part thyroid to maybe removed-advice please

[loopyboo]

Hi, i first went to the doctor about 6 months ago with a strange sensation on my left side of neck, Dr said i had a goitre and referred me for an US scan. After he US scan they said I had two small nodules on my right side, I was then referred to a specialist in NHS in London and they took blood etc and then did another US scan and FNA. After this the consultant called me and said that the results were a bit inconclusive and that my results showed an intermediate(cant remember the exact terminology) and that the board had decided to do a part thyroidectomy. I have the appointment tomorrow to discus with the surgeon. Im just really nervous and dont know what to expect what questions to ask. basically im quite scared and a bit overwhelmed by it all?

[Clutter]

Loopyboo, an inconclusive FNA means they have been unable to tell whether the nodules are benign or not. Some hospitals have bi-monthly meetings with consultants, surgeons, radiographers, oncologists etc (Multi Disciplinary Team) to determine the best course of action in indeterminate situations.

FNA can't always sample requisite cells and sometimes hemilobectomy is required to get a large enough sample to biopsy. In most cases the result will be benign.

The remaining thyroid lobe should, in theory, take up the slack of the removed lobe. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to have some thyroid hormone replacement.

The operation is usually done in day surgery with an overnight stay. I needed little pain relief after mine although it was freely available in hospital and to take home with me. Some people have a sore throat for a few days and a soft diet is recommended but I managed cereal and toast without discomfort.

[monkey65]

Try not to worry too much. My experience was very like yours and I had a partial thyroidectomy in May. The operation was done as a day case and I recovered very quickly. My voice was a bit strange for a while but the scar small and tidy and fades quickly.

For most people the remaining thyroid kicks in to cope but as you will see on this site this is not always the case and you may need meds- if this is the case this is a whole new journey.

Another possibility that I am sure you are aware of is that the removed part can turn out to be cancerous, in which case they will need to remove the rest. If this happens (as it did to me) you will find plenty of reassurance and positive help on this site.

Good luck.

[Discovery]

I had a partial thyroidectomy in March 2014. The op went well and recovery seemed fine. However, the remaining half-thyroid did not start working afterwards and i become quite hypothyroid with all the usual symptoms. I am now left facing an appointment with Plastics to sort out the scar and an appointment with a voice therapist as my vocal cords appear to be damaged in some way leaving me with a tinny rasp and a very restricted singing voice. I have to say that I was warned before the op that all these things could happen. You just think they won't happen to you!

All the best with your thyroid journey.

[Sherry54]

I was told in 2010 that I have 3 nodules on my thyroid, and I had issues, but blamed menopause for all of it since my thyroid blood work all said "normal". Of course I had no idea at the time that this wasn't necessarily correct. So I suffered along with menopause creams and haven't gotten better. I did have a FNA in 2010 and the results like yours, were inconclusive and was told they'd recheck it each year. And each year there was no change, but of course it never crossed my mind it could be cancerous! This year I've had a pressure on the right side of my neck, hoarse voice, choking sometimes on food and drink, even air, difficulty swallowing without double and triple swallowing amounts of food, and trouble breathing. So had my annual CT scan and the right nodule has grown from 1.4 cm last year to 2.0 cm this year. My doctors sent me to the surgeon to get the one nodule removed. I see him 9/22/14 with no idea what he'll say. And I have no idea why they wouldn't remove all the nodules or even part of or not all of my thyroid. Because as someone else pointed out, what if it is cancer, I don't really want to have surgery of any kind more times than I have to! And I know thyroid cancer is the easiest to treat, but then cancer doesn't run in my family, so I'd be shocked if it was cancer. I'll just be thrilled to have any of it taken care of so these dreadful symptoms will go away, it's believed the nodule is pressing on my windpipe. So absolutely get it taken care of, if you don't it could only get worse!

Sherry54