Good news, bad news...

[jensequitur]

So you guys know that I've recently had blood tests to eliminate the possibility of Lupus or anti-phospholipase syndrome.  The good news is that they've all come back negative!  I haven't had the appointment to discuss it, but I've been looking at the test results.  So far so good.

The bad news, or at least not-as-good, is that according to the ultrasound I have some sort of thyroid nodule.  My thyroid levels are normal, and I don't have an elevated WBC count, so I'm thinking it's a benign nodule.  I'm not freaked out about it, but it's a bit of a surprise.  I also have what looks like a bit of a goiter around my neck, at the base.  

I've researched Hashimoto's, and I suppose it could be that, but my TSH test last year showed normal levels.  We'll see!  Hubby's more freaked out about it than I am.

I'm a little freaked out about 'fine needle biopsy' but nothing could be that bad after the spinal tap!

[jensequitur]

No, that can't be right.  Maybe he meant 3 mm.

[jensequitur]

They do all the work in-house, so he said I should hear back by next Wednesday.  Even if they're benign, I should probably have them removed - the one on my left side is 3 cm.

[sllowe]

Jensy - I hope you hear good news about the biopsy results :)

[Lulu54]

Glad to hear he did the biopsies right then and you didn't have time to worry in advance.  When do you go back to get the results?

[anon07072023]

Wow, I'm glad you're staying on top this!  I'm so very glad you have someone good on your side.  

[jensequitur]

I forgot to mention that he did the biopsy right there, too.  After I agreed that we needed to do it, we got the paperwork together, I signed on the line, and then he got the nurses in to get the slides and the labwork together.

[jensequitur]

Well, I saw the endocrinologist at UTSW, and I thought he did an excellent job. He looked at the results of the ultrasound that the folks in Ft. Worth had done, and found it inadequate.  So he set me down on the table and gave me another ultrasound right there, and found several nodules.  Of those, four were questionable.  The doc told me that we definitely needed to biopsy three, and we might want to do the fourth later.  I said "nuh-uh!  Let's do all of them now."  

What I didn't realize was that it's four samples per nodule, which means four sticks in my neck per nodule.  Plus he has to get a sample, so he had to jiggle the needle to get enough cells into the syringe.  

Phew!  Still, it wasn't as bad as the spinal tap!

[candy158]

Good Luck Jen, I'm sure it will be ok .... my sister went through the same thing, and it was even big enough to affect her speech, but it was benign, and they did the bisopsy thing, and she said it sounded worse than it was, so she was good about it.  

Hope this helps, let me know how it all goes ok?

take care my friend,
Candy

[jensequitur]

I've been taking interferon beta, but since I've been thinking about pregnancy, I haven't taken it in a while.  Fortunately they've managed to squeeze me in tomorrow at the last minute, so we'll see what he says.

[anon07072023]

It's never quiet around here, is it?  :-)

I'm glad it's not Lupus or anti-phospholipase syndrome - at least the tests don't show that's what's going on.

I hope you find some more solid answers soon.
-Kelly

[sllowe]

Hi Jensy,

I hope the nodules ck out ok. I too have them, but unfortunately don't know if they are since rebif, or before it. All function is normal. That "vague feeling of pressure" you mention is what brought me for the check. Same as you.
I'll never know what caused what - it's whole chicken or egg who came first bit.

Glad to hear no APS or lupus for you. Hope you get a good endo :) and know what you are looking at before long.

[jensequitur]

Oddly enough, my TSH is 1.96 - well within normal thyroid function.  If there's something going on with the thyroid, it's something they haven't tested yet.  I don't think they've given me the two tests you mention.  I'll be scheduling a visit with the endocrinologist on Monday, and we'll see what happens.

Yeah, aside from the vague feeling of pressure I've had in my neck the past few months, I wouldn't even be worried about this at all!  I'm 99.999% sure it isn't cancer, but I suspect it might be a benign nodule, or Hashimoto's.  

[Guitar_grrrl]

Hey, Jen, if it's any help, my enlarged thyroid was found to have multiple nodules.  I had a fine needle biopsy (piece of cake, really), where the endocrinologist numbed both sides of my neck around where he was to take his biopsies (OK, there's 2 needle sticks), followed by six (count 'em, 6!) more sticks that didn't hurt.  My results came back completely negative -- they were just run of the mill nodules.  I had my antibodies tested, too, and my numbers were on the high end of normal.

I'm hoping you have similar results (negative).  Don't fret about the biopsy.
(((Hugs)))

[BOK2Bjan]

I have hypothyroid (and MS) and recently when in the hospital, a doc noticed asymmetry in my thyroid.  They did a scan and found a benign nodule.  I take Levothyroxine and my levels stay OK.  I hate when they keep finding "probable benign cysts, nodules, lesions, etc."  I have them in my lungs, a huge one in my spleen, and one in the pancreas and bile ducts.  I'm growing party favors!  We are to just "watch" them.

I too hope yours turns out alright and there isn't a major problem.  And yes - aren't spinal taps fun?

Blessings

[zoefromsussex]

Hi Jen,

Thyroid problem's are not so bad. My mum had overactive thyroid & to cut a long story short, she ended up having radioactive iodine treatment & now its underactive (which is safer for her)
Is the thyroid problem in addition to your MS or instead of?
Hope you're doing okay on the whole x

[HVAC]

I hope it turns out okay.

Alex

[Lulu54]

I swear the more they look for answers, the more other 'incidental' findings there are - point in case is my brain aneurysm which so many people have but don't know.  And now your nodule - I hope they decide it can be left  alone and just monitored.

When do you see the doctor?

[jumpinjiminy]

Hi Jen. Those are good news. They tested me for those, too. For the Hashi's (which my first neuro found), they have to test for the antibodies - thyroid peroxidase and thryoglobulin. Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (above a 35 at the lab mine use) indicate Hashimoto's. The other can be part of it, too, but is more common with Grave's, if I remember correctly.

I suspect I've had Hashi's for 25 years (had the symptoms of both hyper and hypo early on) but my thyroid tests always came up normal, or so they were at the time. They've changed the TSH level recently and not all docs are up-to-date on that yet. If you're over 3 and symptomatic, they'll treat now. Before, they wouldn't treat until between 5 and 10.

Best wishes with the biopsy.  

[Princepaso]

Are you on interferon/rebif? I have read thyroid  levels are closely monitored and fluctuate.
I went from .8 to 4.8 tsh and have some abnormalities as well
Immune system disorders seem to throw everything off balance. I plan to send labs and discuss with my ms doc
Let ya know
Good luck
K