Biopsy Results

My endo called last night around 730.  She's so awesome for taking the time when she's not working to contact me!

The biopsy results showed questionable cells.  So her suggestion is to take the thyroid.  I'm fine with that.  Hashimoto's will destroy it eventually.  And even leaving 1/2 would still mean scans every year and eventually at least one more uptake and scan and possible biopsy.

What wasn't in the FNA report was that one of the nodules had grown from 1.2 to 1.4 and that they did not call her or biopsy that one.  She was not happy about that at all.

So the next step for me is to wait for the call for pre-op appointment.  The surgery will be done in Pensacola.  Part of my family is there so that will help a lot.  It's an overnight stay in hospital.

When they take the thyroid they'll do lab work on it to see if it is cancerous.

If it isn't, I just continue with levothyroxine.

If it is, that's a 3 day stay in isolation in the hospital.  They put extremely high levels of  radioactive iodine in me.  And the isolation is because it can leak out of my body and possibly harm others.  This is the part that's going to be hard for me.  I don't like hospitals.  I get bored when I'm the patient.  I'm really hoping I'll at least be able to bring in puzzle books.  But this is only if they do find cancer.

Now - we both had to call the hospital to find out what was taking so long with the results.  I was told 'within a week'.  Yesterday was a week exactly.  When her nurse called Twin Cities, they were rude.  So I then shot off an email asking what the delay was.  No response, but the results did get sent to her.  The doctor and tech that performed my procedure are excellent.  Calm, gentle with the needle, and very clear communication.  But I wasn't happy that the admin side of the hospital was rude to my endo's nurse.

FNA Biopsy - Updated

This was like a theme park ride.  A lot of waiting for 2 minutes of fun.

I have 3 nodules that are close to each other on the left side.  2 are now at 1.4 cm, the third one is a baby in between and at the top of the other 2.

A little discussion about which of the bigger ones to biopsy.  Decided on the one that has not grown.

Lidocaine injection - that was the worst part.  That few seconds of the needle and the Lidocaine going in.  Less painful then getting gums numbed at the dentist.

I didn't even realize he started the tissue collection process till the tech told me the needle was heading to my nodule and pointed at the screen.  I still thought we were doing Lidocaine.

I only jumped once.  Not out of pain, but surprise.  The needle was going in slow, then something gave way and like a pop, but no noise.  Dr. Ross explained that the needle was probably going through my muscle wall.

A few gentle pumps in the nodule with that needle.  Then another needle and a few more gentle pumps.

And TADA! all done.  I left with a regular band-aid covering the hole.

Photo below is what it looks like about 2 1/2 hours after.  Just a little bruising so far,

Dr. and tech said the nodules didn't show characteristics of cancer, but my thyroid is 'ugly'.

Part of me is still hoping it is cancer so I can just get the thyroid removed and not have to deal with scans and tests every year.  Hashimoto's will eventually destroy my thyroid, so I'd rather just get rid of it now.

There's no real bad news no matter how this turns out which is good.  :-)

Today I just feel like I slept wrong.  Little bit of muscle ache in my neck.  Picture below was taken 4/13/18 at about 10:25am.  Roughly 24 hours after procedure.

A Happy Thyroid

When my thyroid is happy
I'm happy
My smile is real
I'm motivated
My thoughts are organized and clear
Today I worked on training documents for a couple hours, cleaned my roof, mowed my leaves, showered and didn't need a nap.
I would really like every day to be like today.
This feeling can change at any moment.
That's the part that sucks. 
I could suddenly get fatigued or start having aches or feeling foggy and confused.
So when I have a happy thyroid I do what I can.
I do laundry, wash dishes, sweep, vacuum, mow, etc.
And I hope that this lasts longer than a day.
But when it does end I know to push through till my thyroid is happy again.
Eventually, my endocrinologist will get my thyroid regulated.
That takes time.
So I will enjoy these happy thyroid moments and be relieved that this one has lasted the better part of a day.

Hashimoto's Links

These have helped me understand things a little better.  I think I'm finally getting that I'm actually pretty sick.  :-(

https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/5-stages-hashimotos-thyroiditis/

https://themighty.com/2016/09/what-its-like-working-with-an-underactive-thyroid/

https://theinvisiblehypothyroidism.com/2017/01/24/what-you-dont-realise-when-im-at-home-sick-by-a-hypothyroid-patient/

Pre NutriSystem face and current face Photo - Updated

I posted this on Facebook:
First photo was taken in mid-October.  Second photo was April 1, 2018.

42 pound loss as of the photo on the right.  I needed to do this for myself because I wasn't seeing it in the mirror.  Eventually, I'll try to get 2 full length photos side by side.

The hardest part of this is eating when I'm not hungry.  And the not hungry is probably due to me trying to get used to my thyroid medication.

I'm having a hard time with pushing through work.  Today I would have called in sick or gone home after about an hour of being here.  But this isn't a disease and condition that most people think someone would need time off for.  So the times I feel exhausted, achy, and/or wanting to cry I just push through my day.  Which is why part of me is hoping the biopsy shows cancer.  Then the thyroid can get removed and I can deal with just getting the medication properly dosed.

If it's not cancerous, that means every year I'll have to go through an uptake and scan and maybe even more biopsies.

Below photos - March of 2017 and April of 2018