At the beginning of June, I met with my endocrinologist, armed with a copy of my blood work and a copy of the ultrasound . I really wasn't sure what to expect. I was a bit nervous. I'd looked over the blood work report, and everything was normal except for my thyroid antibodies, which were slightly elevated. I asked about that, because I'd read about elevated antibodies meaning that your body is starting to attack your thyroid, which is known as Hashimoto's Disease, the most common type of hypothyroidism in the US. My endo explained that while it was slightly elevated, and I may be developing Hashimoto's, it would most likely be a few years (like 10 or more) before my thyroid showed signs of failure.
He looked over the reports that I'd brought with me, felt the nodule, which was large enough to be obvious if it was pointed out (it wasn't a huge goiter or anything, but it was definitely visible). He agreed with the suggestion of the ultrasound to send me for a biopsy, so he wrote a script for a fine needle aspiration (or biopsy), and assured me that it was most likely benign, and that there wasn't much to worry about, and that most nodules (approximately 95%) are benign (non-cancerous).
I went home, made an appointment for the following Wednesday to have my FNA (fine needle aspiration) done, and began reading up on nodules, thyroid diseases, and especially thyroid cancer. For some reason, part of which I'm sure has to do with my pessimistic side, I had this niggling feeling that all was not going to come out "peachy".
Finally, the day of my FNA arrived. I went to work as usual, and then headed over to the hospital. I went into a small room with an ultrasound tech who would be assisting the dr by using ultrasound during the biopsy. She had me lie down with my head tilted back. Then the Dr came in who would be performing the biopsy. He explained that they would do three passes, and hopefully they'd get decent samples. They could do up to 6 passes (each pass is a separate needle used to get a sample). He then introduced me to the cytologist who would prepare each slide from each sample taken, then look to see if it was a viable sample. She was set up in the room as well with a cart containing the equipment needed to make the slides and a microscope to view the slides.
He then started the procedure. First he used a local anesthetic to numb my neck. Then he began with the first three passes. None of those were viable samples, so he had to do another. Of course, passes 4 and 5 also did not produce good samples. Finally, sample number 6 worked out, and so I was bandaged up, and told to sit up and rest there for a couple minutes. Then I was told I could leave.
*I drove myself to the hospital for the biopsy because I was told that I would be able to drive myself home. If you are able to find someone to go with you, I highly recommend it. My neck was sore and stiff, which made driving more difficult. I also developed a headache while driving home. Just something to think about if you ever have to go through an FNA.
June 10th, 2010 will be forever ingrained in my mind. I went to work as usual, and came home after lunch. At about 3PM, my cell phone rang. It was my endocrinologist. He told me he had some bad news. My biopsy showed that I had papillary thyroid carcinoma (cancer). He gave me the number for a surgeon, because I would need a total thyroidectomy (complete removal of my thyroid) due to the size of my nodule. He also wrote a script for a detailed neck ultrasound to look for any other tumors that may be growing, or to see if it has spread elsewhere in my neck (which came back clear, which was a very good sign).
Monday, September 20, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
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.
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.
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