My thyroid biopsy came back today as inconclusive...

The good news, I guess, is that it might be one of two types of thyroid tumors: cellular adenomatous nodule or follicular adenoma. The bad news is that it could be one of two other types of tumors: follicular cancer or follicular variant papillary carcinoma... If anyone wants the Microscopic Description, I will write it out here-it's not long.

This lung doctor at the medical school will NOT call me back about my CT Scan of the lungs. I don't know what is going on there, except that he thinks I am on too much medicine and that I see too many doctors... Like how am I supposed to keep all of this stuff from happening? I cannot help all of this.

My friend's daughter had a nodule in/on her thyroid and she was given some kind of radioactive iodine pill which destroyed most/all of her thyroid. I was wondering if this is a treatment possibility if anyone here knows. The connective tissue disease doesn't like surgery very much...

If my good humor is fading, please forgive me...

Cathie

Your good humor is always there. I'm sorry you didn't get a clear concise answer to the biopsy. What's the next step with that problem?

If you can't get the lung doctor to call you back, go down there to the office and ask for the results. They are your records and you have a right to them!

I found this info about thryoid treatment with radioactive meds : http://www.mythyroid.com/iodinehyper.html Hope this answers your question. I have no experience with it.

I don't blame you for having your humor slip. Hugs to you.

Billye

OVER WITH!!!!!!!!!!!

At least, there wasn't a 'We've got to admit you' to the whole thing! So optimism shall reign until otherwise informed.

Boo to the lung doc tho....I hate rudeness when waiting for some hopefully good news!

I don't know much about the radio-a pellets other than that it's used for some BC's and other C's and can't recall all the s/e's. Sorry I've kind of blocked all that info from memory-bank recall.

Just sending you a heap of 'e'-hugs for the interim! Along w/some positive vibes as well. - j

Well, I've always heard the squeaky wheel gets the oil! Guess you have to make more noise! You know, if it was for someone else, like your child or your husband, or your puppy, you would be all over that doctor like white on rice, but because it's for "you", you're giving them a little slack. What makes it less important because it's you instead of someone else.

Go get em momma! You love yourself as much as you love those babies... so stick up for yourself! Make some noise! Make them listen to you! When they get sick of hearing you, then they will finally give you what you want to hear just so you will leave them alone!

Cathie,

I don't understand some physicians. They are well paid and respected for their knowledge, skill, and the service they provide. Physicians are in a service profession. Their job is to serve us, not the other way around. Sometimes, I think of the analogy of the tail wagging the dog when dealing with arrogant jerks like you describe.

Luckily there are plenty of physicians in all specialties whose compassion and human skills match their considerable technical skills. I personally will not tolerate being emotionally abused by overpaid social cretins too full of themselves by half. Cathie, I hope you can switch to another doctor who treats you like you deserve to be treated. That may be difficult if you live in rural Montana, but there are plenty of good pulmonary specialists in any medium sized city. Get a recommendation from the receptionist, and then ask for a consult with that physician. Switch if you like the new one.

If we all isolate and complain about emotionally abusive physicians, they will either have to change, or get jobs as pathologists.

Your maybe-soon-to-be-ex pulmonary specialist may have a point with "too much medicine." Each drug is targeted for a specific symptom or condition, but each has side effects. Dealing with those side effects and detoxification stresses your body. You can easily reach a point where all the medications together can cause more harm then good, even to the point of being seriously debilitating or fatal.

Both of my parents had drugs prescribed for something that was actually a side effect of another drug, or by several physicians treating different things. We thought my mom was mildly senile for years, until her many medications were severely decreased to only what was absolutely necessary. We could talk with her again, and she knew who and where she was the last few years she lived. She lost a decade of her life and we lost her for that period of overmedication for no good reason.

This is where a good primary care physician or internist can shine. If you sit down and discuss all the drugs you take with them, you may be able to safely eliminate several or even most, and feel much better as a result. My 95 year old dad did that with his excellent primary care physician, and now takes only three drugs. My doctors share, or at least tolerate, my caution with drugs and prescribe minimal doses of what is needed, for limited periods of time, with frequent reviews of what I’m taking.

