at the end of my rope.....lung nodules

[dart frog]

The same scan that found my thyroid nodules found them in my lung too. My dr asked me what I thought were weird questions about the lung nodules. Did I ever live or spend time in the southwest? It seems there is some funky lung fungus found in that part of the US and lung nodules are quite common.

Have I ever had a respitory infection that I was hospitlized for? That can cause scaring to the lungs and over a few years create nodules.
Have I ever tested postitive or have TB? When I told him I did test postitve and was treated for TB as a child he said THAT was where the nodules came from.

I had a scan done a YEAR ago for a ruptured ovary cyst and they found the nodules then BUT the hospital NEVER mentioned them to me!! The report said that they were " most likely postinflammatory scarring"

They had not changed in size or density in the past year so the Dr felt that the only thing needed to be done was monitor them with a scan once a year. He was more concerned with the thyroid ones.

So from what I understand as long as they dont change size or shape and are NOT causing any respitor problems they just monitor them. They dont like to biopsy because the risk of lung infection is too high.

So.....have you ever had a lung  problem in the past or do you have asthma now? That might explain them. It doesnt nessasary have anything to do with your thyroid.

[bernice602]

   I had Thyroid Cancer which I ended up with a complete thyroidectomy and Iodine radiation. A week later I had a CT scan and the results of that study have been annotated as abnormal in EPIC, They said a very subtle focus of increased uptake in the midanterior mediastinum. This may represent lung metastases or mediastinal lymph node medastases. Another possibility is that the artifact given the subtle apperance, Recomended CT evaluation of the chest.
   My problem is all the medical information given to me I do not understand at all I need help understanding what all this means. I'm so stressed out and scared I desperatly need help translating this information

[DLA]

my husband had pneumonia that almost killed him twice and he has them from the scar tissue.  My mother had serious untreated pneumonia and she has them.  My grandfather had TB when he was young and he had them.  He died when he was 75 from ALS and they had never bothered him.  My nephew had RSV when he was 2 w/o and almost died, now he has them.  

The only problem that any of them have had from them is catching respiratory infections more easily so have to watch this, but NONE  of them has ever had any sign of cancer.  I hope this makes you feel a little better.

At The End of My Rope-- hope they can do something to treat yours.  Nothing is ever hopeless as long as we try.  Am still praying for you.  You know, I have said lots of prayers for you today! :)  Hope they really help!

Dac

[dart frog]

Ah I get it now. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Thats a long time to feel like you know what!! I would be upset to. At least the new doc is willing to listen to what you say. To me thats a sign of a good dr.

The best and most anyone can do is take it a day at a time.

Any chance that treating the thyroid cancer will help the lung problem? Since the two are conncected and treating the lung nodules didnt help.....maybe treating it the other way around will work?

Hang in there!! I will be thinking about you :-)

Rhonda

[At The End of My Rope]

to make a long story short----

My nodules actually started within the lungs and that is how they found the thyroid nodule 3 yrs ago. I had one nodule in the lung and lymph nodes enlarged, they did a PET Scan it showed malinagcy. Then they did a FNA of the lung and my lung clasped. So they did actual surgery and removed the nodule and two lymph nodes came back that i had sarcrodsois. Then I never got better I had two rounds of chemo pills, along with a breathing machine. this year I decide to try a different doc as I was tried of feeling like you know what...and that is when she took bigger steps to find the problem. Now both the new endo and surgeron are very concern that the nodules in the lungs as now I have scattered in both lungs can be a problem since the nodule in the thyroid had grown from less than a cm to almost 3cm and was cancer. I am changing pulmonary doc's. As when my husband talked with him after my thyroid surgery last week informed my husband that yeah go ahead and have her stop the chemo pills that was the surgeron suggested because she has been on it for a while and it really is not helping...Now that makes you feel good right...My hubby was really upset..and the new doc...said sometimes we have to listen to the patient. and we will handle this one day at a time.