~~ Utahmomma ~~

[ChitChatNine]

If you get a moment to read my final biopsy post .. what are your thoughts. Of course, when I get a copy of the report I can post more details, but I know you are highly familiar with some of the terms used to me this morning .. or, in the least case, the type of carcinoma (papillary).

I was wondering why showing up encapsulated in the gland is less threatening than if it was in the nodule?

Also, YOU ARE GREAT 'MOMMA' ... you were right about the lymph node when a bit swollen from illness putting pressure on the nodule .. my surgeon told me that was what was causing it to feel pressure and tug and pull on the nodule  .. I thought of you about 15mins b4 surgery snickering inside that Utahmomma knows best :) :) :) !!! That was when I asked him about it as he drew his lines on my thyroid with his black pen.  

I am slowly getting better ea. day .. this really takes time to "bounce back" when in your 40's vs. surgery in one's 20's LOL .. whew.  

C~

[utahmomma]

I think that you hit on something that many people don't quite realize until they have experienced it.  Getting the "CANCER" diagnosis isn't the end of the world.  Actually it's a relief.  For me it was!  I *knew* that something was wrong and getting the diagnosis (I got mine when I was being wheeled into my hospital room) was a huge weight off my mind.  It was a feeling of "I was right, it's out, and I am so glad that I was aggressive and got it taken care of!"

Give yourself a huge hug for following your instinct and getting it taken care of!  Give your children a bigger hug knowing you will be around longer for them!

Today is a day of celebration!

>>>>>BIG HUGS<<<<<

[ChitChatNine]

Shhhh .. won't tell anybody you turned 40.  When I turned 40 I was prego with my last baby :) ...didn't want to do babies after 40 LOL . . . I'm all up to date in the OB/GYN Dept.  Had some beginnings of menopause a few yrs back with endometrial biopsy being 'normal' .. just my fair share of 'functional' cysts on ovaries/tubes that have burst and not caused problems beyond the stress of 'wait and see'.  So between thyroid tests and all of our 40+ tests (colonoscopy .. don't forget that one as you get a bit older or have family history DO IT NOW) Dr's keep us busy!

Glad to hear it isn't just me with the stats :-0

I realized after our postings that I am in that 5% club and the surgeon just didn't want me to 'flip' out during the weekend; however for some unbeknown reason I knew it all along deep inside and it is actually a comfort/relief to have answers and know it hasn't gone anywhere and that demon is G O N E now.  I don't think they biopsied any lymph nodes .. if they did I'll see it on the report but nobody said anything about that as the preliminary were totally cancer-free.

The surgeon pre-empted his conversation with me stating he had good news on the 2 nodules but a caveat he would discuss with me, too.  I could tell he was very very surprised at "this caveat" ... Heck my crystal ball could have told him if he had only asked me 9 weeks ago {{{{{{ wink wink wink}}}}} and I have the proof right on this board of postings w/o medical reasoning that prove I had a *pesky* *haunting* feeling the nodes would be okay and that something small would show up on the final's.

I feel alot better this AM.  My oldest had her braces off yesterday my dh will drive her to the dentist (with me to sit in the waiting room) for a full checkup and cleaning.  It will be my first time out since the surgery.  I am taking it easy.

'Ya know I woke up this morning wondering if this changed my life at all and I think the answer is no .. I think it has calmed my life having an answer'

C~

[utahmomma]

Cheryl,

I am *SO* glad you listened to your gut instinct and ignored idiot doctor #1.  Isn't it mind-blowing to realize that you had CANCER growing in you.  But isn't it reassuring to know that you were proactive and got it out!  :-)  What a mess we all would be if we listened to EVERY doctor out there.  I know I'd still be living with cancer, my sisters would still have theirs, and so would you.  

Oh, and about the stats, DRIVES ME CRAZY!  I've fallen into the 1% every time - how is that possible?  I swear there are malpractice lawyers somewhere just making these things up to cover their client's behinds.  Sometimes I've wanted to take those stats, find the nearest doctor, and . . .   :-)

I'm not sure about New York cancer centers but Columbia has one of the best web sites for information that I've come across.  They also have a link for referrals:  http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/

If you had that great a rapport with your 2nd opinion endo stick with her!  When you call to make an appointment make sure to let her office know that you do have papillary carcinoma, I'm betting they will bump you up the list.  

I am sorry for your diagnosis but SO GLAD that you got that little monster out - despite what the idiot doctor(s) said!

Welcome to the exclusive 5% club!  We're the few, the proud, the cancer kids.

