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Just don't know

Jul 08, 2008 12:54AM - 4 comments

This whole thing with my thyroid has caught me a little off guard.  I have always been exremely healthy and really don't feel like there is anything wrong (other than a little bit of a swollen neck, a few headaches, and a little tired).  It will probably turn out that there really isn't very much wrong I just keep having this feeling that I should be prepared.  It just seems weird to me that I am 19 and have things growing on my thyroid.  There don't seem to be too many people on the forums that are my age, whether this is because people my age just don't care or because multinodular goiters are fairly rare in younger people I don't know, which kind of makes me nervous.  I just really wish I could know exactly what is going on so I can be prepared.  Many people in my family have been diagnosed with cancer so I guess I sometimes feel like I am just waiting for my own diagnosis.

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by 898, Jul 08, 2008 08:49AM
The nodules with "ill-defined borders" [ultrasound term] have increased chance for malignncy.
"Certain features increase the likelihood that a nodule is malignant. These features include rapid growth of a large, solid nodule; a nodule that is hard and cannot be moved; symptoms suggesting that the esophagus or trachea is narrowed or obstructed; swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck or under the jaw; and hoarseness.

Among all people with thyroid nodules, several factors may also increase the likelihood that a thyroid nodule is malignant.

Age — A thyroid nodule occurring in a child or in an adult under age 20 or over age 60 is more likely to be malignant.
Gender — Thyroid cancer is found in 8 percent of men and only 4 percent of women who have thyroid nodules.
Previous radiation treatment to the head or neck — In the past, radiation was used to treat acne, inflamed tonsils and adenoids, and an enlarged thymus gland. It was later recognized that radiation exposure increases a person's risk of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. A healthcare provider should closely monitor the thyroid gland in people who have had radiation treatment. Patients who have had radiation treatment to the head or neck should discuss this with their clinician."
However, until biopsy is done, we can only talk about possibility at this point!


by mwelcher, Jul 10, 2008 09:44PM
I understand what you are saying mine has come on in a month. And I have had alot of cancer in my family also,  my mother had her thyroid completely removed at 38 and here i am at 31 facing the same fate, possibly but keep your chin up and know that there are people thinking and praying for you out here in happy www land.LOL

by tashan, Jul 12, 2008 07:36AM
i do understand ur feeling.i am also bearing the grunt at the age of 20 years.i think we are special and we can all pray for eachothers well-being.

by Jules77733, Jul 16, 2008 10:43AM
If it does turn out to be anything bad, I think it's good that you're catching it when you're young! It'll be much easier to recover from any treatments and hey--if anyone's going to be stuck with cancer, they'd probably want to be stuck with thyroid cancer, since it's very treatable (no chemotherapy--so no losing hair/feeling sick all the time/etc.) and has a high success rate. If you have multiple nodules, it's more likely that they're benign and you just have multinodular goiter. A single nodule is a little more worrisome, from what I've read.

Good luck, and hang in there!

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