Just got my ultrasound films back from when I had the FNA done on the nodule in my left lobe earlier this month. There's only a month between my previous ultrasound and this one. Sat down and compared the two ultrasounds. Looks like my right lobe is enlarging now, along with new nodules. There are a bunch of small solid nodules (4mm-8mm) and a larger one, 2.4cm.
Dr Doofus completely ignored the 8mm solid nodule found in my right lobe and focused completely on the 4.7cm nodule in my left lobe (he also ignored the enlarged lymph nodes, which is the reason the thyroid nodule was found in the first place, but that's another story.). The radiologist who did the report for the 2nd ultrasound didn't even mention the right lobe. Geeze! May their left sock always be down around their ankle!
Going to run this by the endo tomorrow when I see her.
Um, did you get the changes from a report, or from looking at the films? Are you a radiological tech, or trained in this? Have you determined you have more from looking at films, or from writing? I think you need training to determine what's a nodule, and what's something, and what's nothing.
Some pp. don't FNA if it's smaller than a cm, although some do. I think they should have done an FNA on the smaller one as well. But I'm just a patient!
Very often when things are going on with the thyroid, lymph nodes are swollen, and it's really tough to figure out why exactly since they can swell up from viruses and stuff. I had swollen lymph nodes when I had thyroid cancer, but the lymph nodes weren't cancerous.
Actually, what I did was sit down and compare the images and measurements they made of the thyroid during ultrasound. Side by side. I'm not trained in this and I'm not a professional. I admit that my expertise is sorely lacking. However, I am able to see the difference in measurement of the right thyroid lobe between 4.5cm and 5.22cm on the scans. There are also three areas in the right lobe that are "different", which they also measured. Logic dictates they wouldn't be measuring nothing.
The report from the 2nd ultrasound doesn't even mention my right lobe at all. Nothing. Nada. Zero. Zip. No comparison done on right lobe. All they did was look at the structure of the nodule in the left lobe.
Don't mind me. I'm just frustrated and tired. I'm probably freaking out over nothing and will be bringing this up tomorrow when I talk with the endo. I'm not even worried about cancer. I just want an answer to why this is happening so I can start working on a solution.
If you don't mind me asking, did the cancer show up in the blood work? I have been having swollen lymph nodes, fevers, night sweats, itchies really bad at night, and my right ear hurts and I feel pressure. I don't know if this is related, but I have been shedding an awful lot. My doctors cant figure out what is is. I had a thyroid test, but that came back normal.
I would really appreicate input from anyone. Thank you so much!
Hi Nicola!
The results from my FNA was benign - colloid nodule. The ENT still wants to take my thyroid out because he says "we don't know what could be in there until it's out and they do a complete histologic examination". I've decided to do a wait and watch, because I can't see the point in losing a body part based purely on "what if?". I have other nodules, but they're too small to FNA, so we're waiting.
As far as I know, extremely high levels of calcitonin can indicate medullary cancer (which is very rare and usually runs in families), but there isn't a blood test which can detect thyroid cancer.
I'd talk to your doctors about running FT4, FT3 tests as well as checking for TPOAb and TgAb, which are antibodies tests. While TSH can be a good guideline, it's not the only indicator of a thyroid problem. In fact, you can have a perfectly "normal" TSH level and still have other levels out of whack and feel awful. If your dr won't run any of these tests, call around and find one that will.
Do you have a nodule on your thyroid? Or do you have an enlarged thyroid (goiter)? Or are you just experiencing symptoms and not sure where they come from?
I wouldn't be worried at all about thyroid cancer unless you have a thyroid nodule (it doesn't show in bloodwork, it has to be biopsied).
Thyroid diseases can have strange symptoms, if you post separately your bloodwork results and the ranges of the lab, some pp. here can see if there are any red flags in the thyroid work.
There are some personal stories in the sticky up at the top of the message board you can look at.
To be honest, your symptoms could possibly come from thyroid---but they could come from other things as well. Have you been to an ENT?
Thanks you both for your replies! I am not sure if I have a nodule on my thyroid or if it is near my thyroid, my doctor wasn't very clear about that. I also have swollen lymph nodes all over the front of my neck, under my jaw, and behind my ears. My underarms are sore too, but I can't feel anything. You're right, Nyxie it is a good idea to get those other thyroid tests since I have only gotten TSH.
Nyxie, where are your other nodules located? Are they sore? Reece, what were your symptoms like before you were diagnosed, and how did they finally figure out what it was?
I guess I am really desperate to find an answer to my illness, because this has been going on for over two years now! All the doctors do now is put me on antibiotics, but they haven't ever worked. If anyone has any ideas as to what it could be I would really appreciate it.
Re: Ah Crud! More thyroid fun 
