Thursday, April 2, 2009

Appt. with Endocrinologist

Well, I'm back from my first appointment with the endo. I am pleased with the doctor. At first I was a little put out because I didn't feel like she was listening to me. But after some time talking with her, I was much more at ease.

Unexpectedly, she did the FNA Biopsy today. YIKES! All I had heard was how painful this was. She offered to send me to the hospital, but I would have had to wait until Tuesday of next week. So, I decided to bite the bullet, endure whatever pain I must, and have it done today.

The biopsy wasn't too terribly bad. The lidocaine to numb my neck was like a bee sting, a bad one! She had the pass the needle through my neck 4 times to get adequate sampling, which was pretty good. They often have to do it 5-6 times to get enough cells to send to the lab. The third pass through was the most painful, but I managed to stay calm. I should have the results by next Wednesday.

Basically, Dr. Harris says my thyroid is functioning normally and that the low TSH was because of the contrast in my system from my previous CT. She feels there is a possibility of Hashimoto's, which will be confirmed by this biopsy. Of course, she is looking for malignancy.

If the biopsy comes back with no malignancy and no Hashi's, then I would have to decide whether or not I want to have my thyroid removed in order to alleviate the symptoms of neck pain, choking, hoarseness, and difficulty swallowing. She isn't very impressed with the size of my goiter, so she said there is a possibility that my thyroid isn't causing the problems I'm having. ????????? We have checked for everything else. I just can't imagine what else it could be. We know it's not reflux, allergies, or asthma. There are also no other growths in my neck that would be pushing against my esophagus. It's a mystery, and to be honest, I hope to get an answer. It's no fun going to the doctor, hoping that you will get an answer, only to face more uncertainty.

But for now, that's all we have...uncertainty. Hopefully on Tuesday, I will have an answer that will at least rule out cancer.

2 comments:

Jessica said...

I am not fond of going to the Dr. either. I went several years without seeing one until I thought that I had a kidney infection and discovered that I have Type 2 Diabetes. Now I have to go all the time. After hearing all that you are going through, I am thankful that I only have to deal with diabetes. Praying the results are good.....

Rachel Ellington said...

Sending prayers your way Rita. Hang in there. Enjoy Holy Week.