I have an appt with the specialist tomorrow. Today I was battling major anxiety because I moved my head a certain way, which applied pressure on the throat and voila...the urge to cough kicked in. I know some of you have gone through removal of your thyroid, but is there a process where the nodules that are swollen can be removed without taking the whole thing out?
I've heard some scary stories about people who had the entire thyroid removed and experience some life long problems. I've been avoiding that discussion because this Dr. wanted to set that procedure up a long time ago. I keep hoping the Armour will help with the swelling and resolve this. Even if I could weigh out the pros and cons of having surgery done that would be helpful, but at this point, I have no idea.
Thanks
The following user gives a hug of support to Looking4aAnswer: cartner (01-23-2011)
Oh my god I had the same anxiety thing when I was turning my neck, it was my bachelor degree final exam and I almost failed because of that thing.
Listen, I have seen people who removed the whole thyroid and they are living like everyone else. Also I have heard that sometimes they can remove part of the thyroid, but I'm not sure if that's true!!!
Sorry that I can't help you more, but seriously thyroid is difficult to treat more than hypertension (at least that's my case)
The Following User Says Thank You to cartner For This Useful Post: Looking4aAnswer (01-23-2011)
That's alright. I really appreciate you responding and I have purchased books on this and tried to get as much information as possible. Tomorrow will be interesting and I hope the specialist has some answers.
Your thyroid is not exactly "swollen" it's enlarged due to being attacked by thyroid disease (the antibodies attack the thyroid) if you have hashimotos. This is if you have a "goiter" or a "multinodular goiter" with lots of small nodules on it.
You can try thyroid hormones to shrink it, although, it doesn't work consistently, but if you are surgery phobic, it's definitely worth trying for a bit.
If you have nodules, any over a cm, you should consider a needle biopsy.
In general, the entire thyroid is small, so they usually remove the lobe which the nodule is on---if the entire thyroid is very enlarged and diseased, and there are many nodules, the surgeon may feel more comfortable removing the entire thyroid.
Many people are living without thyroids, it sounds like yours has grown out of control--keep in mind, these things when they get out of control can cause damage in your neck---people here have had them wrapping around the trachea.
Good luck with whatever you choose!
The Following User Says Thank You to Reece For This Useful Post: Looking4aAnswer (01-23-2011)
I answered a few of your questions on my feed, but thought I would post here too. Were you diagnosed with anything?? My "swollen" thyroid turned out to be Hashimoto's. My ENT wants to take out my entire thyroid because my goitre is causing difficulty breathing. I was nervous about them removing my entire thyroid and asked about them removing only partial. The answer I got, which makes complete sense now, Hasimoto's is an auto-immune disease which means my antibodies are attacking my thyroid. If they remove only part of it, my body is only going to attack the parts that are left.
I know there are risks to having surgery, just as in any surgery, but there are also many risks to leaving your thyroid untreated. Go to your ENT with a million questions and make the decision that makes you feel best about your situation and if you are not happy with the answers you got, then consider getting a new doctor. Don't settle until YOU are happy.
The Following User Says Thank You to sleepyallday For This Useful Post: Looking4aAnswer (02-28-2011)
Your thyroid is not exactly "swollen" it's enlarged due to being attacked by thyroid disease (the antibodies attack the thyroid) if you have hashimotos. This is if you have a "goiter" or a "multinodular goiter" with lots of small nodules on it.
You can try thyroid hormones to shrink it, although, it doesn't work consistently, but if you are surgery phobic, it's definitely worth trying for a bit.
If you have nodules, any over a cm, you should consider a needle biopsy.
In general, the entire thyroid is small, so they usually remove the lobe which the nodule is on---if the entire thyroid is very enlarged and diseased, and there are many nodules, the surgeon may feel more comfortable removing the entire thyroid.
Many people are living without thyroids, it sounds like yours has grown out of control--keep in mind, these things when they get out of control can cause damage in your neck---people here have had them wrapping around the trachea.
Good luck with whatever you choose!
Hi Reece,
This system wasn't allowing me to respond without including your quote for some reason. I've had the needle biopsy and the scan was done twice and it appeared the size hadn't changed.
There are definitely nodules and I am wondering if that is the culprit to this swelling and irritation.
Thryoid hormones which shrink it could be Armour as well? Any idea what realistic timeframe for this to show improvement with the Armour?
Please don't get me wrong. I've had my share of surgeries and one of them was pretty serious 14 years ago and the outcome was much better than they'd initially perceived it to be. I would just prefer to look at other approaches and if surgery is the best option, I'll just have to have it done.
I will read your other post as well. I have done my research and I still wonder if I may not have Hashimoto's as well.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I said the same thing about removing part of my thyroid as well and the specialist looked at me as if I was crazy. He wasn't willing to negotiate on it either and didn't really provide an adequate explanation. I will ask him that tomorrow at my appt.
This specialist is abrupt and tends to rush through the appt., so I will try to keep him in the room long enough to get my questions answered. That can be a challenge in and of itself. =)
Thanks for getting back to me and good luck with your procedure.
Hello,
i live without my thryroid. The only problems that creep up once in awhile is medication adjustment. I had a multinodular goiter and hashi's. I was miserable so if i can offer any encouragement i am living proof total thyroidectomies are not that bad and i do just fine. So, if surgery is your option many do live without thyroids. Hang in there.
Rufus
It's comforting to know that someone has had this procedure done and is doing well. My visit at the Dr. today resulted in waiting another six weeks to see how things go with the Armour level and all. But surgery could still be a potential and I appreciate you sharing your experience.
Just returned from the ear, nose, throat specialist and this pressure and urge to cough is Laryngopharyngeal Reflux - say that fast. =) I was aware that I have had GERD in the past, but had no idea it had the capabilities to cause this much trouble. So, my GERD med has been increased and so far my Armour level is holding good and the anxiety appears to be less frequent.
Thanks for the feedback and advice. I will definitely continue to post questions and inquiries on the Armour as I continue to increase it.
