update and advice PLEASE
Hi all. Ive been super busy. Who would have thought with three kids my life would be so hectic! LOL
Kids went back to school and Im loving it! But I have been having some MAJOR issuses. Recently I have been able to tell my goiter in my neck has gotten larger. Ive been non stop sick, 35 days of antibotics, pnemonia, RA flaring up, sinus and ear infection. Then on top of it all had to have a tooth pulled!
I had blood work done my TSH levels are sky rocketing which I kinda figured but didnt think they would be as high as they are. Im back to snythroid as well. I have anemia, my white blood cell count is low and I have been totally exhausted. Im just wondering if anyone has had any major problems with their thyroid and also anyone that has has their thyroid removed. Im going to a specialist soon to see what there advice is.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreicated. Thanks again.
Kids went back to school and Im loving it! But I have been having some MAJOR issuses. Recently I have been able to tell my goiter in my neck has gotten larger. Ive been non stop sick, 35 days of antibotics, pnemonia, RA flaring up, sinus and ear infection. Then on top of it all had to have a tooth pulled!
I had blood work done my TSH levels are sky rocketing which I kinda figured but didnt think they would be as high as they are. Im back to snythroid as well. I have anemia, my white blood cell count is low and I have been totally exhausted. Im just wondering if anyone has had any major problems with their thyroid and also anyone that has has their thyroid removed. Im going to a specialist soon to see what there advice is.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreicated. Thanks again.
mistyshadows
on 8/17/10 12:26 pm
on 8/17/10 12:26 pm
I'll give you the long version, because my mind is too tired to think about making it more concise (and yes, kids definitely do this to you! lol). Keep in mind this is only my experience, yours may be completely different.
I had a goiter for a good many years. They monitored my TSH and used sonograms to measure the goiter size. Finally, I got tired of all the messing around and told the doctor that I'd just as soon have the goiter removed than mess around like this (is it cancer, is it not...). So I had a biopsy and it was inconclusive. I insisted that I was tired of messing around with this (it had been over 10 years). So they agreed that it was appropriate to do surgery. I had the choice to have only the half of the thyroid that the goiter was on removed or the whole thing. I was told if I only had half removed and the results came back that it was cancer that I'd have to have a second surgery to take out the other half. I opted to take the whole thyroid out. I didn't want a second surgery. It turned out that the goiter was cancerous. Since it was cancerous, I had to have radioactive iodine therapy (a.k.a. I -131). Iodine is what thyroid cells eat for energy. No other cells in the body will absorb iodine, so they fill a pill capsule with iodine that is radioactive. You get a whole body scan, then they give you the pill. You go home and come back when they tell you (I think it was 3 days, but memory is foggy now). They then do another body scan. If there are thyroid cells in your body (they can be anywhere, not just in your thyroid area), they will glow on the scan because they will have absorbed the radioactive iodine. I did not have any cells glow. Then you repeat this scan yearly (at least that is how my doc does it). When you do this scan the worst part is that you have to go off synthroid for 6 weeks prior to the scan and then it takes up to 6 weeks after the scan to get the TSH back down with the synthroid. If you have consecutive scans that are good, you can then do Thyrogen for your scans. It raises your TSH, but you don't have to go off your synthroid. It is supposed to eliminate the really bad hypo symptoms. I get to do the thyrogen this year for the first time. I am so glad. Previous times, my tsh shot up to over 135 after being off the synthroid. It was unpleasant.
All in all, it is certainly not the worst thing ever. And as cancer goes, it's probably one of the best ones to get as it is so easily cured. The surgery was not painful (and I'm a wimp). I don't know if I've helped, but if several people share their story maybe it will help you see several scenarios.
