The News

About a week ago, I received an email from my doctor stating that she wants to set me up for a surgery consult. GULP. I've never had a surgery consult, but I think that means that I'm pretty much going to have surgery.

Let me back up a little. When I first noticed My Goiter, I had an ultrasound along with the typical blood test for hormone levels. It was noted that I had several "nodules" in my thyroid, and one in particular that was 2.8cm. Of course, this raised a certain amount of concern and a fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) was performed. While the results of the biopsy did not show cancer, my doctor explained that nodules larger than 3cm tend to have a higher risk of occult cancer that may be missed on a FNA.

I was diagnosed as hypothyroid and began taking Levothroid. We hoped (my doctor and I) that once my hormones leveled out, that my thyroid would stop working so hard and that my thyroid and my nodules would shrink. They didn't, they grew.

My nodule is now 3.2cm and my doctor wants to send me in for a consultation with the surgeon. I know that the surgery is ultimately up to me, but I place a certain amount of trust in my endocrinologist (after all, she was the one that finally believed in my symptoms and didn't brush me off because my hormone levels were in the "normal" range).

My consultation is scheduled for September 24th, and for the past week, I have read everything I can find on thyroidectomies....the risks, the side effects, the recovery, the emotional impact. I have to say, the Internet can be a scary place sometimes. I have come to the conclusion that people reach out when they are scared and hurting, trying to find comfort (yes, that's what I did), so most of the stories are the scary, bad experiences. Few people turn to support forums when things are going well for them.

So needless to say, I am terrified. I have a list of questions a mile long for the surgeon. I have a HUGE decision looming in front of me and I am fighting the impulse to make that decision before I even have the consultation.

11 more days.....it seems like forever.