Goiter or Thyroid CA? Any help is appreciated

[45andholding2]

Today my throat is pretty sore, which happens periodically. I feel like I am choking daily, too. Choking feels like my throat is closing. I did almost choke to death while eating about a month ago. I cannot tolerate turtle necks at all. It bothers me to wear a seat belt. My throat also feels swollen today. If I spread my fingers across my throat, the "butterfly" is visible. I am afraid I have a goiter or something pretty serious going on with my thyroid. I think I really need to see endocrinologist. I did see one about 5 or so years ago, but I think he was a quack. I had started "choking" then and went to see the endo. He told me that I had a "swan neck". I had never heard of such, so I waited for years to see anyone about it thinking it was just in my head. The last time I had a test, my gen. practitioner said I had some "nodules" on my thyroid from the ultrasound a few years ago. Had some type of radio test (screen lit up like the Milky Way Galaxy) a couple of years ago. I cannot remember the test's name.  Do not know/remember what the test results were. Of course, that was a couple of years ago. I work a lot and have not gone back to the MD after the last test. My gen. pract. moved so I haven't gone back to him to do any lab work. I am concerned that I seem to be getting worse.  Very tired and /or anxious a lot of the time. Not much energy and no sex drive at all. I am often depressed. I think I could go days without talking if I could. I just want to go to bed and stay there, but I have to help support my family so I have to work. I often have joint pain in my knees and legs. I bought some vitamins called Pro Joint Care and they seem to have helped somewhat in my joints. Before I started taking the vitamins, I could barely drive home from work which is an hour's drive for me.  I am also very forgetful. I could not remember one of my passwords for billing today and that is something that I always know. My brain just "leaves me" and I cannot think sometimes, I call it my senior moments, but I am not a senior yet being only 45 years old. I tell my family that I will either have Alzheimer's or Parkinson's since it runs in my family. I haven't had any panic attacks in a while, but I do feel anxious at times. My heart will race at times, too. I feel like I am losing it though a lot of the times. I just do not know what to do. Many family members have had to have their thyroid removed, including a 1st cousin and my great grandmother. Thank you for taking the time to read my post. Any suggestions?

[898_1]

This is how the multinodular goiter looks like (in most cases):
http://youtu.be/yFa2mReaR2M;
however appearance differs from person to person

[Barb135]

No, I've never heard the term "swan neck"........ to me, that would mean long and graceful........

You know how it is on an airplane........ if you need the oxygen mask, always put your own on, before trying to help someone else, because if you run out of oxygen, you can't help others.  In many cases, medical care works the same way.

Enjoy your vacation.

[45andholding2]

haha...I just work so much that I don't have time to take care of myself & very seldom go to the MD. I thought when the endo told me a few years ago that I had a "swan neck" that I was just making something out of nothing, so I did put it off for a long time. Have you ever heard that term "swan neck" used? My mother, who is a nurse, was with me at the appt. and she had never heard it either.

[Barb135]

I've done the same thing in the past - put off going to a doctor, only to find that if I'd done it when I first needed to, I could have saved myself some grief.

Hopefully, you will be able to enjoy your vacation and not worry so much.

Will look forward to seeing your results w/reference ranges, and hope that we may be able to help you get back to feeling "normal"....whatever that is...... lol

[45andholding2]

Thank you for responding, Barb. I will be calling to set up an appointment with an Endo in the morning. I have worried myself sick...haha. Our family is going on vacation next week and I'm not sure when I will be able to see the MD. I will post after getting trest results. Again, thank you!

[Barb135]

You  have symptoms of hypothyroidism, but without current blood work, it's impossible for us to tell, for sure.  

ThyCa is actually quite rare and if present is one of the easiest cancers to cure.  

A goiter is simply a swollen/inflamed thyroid.  Many of us have goiter and while it's uncomfortable, it's not deadly, unless it interferes with breathing, eating, etc. Many of us, also have nodules on our thyroid, and again, unless they are irregular, changing, etc, they are usually not a concern.  

You will need to get current thyroid labs, including TSH, Free T3 and Free T4, in order for us be able to give you much information.  You should also request testing for the thyroid antibodies, Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOab) and Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TGab), to confirm/rule out Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys the thyroid.  Most hypothyroidism in the developed world is caused by Hashi's.  A current ultra sound would also be warranted.                                

Once you have blood test results, you can post them here and members can then comment more fully.  Please be sure to include reference ranges, which vary lab to lab, so must come from your own report.