I had a goiter for a good many years. They monitored my TSH and used sonograms to measure the goiter size. Finally, I got tired of all the messing around and told the doctor that I'd just as soon have the goiter removed than mess around like this (is it cancer, is it not...). So I had a biopsy and it was inconclusive. I insisted that I was tired of messing around with this (it had been over 10 years). So they agreed that it was appropriate to do surgery. I had the choice to have only the half of the thyroid that the goiter was on removed or the whole thing. I was told if I only had half removed and the results came back that it was cancer that I'd have to have a second surgery to take out the other half. I opted to take the whole thyroid out. I didn't want a second surgery. It turned out that the goiter was cancerous. Since it was cancerous, I had to have radioactive iodine therapy (a.k.a. I -131). Iodine is what thyroid cells eat for energy. No other cells in the body will absorb iodine, so they fill a pill capsule with iodine that is radioactive. You get a whole body scan, then they give you the pill. You go home and come back when they tell you (I think it was 3 days, but memory is foggy now). They then do another body scan. If there are thyroid cells in your body (they can be anywhere, not just in your thyroid area), they will glow on the scan because they will have absorbed the radioactive iodine. I did not have any cells glow. Then you repeat this scan yearly (at least that is how my doc does it). When you do this scan the worst part is that you have to go off synthroid for 6 weeks prior to the scan and then it takes up to 6 weeks after the scan to get the TSH back down with the synthroid. If you have consecutive scans that are good, you can then do Thyrogen for your scans. It raises your TSH, but you don't have to go off your synthroid. It is supposed to eliminate the really bad hypo symptoms. I get to do the thyrogen this year for the first time. I am so glad. Previous times, my tsh shot up to over 135 after being off the synthroid. It was unpleasant.
All in all, it is certainly not the worst thing ever. And as cancer goes, it's probably one of the best ones to get as it is so easily cured. The surgery was not painful (and I'm a wimp). I don't know if I've helped, but if several people share their story maybe it will help you see several scenarios.
(deactivated member)
on 8/17/10 12:32 pm
on 8/17/10 12:32 pm
I have had my thyroid removed do to tyroid cancer. I was tired alot but my blood work all came back normal. I had a great doc. She listened to me and sent me for a ultra sound before I seen an endo doc. I had 2 biposiys done and then decided to have the whole tyroid removed. If I only had half removed and there was cancer I would have had to have another surgery to remove the other half so I opted to have the whole thing removed. It is very hard to get my TSH regulated. Since I had my band surgey in April my synthyroid meds have been changed 3 times. The only problem I have is with hair loss right now. The surgery was not bad when they removed my thyroid, I stayed in the hospital for 24 hours. I did have a problem with my voice for about 6 wks. I was very hoorse.
Like I touched on w/ you the other night...I do have thyroid problems. No goiter that they can find right now.
I've had trouble regulating my levels since surgery - but I can tell you that crushing the synthroid and mixing it with water has seemed to help. I'm absolutely convinced it's an absorption issue with the surgery. I mean, we don't absorb nutrients and vitamins the right way, we certainly as hell don't absorb meds the right way.
Hang in there girlie!
Instead of complaining that the rosebush has thorns, be happy that the thorn bush has roses. 
No suggestions from this end since I am having a goiter/nodule biopsy on the 27th myself. Sadly I come from a family of women who all had/have thryoid problems, altho none too serious, so hopefully mine will be the same. Endocronologist wants 2 of the 4 biopsied - one because its rather large and the other because it's showing calcium? Also have to have more bloodwork done. Throat has been bothering me for a while - other than that I've been pretty healthy.
Best of luck to you on all this - sorry to hear you've been going through so much. Miss you here on the boards. Take care and keep us posted - Kathy
Best of luck to you on all this - sorry to hear you've been going through so much. Miss you here on the boards. Take care and keep us posted - Kathy
'One shoe can change your life'...Cinderella
Hey there hun. Sorry you are feeling crummy! I had goiters and 3/4 of my thyroid removed in 2002. I was sick as a dog leading up to it as well and was grateful when it was finally removed and controlled with meds. I have since gone off the synthroid but think that I am going to need to go back on it soon. I am also battling anemia and we are trying to figure out why and how to fix that.
Get the thyroid issues under control and I would bet that a lot of the other elements will fall back into place. It is amazing how much that the thyroid effects.
Hang in there! Love and miss you!
Get the thyroid issues under control and I would bet that a lot of the other elements will fall back into place. It is amazing how much that the thyroid effects.
Hang in there! Love and miss you!
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