my thyroid nodule story

I was diagnosed with cancer and, in all honesty, have been dealing with some ups and downs throughout the years. I have been tired and not very sociable, and I’ve had problems swallowing. I want to find an endocrinologist who will agree to monitor my nodule, rather than insist that I get my thyroid out. The multidisciplinary team of endocrinologists, surgeons, interventional radiologists, pathologists, cytopathologists (in partnership with the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania) and nurses all played important roles in Jessica’s care. Thyroid cancer is one of the most treatable kinds of cancer. My initial reaction to the “C” word was panic and fear. Thyroid Nodule: Jessica's Story. But I feel great and I have returned to my daily routines. “They can be followed for years and decades, but usually do not go away spontaneously.”. I have been told that I can't be around My thyroid surgery went well and according to plan — but there are some things I wish I knew ahead of time that would have made my thyroid surgery recovery time even easier. Her doctor started performing annual biopsies and ultrasounds just to be sure that nodule was benign. Even though I had a thyroid tumor, my thyroid was actually functioning perfectly. The thyroid gland in the neck is responsible for so many things, but basically for regulating body functions and metabolism. Her parents took Jessica to an urgent care facility where X-rays and an MRI showed she had strained her neck — nothing serious. Schedule An Appointment Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advisory: Please help us limit exposure. Thyroid nodules are growths of cells in the thyroid gland. “The surgery went really well. My thyroid got cancer some time ago. January 2, 2018. (The risk of cancer is higher in solid nodules.) The biopsy is done with a small needle, and local anesthesia is not generally required. A nodule is just a collection of cells, which are usually harmless, benign, and fairly common. Hope it helps someone as it helped me other people's videos. I’m including tips and answering some questions you might have. “Cheer team takes a lot of time, but it’s really fun,” she says. It is cancer. Some nodules are fluid-filled (cysts), while others are made of thyroid gland cells. Living in Downingtown, Pa., the Rippers had their choice of pediatric hospitals, and chose The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. A, Internist, to discuss the thyromegaly that was reported on my PET scan last October. Although the results of my thyroid blood test had been normal, he observed that my thyroid felt perhaps a little bit swollen, so he sent me for an ultrasound of my neck. The doctors can’t say when because there was no way to determine a growth rate. These growths can be noncancerous (benign) or cancerous ( malignant ). I went to give blood at 17 and was turned away for low iron (anaemia). I have a 4cm nodule that doesn't particularly hurt, but it sometimes feels like a bruised area. Thyroid nodule(s) are abnormal growths of thyroid cells within the thyroid gland and are very common. This is called a FNA or Fine Needle Getting back to Disney is definitely a goal.”, 3401 Civic Center Blvd. Latest CUIMC Covid-19 News – Eligible patients can now book vaccine appointments here.Regular in person and virtual visits for patients are also available. The sonogram showed a nodule, possible two so she wanted me to see Dr. C. for further review/biopsy. It was a more invasive procedure than the first, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at my incision site. I will again be taking a radioactive iodine pill the end of this month to complete my treatment. But once I met with Dr. Lee, I was reassured that this was just going to be a bump in the road of life. To my great surprise, my thyroid was enlarged and had multiple nodules growing on both sides of it. “When I sneezed, it really hurt.”. They all made this experience much easier for me to get through. After 6 months of screenings and 18 thyroid nodule biopsies later, he missed the most life threatening tumor that was attached to my windpipe. Soon after, a biopsy confirmed that I had thyroid cancer. Because of the size of my nodule, the endocrinologist said that any nodule over 2 cm they advise that it is surgically removed. Last December, when Jessica was 13, she had an accident while performing a back flip during gymnastics practice, landing on her forehead and rolling onto her neck. Johns Hopkins head and neck surgeon Jonathon Russell offered Kristin the option of a scarless thyroidectomy to treat the cancer. Columbia University Irving Medical Center. As a member of the Downingtown East cheer team travel squad, Jessica wants to return to the national competition at Disney World next year. “My neck really hurt.”. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In January 2014, Jessica’s parents, Keith and Nicole, brought her to the Pediatric Thyroid Center at CHOP, one of the few centers caring for unique needs of children and adolescents with thyroid disorders in the United States. During this procedure, he removed over 20 lymph nodes from the right side of my neck. Info. I was only in the Hospital for one night.”. “In fact, similar, small incidental thyroid cancers are found in about 20 percent of people who have an autopsy after dying from old age.”. (this is an estimate by the Thyroid Federation ). The biggest problem is my thyroid nodule though. In Jessica’s case, the bleeding was persistent and caused the right lobe of the butterfly-shaped thyroid to swell and cause pain. So at the end of June 2013, Dr. Lee performed my second surgery, a Modified Radical Neck Dissection. The … My Thyroid Story There are staggering 300 million people worldwide suffering from thyroid dysfunction yet about half of them are unaware of their condition. Boston is a health care … The test revealed My fingers are crossed that this will be the end of it, and the only reminders of this life event I will hopefully have are my faded scar and the pill I take each morning. I thank God everyday for my blessed mother; her God given sixth sense is amazing! Kristi G., Michigan. This test also checks on the growth of nodules and helps find nodules that are Jessica continues to be followed by the Thyroid Center. That being said, I When I was 13 I noticed a lump on my neck. I went in to the doctor for a yearly medication refill appointment. She’ll have routine checkups once a year. “Her symptoms were not consistent with that I would have expected,” he recalls. Share. