, checked my ears, my eyes, and then she did a neck check, which would forever change my future. Now I've had my neck checked at numerous appointments, but I could tell this one was different. She kept having me swallow, and was focusing on my lower neck, right around where the Adams apple is located.


After a couple of minutes of this, she finally said that she felt a nodule on my thyroid, something that's fairly common. She would send me for an ultrasound, but it shouldn't be anything to worry about.


I scheduled the ultrasound, and went about a week after my physical at the doctor. It was a bit strange. I've had ultrasounds while I was pregnant, but it was weird to have them perform an ultrasound of my neck. It was done the same way they'd do it on your belly. They applied the gel to my neck, and then used the wand to take pictures of the nodule as well as the rest of my thyroid.


I received a call about a week later from my doctor saying that the ultrasound revealed a cystic nodule (fluid filled) on my thyroid. She gave me the name of an endocrinologist practice, and mailed out the ultrasound report to me.  She also ordered a more extensive thyroid blood work up for me to complete before I went to the endocrinologist.