How am I?  Hanging in there.  Trying to get all my medical tests/appointments done by the end of the month when my insurance dies.  I stopped my HRT which I've been on for a year since my ovary removal so now I've got low estrogen and high thyroid hormones so my endo has me going for a bone density test next week to see if I'm going to turn my bones to powder.  :-)  Oh, and waiting for the mammogram results (guess what, we thyroid cancer babies are now at a higher risk for breast cancer).  Just fun all around.  No one warned me how much fun turning 40 would be, and I'm only 7 months into it!

[ChitChatNine]

Thanks for the post.  I wasn't clear on the "atypical" follicular words .. that was from the orig. FNA .. the final report is BENIGN on both of those atypical FNA's!!!!!

I have a great Endo that I used as a 2nd opinion before the surgery.  She spent 45+ mins with me talking over everything.  Read, listened and analyzed it all.  I will definitely go to see her again.  

I think he was being honest with me (as I made him promise to be with me all the way) but didn't want me to freak out (which I wouldn't do) this weekend, etc.  

I am a true believer my atypical cells showed up as precursor to this final report and I am so so so so glad I had the surgery and didn't ? my instincts.

Which is a big time Thyroid Cancer hosp in NY City?  I know Columbia (the Thyroid Ctr) takes my insurance .. I may ask my urologist for a name for a referral over there for 2nd opinion.  Not that I'm jumping at anything overnight, but to keep myself pro-active and be on top of things.

Geez, can you imagine if I did the wait and see approach like the idiot surgeon #1 suggested .. can you imagine ????  I would have had cancer cells in me for 6 more mos.  That wouldn't be right.

I will make an appt with the Endo .. her wait time wasn't that that long and I like her alot.

One last thing .. all the Dr's keep saying this % this and that % this and that .. right before surgery when the Dr. said to me that another 5% of final reports come back DIFFERENT than the preliminary report he almost got a fist in his mouth bcz at that point (pre op room) I had it with stats .. I seem to get near of past hurdle and they throw another # at me and I fall into that category ... stats come from someplace .... they shouldn't reassure people with them all the time as I see the Dr's do as a crutch of reassurance.

How are you doing?

Cheryl

[utahmomma]

Cheryl,

D**** IT!!  I was hoping that your results would be benign.  I'm sorry.  

You are where I was three years ago.  Half of the thyroid out, out of surgery, and they discover it was cancerous.  Now what to do??  Freaky feeling, isn't it?!?!

Okay, where to start.  First (and sorry to disagree with your surgeon) but papillary carcinoma *IS* cancer so I don't get "I wouldn't say you have cancer."  Maybe he's trying to keep you from melting down??  Does he not realize you have the support of this wonderful forum???  :-)

"Encapsulated" is good, that means that the cancer (sorry again, doc) was contained and there were non-cancerous cells completely around it.  Honestly I don't think it matters whether or not it was in a "nodule" since, technically, the cancer itself is a nodule.

Do you have an appointment with an endocrinologist?  Surgeons are fantastic and cutting us open but you need a good endocrinologist to follow you long-term and that includes helping you decide what to do with the other side.

Here's the gut feelings again (hang on!), you have a 2mm "unknown" living in the other half.  If you are at all like I was - it may haunt you and drive you crazy wondering "what if".  Also, after a cancer diagnosis your endo will probably want to do RAI eventually (especially where you had more than one individual area of cancer).  You're not going to be able to successfully have the RAI unless you get the other half taken out.

Based off what you posted do I think you need to rush out and have it taken out right now?  No.  Recovery from this, talk to your endo, keep living your life.  Your endo will probably want to monitor your labs and do an U.S. every six months or so - that's great.  If that 2mm unknown stays the same size and your labs stay stable you can probably just not worry about things for quite a while.  If it starts to grow or your labs begin to change, you know what to do.  (The second surgery was actually easier for me than the first one and my scar is SMALLER).

Hey, honestly I would probably still have the other half of my thyroid if my sisters hadn't decided to climb on the cancer bandwagon.

On your other post you said you had "atypical follicular" cells in the nodules, right?  But they *didn't* say follicular carcinoma, right??  I'm just trying to make sure that your follicular cells were benign.  If they were follicular carcinoma that changes everything.  Oh, and did he take any lymph nodes?

Talk to your endo and get a copy of the surgery report and pathology report.  

I REALLY don't think you have anything to stress too much over - rest and recover!!!  

Those of us in our 40s with our throats slashed need to take it easy!

>>>>>HUGS<<<<<<