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. She received antibiotics and pain medicine and returned home. “It was sort of like the feeling you have when you have a sore throat, only lower, and it kept getting worse,” Jessica recalls. Philadelphia, PA 19104, ©2021 The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Lee was a large part of the reason I have gotten through this twice, knowing that everything would be ok in the end. While all my thyroid blood work came back good, Dr. A. wanted a sonogram to take a look at my thyroid. According to the American Thyroid Association, roughly half of the population will have a thyroid nodule by age 60. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features “It probably sounds funny, but I’m glad it happened,” says Jessica. In order to share your story and possibly be featured on our website, please call 201.305.1078. “I was in midair and then just stopped and crashed,” Jessica says. My symptoms completely disappeared, and a few months after surgery, my tiny 1-inch incision faded away. I was just 31 at the time, and I have always exercised regularly, eaten a well balanced diet, and have been very healthy. People who undergo thyroid gland surgery may need to take thyroid hormone afterward to keep their body chemistry in balance. However, as with most conditions, treating the issue early is less intensive and less invasive than waiting until it Kristin Sepulveda, a Johns Hopkins medical administrator and mother, was diagnosed with a papillary cancer on her thyroid gland. You will receive an email shortly with a list of practices in your area that offer the Afirma test. During my office visits, he would sit with my husband and me until we had run out of questions to ask, answering each one thoroughly, always patient and with a smile. My doctor found a 3cm nodule on my right thyroid. Second Biopsy (Fine Needle Aspiration) The second biopsy was much like the first. When she explained her symptoms, such as low bone density, fatigue and kidney stones, Russell ordered additional tests. Follicular variant type with some papillary carcinoma (cancer) cells. I hadn’t thought about it before, but after my experience at CHOP, I think I’d like to go into medicine.”, Before that, she’s got a lot to do, including performing more back flips. “We cheer at football games on Friday but mostly go to competitions. I underwent a complete thyroidectomy in March 2012, and the only required treatment afterwards was a radioactive iodine pill. are solid or fluid-filled lumps that form within your thyroid, a small gland located at the base of your neck, just above your breastbone. My thyroid nodule story 1 - YouTube. She spotted the erroneous tumor on my throat; she is the angel that saved my life. I’m scheduled to have surgery Dec 2019 and really don’t want to but my nodule is not shrinking. Despite having normal thyroid function tests, she was encouraged to see a specialist. After discussions with Dr. Bauer, the family decided to have CHOP ear, nose and throat surgeon Ken Kazahaya, MD perform a right-lobectomy in February, a delicate procedure that removed half of Jessica’s thyroid. Surgery began around 9 a.m. on a Friday, and I was home at about 3:30 p.m. that same day. Jessica Ripper and her family know this all too well. Tap to unmute. My thyroid nodule story continues. Soon after, a biopsy confirmed that I had thyroid cancer. He could not find anything via physical examination or testing to cause my symptoms. Watch later. Fortunately, he did not give up looking. More than a year after her initial sore throat, Gwen met with head and neck surgeon Jonathon Russell, at Johns Hopkins to discuss the thyroidectomy. Kristin's Story: Highlights. This type of complication is usually self-limiting, and the cyst will decrease in size. I went to the endocrinologist and he wants to do iodine radiation. After a year of good health, regular visits to my endocrinologist, and new routine of taking my Synthroid pill each morning, it was discovered through a follow-up neck ultrasound and biopsy that the cancer had come back in one of the surrounding lymph nodes. My thyroid is not over active or under producing according to the doctors testing. My second biopsy was done by a much more senior member of this hospital who’s sole job was to read slides to determine thyroid cancer. But once I met with Dr. Lee, I was reassured that this was just going to be a bump in the road of life. I also had a smaller nodule in the.9 cm range on my left thyroid lobe. Copy link. We love feedback from our patients. Read about our pandemic experiences. She had a checkup in April, which showed that her remaining half of her thyroid was functioning normally; everything looked good. Find a Doctorfor the Afirma test. Thyroid nodule treatment options Most nodules, benign or cancerous, are not an immediate health risk. Everyone I met at the Hospital was great. I first started exhibiting symptoms as a teenager, but my hypothyroidism would not be diagnosed for 10 more years. In this post I am going to share my biopsy story and walk you through the process. Lindsay - hypothyroidism. I was sent off to an endocrinologist, who performed an ultrasound right there in his office, which revealed seven nodules over both lobes of my thyroid, including a 2.5 cm nodule that was obviously the autonomous culprit. But then her neck started to swell.”. With him, I truly have had the very best care! I am so thankful for all of my amazing doctors and my incredibly supportive husband, family, and friends. It might have been thirty years ago when my throat was X-rayed during a bout with really bad croup, but nobody knows. “These cysts, with or without a bleed, do not resolve, however,” says Dr. Bauer. Turns out it was an enlarged thyroid, also called a tumor, goiter, or nodule. Accidents happen. Thyroid nodules are lumps inside the thyroid gland, a butterfly-shaped organ located in the front of the neck. In Jessica’s case, the pain was gone but the larger cyst made swallowing uncomfortable. But the MRI also showed a spot on her thyroid, and an ultrasound showed a 1.1-inch nodule or cyst on the right side of her thyroid.

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