Solid Cold Thyroid Nodule

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-17-2006
Solid Cold Thyroid Nodule
25
Mon, 09-18-2006 - 1:12pm
Hi everyone! This is my first time on this message board. I just found out that I have a nodule on my thyroid. It measures 2 cm in diameter is cold and solid. I have already had blood tests done to measure the function of my thyroid and they all came back normal. Then I had a ultrasound done and it showed a solid nodule of 2 cm in diameter with numerous other smaller nodules in my neck. After that I had an uptake and scan done. I just received the reults from this test today. It showed that the nodule is cold and my primary doctor recommended that I go see an endocrinologist. When I asked the nurse what a cold nodule could be, she went around the subject. I've read online that it could mean cancer. I also have swollen lymph nodes in my neck, sore and dry throat, a dry cough, and bothersome swallowing. I have also been tired with little energy for about 4 months or so now.I was wondering if anyone else is going through or has gone through a similar situation or knows anything about it. I am just confused and scared at this point and sick of waiting to find out what's really wrong with me. Thank you in advance for any advice and support you can give me!
Avatar for daggs170
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 09-22-2006 - 11:13am

Thank you for being concerned about how I'm doing, and I will tell you right now that I am doing fine. Of course, as we travel this road, we never know from one exam to the next what the outcome will be, but rest assured, have faith in your dr. and I'm sure he will do the very best for you.

Cancer does not really run in my family, but my mother died from leukemia, and that was years ago and they didn't know much about leukemia like they do these days. But I asked my endo when I was on a visit did I get this from my mother--I got a very emphatic "no" and that leukemia would not be one of the ways passed down to get another form of cancer. So cross that off your list.

I know your doing a lot of reading because you have come up with medullary cancer. As you know, there are four types of thyroid cancer--papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic. Each type of cancer has probably four or more different stages to it also depending on the severity of your case. I had papillary with follicular variant. At the time they were telling me all this, I didn't know what in the world they were talking about. Don't go jumping to conclusions that yours is possibly medullary, but if it happens to be so, they are going to jump right on it. I feel very safe in saying that you don't have anaplastic.

It wouldn't hurt to ask your endo about the 4 different types of cancer, and also to mention that you have had a family background of cancer and will any of these be effective in what you are now going through. I'm sure he will probably ask you for family history anyway. One thing I would like to mention to you is to get a hard paper copy of your lab work, your reports also if he is willing to do so. Lab work he shouldn't refuse though. This will enable you to get to know your figures and to be able to check them as you go along and see what is happening and to learn what those figures mean.

I'm sure your tiredness is a combination of whatever is going on with the thyroid, plus just the thoughts of thinking about it all--I have learned many years ago that sleep is an escape and feeling tired and going to sleep could be a very normal thing. Whatever you have to go through, we on this board will all be behind you 100%. Just keep us posted, a day at a time is all that we ask, and try to do some fun things to get your mind off this problem.

My prayers are with you, and I know the wait until the 25th will be the longest ever, but treat yourself to something nice and have some funtime with your friends, I know you look perfectly normal to them and they probably don't have the slightest idea of what you are going through, but maybe a laugh or two would be s-o-o-o-o-o good for you right now.

Hugs, Bea

Photobucket
Avatar for cl_calley7
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Fri, 09-22-2006 - 10:19pm
Yes, I do have nodules in my remaining thyroid lobe (left one).
 

Calley7

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-17-2006
Sun, 09-24-2006 - 8:44pm

Bea,

Thanks for your response. Since I last wrote, I did receive a form from the endo to fill-out regarding my family history and my own history of illnesses. So, I know that they will be on top of that. Which is very comforting.
The 25th is starting to seem closer, the less I think about it. My family wants me to call and see if I can get in to see another doctor sooner. I have called 3 other endos to no evail. A part of me just wants to wait until the 25th because at least that way, until then, I can pretend that everything is fine. I think for the first time through all of this I'm really scared of what it could be. I'm scared of what may have to be done to fix what is wrong with me. I didn't plan on this and it's putting other plans on hold...having a baby being one of them.
I'm so glad that I found this board. It's so comforting to know that there are people out there that can relate to what I'm going through. I will keep you posted.

-Ann

Avatar for daggs170
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 09-25-2006 - 7:58pm

Ann, It it were me I would accept the 25th appt. and not try to make a change in the fact that he is setting up your family history if he already sent you a form to fill out, plus endo's are very, very hard usually to get an appt., especially first appts. Endo's also know that most cancers are slow growing, plus he will undoubtedly be checking over your tests and what they show--and believe me, if he sees something that can't wait I think you will be contacted.

I think your game at "pretending" is pretty neat, and you can just go along day by day and you will get used to the idea that whatever will be will be, and that you will go through whatever you have to go through when he proposes your options after he tells you what you have or don't have. I will be very honest with you, and if he suggests either more tests or surgery, which please have your questions ready so that you can be fairly well informed and then follow up with your own questions to whatever he brings up to you--what I'm getting at is go for all the tests and even the surgery. The surgery is their way of making a positive diagnosis, because sometimes not all tests before the surgery show up what is really there.

At the time I had surgery, no ca cells seemed to show before that, and it was during the surgery that they shocked at the size of the tumor that I had and it was pretty extensive surgery before they got done. Not that that was the worse part, as at that time I didn't know that 6 months later they would retest and find I still had ca cells and had to go back for a TT.