I had a positive lung biopsy about 8 months ago (since resolved...maybe). With the help of my wonderful wife, friends, family, and animals (two purrfect cats and an old dog), I got over the initial shock and was able to focus on the miracles all around, even though I felt lousy for a couple of months. In fact, every moment became more precious because I thought my remaining moments were going to be many fewer than expected (5 yr. survival rate for lung adenocarcinoma is 17%).

I hope you can find the strength to not let your fears of what might be happening in your body ruin the joy of now. This is the time for you to be courageous and strong. Whatever the diagnosis or prognosis, you are alive now and treasured by all of us here and the other people and animals in your life.

You can chose to live and love and laugh no matter what. Who knows? You could live to 120, or die tomorrow crossing the street by falling down an open manhole. Losing your sense of humor is like losing your life while you're alive. Why die before you die when you have a lifetime ahead of you?

Take care and please keep us informed.

Thank you for the lovely supportive posts. I really appreciate that today.

I have got to locate someone somewhere who has experience doing minimally invasive thyroidectomies. I can go anywhere where my insurance covers. For some reason, Dallas is just NOT the place to be for people who need new, advanced techniques. It appears I will have to have a total thyroid removal, unless I miss my guess. It could be an ENT doct, an Endocrinologist or a surgeon... Anyone know of one???

I found someone in Augusta, Ga., then at the Univ of Pisa, in Italy. The latter probably has the most experience. My aneurysm repair went well with this technique. I think in an open surgery, they cut the muscle, whereas, in some minimally invasive procedures, they just move it aside. Also, you have to deal with swelling, which might compromise breathing in an open surgery, maybe not so much in the other. I swell at the drop of a hat in response to things my body does not like. Like when they waxed my face, or if they put tape on me.

If you all know of a doc who does these, please let me know. The Augusta doc at Med School of Ga., told me that no one in Texas is very interested in learning this techique, therefore he is not teaching it to doctors here...

Cathie

Cathie,

I'm so sorry about what's happening to you. Unfortunately, I'm coming to the conclusion that there's no "place to be" medically in this country.

Wish I had a suggestion. Hope you find a good one!

rose

I live in Texas, but I did find a few places that do minimally invasive thyroidectomies: Augusta, Houston (not too far), Chicago, Des Moines, and I think the other one was Tennessee. I am not too excited about having this done away from home on one hand-too many complications, but on the other hand, it seems like the least traumatic to my autoimmune issues.

I can't understand why more surgeons here are not interested in this. It would be so much easier on so many patients.
Cathie

I saw a surgeon today to discuss this thyroid problem. Much to my surprise, he wanted to remove only the lobe of the thyroid with the large (25 cent size) nodule, not the entire thyroid. When I asked what about the other lobe with the 2 small nodules in it, he got this blank look on his face. He did not seem to know anything about these, even though he had the reports. This does NOT inspire a lot of confidence in his attention to detail... If I had not had copies of reports with me, I would have thought I had misread them.

Even after pointing this out, he still felt removal of one lobe was the right way to go. I am not so sure about this. I have made an appointment to see an Endocrinologist, then I will seek a second opinion from another surgeon.

I don't think he liked me very much, because I asked too many questions-like how could he prevent the vasospasms I get with IV's.

I was noticing the medical journals in his bookcase-many, many-most of which were very old. I thought most doctors kept up with their field by reading current medical journals? Since his secretary was using a typewriter, I don't think he is reading online... Boy, she did not like it when I said I hadn't seen one of those for a while... Oops...

He did have a WHOLE BUNCH of new golf magazines on his table though... What kind of message are we getting here??? This makes me wonder if he keeps up with his field, or moreso with his handicap...

The number of drug reps in the halls (many of whom were arriving with catered lunches) was unbelievable... Some had on business attire with verrrrry short skirts... Amazing... I felt confident they were all M.S. in biology, since they are no doubt educating our doctors...

I was trying to think of something positive to say about this visit. I came up with two things: a picture on the wall and his chairs were comfortable...
Cathie

Yorkie Mom:

The secretary in the doctor's office was using a typewriter and not a computer? Where have they been? Not only are typewriters out of date, even little old ladies at home have computers these days. (I am one of them.)

I was shocked to read about this typewriter and the old medical journals.

Shirley H.