Largests thyroid he's ever seen...

[jellicle]

That's what the doctor said.   He said possibly Hashimoto's.  The blood tests aren't back yet, but he didn't order a thyroid scan, and I think with the largest thyroid he's ever seen maybe a scan is in order.  I'm concerned for two reasons: the way it looks and feels and the way he sounded optimistic when he said Hashimoto's like "let's hope".
My neck is definitely swollen, but it's not at all symetrical or smooth, it's kind of Hawaii shaped, like jagged big shapes and little satellite ones.  They feel a little squishy.  I've had A LOT of dental work and x-rays, I smoke, and I just left an emotionally abusive relationship of 5 years... I don't even know if it's connected to my thyroid.  I'm trying to be intuitive, and my body says, "don't worry, it's just cancer" -what does it know!?  Should I tell my doctor I want a thyroid scan?  or wait for the blood tests to come back?
Thanks so much for any response.  

[ChitChatNine]

My sister in law and an ultrasound before surgery and they were ***shocked*** to find out her thyroid was so huge it actually filled the cavity where the other half of the thyroid usually sits .. she was born with only 1/2 a thyroid and the thyroid got so so big it looked like a whole thyroid on the ultrasound~  They did biopsy and totally benign but ended up on synthroid as if a total thyroidectomy as only 1/2 was there to begin with since birth!  Since it is gone no more choking episodes, etc.~

C~

[utahmomma]

Did your doctor do an ultrasound or just palpate your thyroid?  If an ultrasound wasn't ordered it needs to be done.  It's non-invasive and will tell if there are any nodules.

[GravesLady]

Does not sound like a Hashi or cancer or Riedel's nodule/texture. It sounds more like a Graves' nodule/texture.  However, I could be wrong. I'm not a doctor.  Only about 10% of them turn out to be cancerous, so don't worry needlessly.                

Dental work and x-rays,  smoking, and  an emotionally abusive relationship, can certainly be connected thyroid condition.  Stress mental or physical by whatever means can bring out autoimmune thyroid.  Smoking can worsen autoimmune thyroid as well as stress.  So stop smoking and keep stress to minimal as possible.

Think positive, it might be somthing that will disappear once diagnosed, treated and level in normal range.

GL,

February is American Heart Month, National Women's Heart Day,
and 14th National Have-A-Heart Day

[motherC]

I'd wait for the blood tests. Why go to the more expensive and invasive tests before ruling out the simplest explanation? Hashimotos is pretty common. It is an autoimmune disease that has your own body attacking the gland which makes it inflamed and enlarged. You can get a goiter from Hashimoto's inflamation.

I hope your doctor is running the two thyroid ANTIBODY tests and not just TSH. High thyroid antibodies are the definitive diagnosis for Hashimoto's. Make sure he did that. A high TSH could be caused by other things and you shouldnt' accept the Hashimoto's diagnosis just on a high TSH ( over 3). Get those antibody results.

I've had Hashimoto's for 30 years and have had no problems once I started on the hormone replacement. Good luck!