Questions:

What do you think I have?

What does cold and hard mean?

Do you think I have cancer?

If so, can you tell by the tests what type of thyroid cancer I have?

What does this type of cancer mean, how bad or good is it in relation to thyca?

Will you have to do more testing before you make a decision as to my treatment?

Will I need invasive testing, will I need a fnb (fine needle biopsy?

How long will I be out of commission?

Will I be restricted?

What should I look forward to having to stop doing while recuperating?

About how long do you think recuperation will take?

These are just a few very simple questions, and he can answer them quite easily, My surgeon, not an endo, for my first surgery told me that it would not be ca, and I said what if it is, and he kept beating aroung the bush that it wouldn't be, and I kept insisting I want to know what happens if it is. He finally answered me but didn't want to. Well, mine did turn out to be ca, as I've already told you, and he told me not to worry because he got it all. It was then that I was deaf, dumb and blind, and didn't know that I should have gone to an endo first--back then it supposedly was very rare and that type ca didn't happen. So, just be aware.

I feel you have done your homework, you will do well, keep a nice positive attitude and like I've said before take it one day at a time, and believe me, this is where we all learn patience.

I know how you feel about the 25th, you want to know but it's nice to sort of just not think about it too.

I wish you well, my prayers will be with you. Hugs, Bea

Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-17-2006
Thu, 09-28-2006 - 8:56am
Thank you for all the info and advice! It's so nice to hear from someone who's gone through it already. Thanks for the questions to ask too! That's one of the things that I have the hardest time with at the doctor's - remembering what questions to ask and asking the right questions. I will print them out to take with me.
I'm glad, that if it is cancer, it's one of the most treatable and slow growing. The more that I read, the more I'm realizing that even if it isn't cancer I may still have to have my nodule removed because of it's size and the symptoms it is causing. At this point, I think I would want that so that the doctors can make sure of what I have since I know that the FNA is not 100% accurate in determining if a patient has cancer or not. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
I tried to join the chat last night but I think something is wrong with my home computer. I could see who was chatting, but I couldn't see any of the conversation going on. We are having a cable modem put in today. So I should be able to join the chat next week. I'm sure it's very informative and comforting. Are there usually a lot of people chatting?
Once again, thanks for all of the support and advice. I really do appreciate it. Do you have any doctor's appointments coming up soon?
Avatar for cl_calley7
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Thu, 09-28-2006 - 8:46pm

Hi Aray827,


I'm sorry you couldn't access the chat.

 

Calley7

Avatar for daggs170
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Fri, 09-29-2006 - 3:32pm

I'm sorry you couldn't get into chat the other night, but I'm glad that you at least tried. You will probably have better luck next time, sometimes it takes a time or two to know what to do. If you get into chat, bookmark it so that next time you can just click on your favorite places and it will "probably" bring you right in--that's what I do.

As far as dr. appts., I called my endo's office today for a March appt. as I am now on a yearly basis. His records are only booked until Feb. so she told me to call next month so I will do that then. I think this year he will want me to have a bone density test, but I'm not sure.

As for your particular case, even "if" it isn't cancer and they suggest that you have it out to make sure of it all, I would go ahead and have it out. Just my opinion. If they say wait and watch it, I don't go along with that advice, as that nodule could turn bad in the future, and you already have the cold and solid dx. I know you are going to do alright, and hope you make it to chat--maybe we can think of some answers or questions that you haven't crossed yet. Hugs, Bea

Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-17-2006
Mon, 10-02-2006 - 8:42am
Thank you. I will definitely try and bookmark the chat room so that I can get in this week. We just upgraded to a cable modem from dial-up. So that should work better as well. I can't remember if I told you or not, but I have my biopsy scheduled for Wednesday. My doctor called me on Friday and I was able to set one up right away. What bothers me is that I have swollen lymph nodes as well and when I tried to tell my doctor about them she cut me short. I want to know if they'll biopsy those as well if I tell them about them when I'm there or will they just biopsy the one nodule? Should I be concerned? Should I try and call my doctor back?
Avatar for daggs170
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 10-02-2006 - 2:10pm

From my memory of going through this myself, they not only biopsied my nodule, they also felt around my neck for any unusual swellings, etc. I'm sure that if you have a lymph node or two swollen they will detect it, and if it's not swollen at the time you should make a mention to the technician at the time of your testing. Believe me, they want to know as much about you and your thyroid and neck area as they can as they want to be able to treat you successfully with whatever they may do. If they find anything that isn't right, the report will be written with it on it, and the endo is the one that will make the determination of what should or will be done for you--until test results come in they really can't do anything. You may hear them say that it is quite undefined, or something to that nature, and the next thing will be it would be better to have it out or half out, whatever, and then they will have a pathology report from that. Sometimes they can't get a clear picture through all the tests that they do, but if they are unsure, they will go that one step further. Do not let this frighten you, it's not as bad as you may think, but I know we are all afraid of the unknown, and when you know what's going on I think you will start to feel better knowing what is next. Just stay postive and don't give in to negative thoughts.

Hugs, Bea

Photobucket
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-17-2006
Mon, 10-02-2006 - 2:21pm
Thanks! That helps a lot to know that they will feel around and make sure they look and get a sample of everything that looks suspicious. That makes me feel a lot better. Thanks for all the support! I'm trying to stay positive. I know I will feel better once I know what's really going on with me.