Just to let you know what I'm going through got diagnosed with cancer
 

Back in January, I went to the doctor for the first time in a long time, and she felt a lump on my thyroid. So she sent me to get an ultra sound and they found a 2.4cm mass and a 4mm mass. She didn't think I had anything to worry about. I had some bills to pay off in June, so I put it off.

Then my brother realized he had a huge mass in his neck in June, so I followed up with an endocrinologist.

I went in for a needle biopsy, 3 into each mass. He ALMOST didn't biopsy the tiny one, but since my son is a 3 year thyroid cancer survivor, he did.

The big mass was benign, the little one has papillary thyroid cancer.

They found hurtle cells in my brothers mass, which was the size of a fist, and he had that removed, along with his thyroid, this past Friday. He has a 60% of it not being cancer. (they can't tell with this type like they can with mine from a biopsy) The doctors are pretty optimistic, but he won't find out his final results in a week.

I will be having a thyroidectomy 9/27. They will take my thyroid, and the central trunk lymph nodes. I am |pray| that it hasn't metastasized.

This is a very slow growing cancer, by the size though I've had it 4 YEARS which wigged me the fuck out.

I am very optimistic, this cancer has a high survival rate, and if I am stage 2 - 3, it still has almost 100% survival rate. (I am too old to be even classed at stage I, even if it hasn't spread outside my thyroid).

Sorry for the book, but that is what is going on lately. All I can say is, tell those you love daily how you feel. You never know how you life can change in an instant.

Wow, even with the 100% survival rate this still must have been a shock for you. Good to hear you're keeping up fate :)

I wish you and your brother all the best and that things can get back to normal real soon.

Thanks Fonz, It is very scary, I don't care it is still cancer, and the waiting to find out if it spread or not is driving me a bit nuts.

I won't know until about the 8th of October. If it has, I have to go through radioactive iodine treatments, which are better than chemo, but still sucky. You have to be isolated from everyone for 3 or 4 days, and they have to make you extremely hypothyroid before hand, which means very, very tired. Hoping I don't have to go that route.

Hi Red Cherry.
My all |pray| are with you. I know that when a doctors say that 100% survival rate , they must be sure of what are they saying.
According to this page this is the one of the most common ones and they know how to treat it well.

Try to work normally and live your days fully, don't let this thing take out your daily normal routine. Last thing you don't need now is feeling unhappy.

|smooch|

Sorry to hear this, must be a shock for sure.

Hope it all goes well and please keep us up to date.

Wow :(

Hopefully it was caught in time.

Sorry to hear this. My sympathies and thoughts go out to you.

Go get it girl!

Hope everything turns out well.
My brother recently had surgery to remove his paranasal sinus cancer and they seem to have gotten it all, but he now has a prosthetic palette.

I need to get checked out.

Keep your spirits up Red Cherry. Cancer is always scary but luckily for you this one has a high survival rate. My wife had this 14 yrs ago and she will probably out live me plus treatments are even better today.

Like the first radioactive treatment she had to be quarantined for 48 hrs. Man in a hazmat suit head to toe hands her a glass with tongs and says drink this. She still says that was the scariest part of it and is still a little upset that it did not give her x-ray vision!

Hopefully everything will be ok Red Cherry!! Praying for you :)

10000000 hugs your way my friend

Crazy. It's good you caught it and didn't just not go in at all. Be well and please keep us updated.

That would be scary seeing a guy dressed like that handing you something to drink. |scared|

Your wife had the same type of thyroid cancer? Wow, I have run into so many people that have had it now that I'm talking about it. A nurse I work with had it 3 years ago, went to the same surgeon and same endo that I am going to.

Monday I get to go back to my surgeon and have a scope down my throat to look for any evidence of spreading. Oh goodie. I'm really getting sick of going to doctors, I've seen more in the last 2 months then the last 5 years.

Thank you for all the well wishes, they mean a lot to me. |headbang|

I have some allergies going on, so a bit down today, but for the most part I've been feeling very good, eating well and working out hard to get in the best shape I can before surgery.

Hopefully everything turns out well... Be strong! |hockey|

I love the new smiles, that one is great. Thanks Jeremy!

|bigsmile|

I really thought I'd wished you well with this, RedCherry, but I can't find it. You're doing the right things, getting stronger in advance. Good thoughts for a good outcome for you.

|thumb

Ya, she had her thyroid and a couple nodes removed. When doing a bit of research there are some links going back to when you are born. There was a period of time when some hospitals across the country would radiate milk, or something else, given to babies because they believe it helped fight off something. For those born in these hospitals there is a much higher percentages of adults having this type of cancer. My memory is real foggy, it's been a while, but you could look into it for more info if ya like.

If they are still doing the smile cut below the neck then this info might help. Make sure you keep the scar covered up after bandages come off. Use vitamin E and always apply sun screen even when covered up. My wife's scar is barely noticeable |thumb

My best wishes! I'm sure it will end well for you.
Jolly

Wow I will have to look into that! If you have any links, I'd love them. I am 53, my brother who just found out his nodule was cancerous is 58. So now with my son, myself, and my brother, we have the 3 major types. |angry|

They gave me post-op instructions and said "you can't get out in the sun for a year" I was like wtf? I thought they meant my whole body. |lol|

He also said to get this special neutrogena hypo-allergenic lotion that had spf in it to use on it. I plan on keeping it covered up. I just hope I don't form a lot of scar tissue, I had issues with that with a cyst I had removed in my neck, and it is really ridged up.

The gal I work with that was operated on by the same surgeon, you can barely see her scar, I'm hoping I end up like that too. :) I know they are gluing the incision shut, and not using stitches or staples, so no railroad tracks.

I rarely get out in the sun now, I'm so frackin pale, lol. Working too many hours indoors.

Hope you get well real soon, RC! |sun

Any connection to all the RADS in Nevada?

Maybe, but since my son and brother have it that have not lived in Nevada, it also might not be.

The day1 pic is a picture of my brother and I. I was one day out from surgery, he was 4 weeks and a day out from his. The second is today. Swelling is down a lot, although I still feel like I have a golf ball in my neck. This morning I was able to full yawn and clear my throat. Sneezing is still a bitch, as it feels like your neck is going to blow apart.

My incision is about an inch long and glued shut, no stiches for me! And covered with a steri strip. Tomorrow I get to get it wet and wash my hair, I can't wait, lol.

guess I can't attach two pics this is today.

The worst part of recovery has been my neck muscles. They were really, really mad at me for how they had to be hyper-extended during surgery. I have tight muscles anyways on the front of my throat, because I grind my teeth in my sleep.

You don't really realize how hard it is to swallow, cough, laugh, sneeze, or talk when those muscles are pissed at you until you go through it.