Got th me dreaded call today they confirmed it's thyroid cancer and said my consultant at ent dosent specialise in this and they will get me urgently to another team who will be in touch that's as much as I was told I have so many questions so I'm hoping it's all quick x 

Sorry to hear you got the news you don't want. Please feel free to message me or ask me here if there is anything I can help you with.

I will say I got diagnosed November 2019, had my operation early January 2020 and was back at work at the start of February. Went into work the day after I got diagnosed, met the principal in the entrance and asked to speak to her privately. I...doubt she was expecting the information she got.

Just in case it's something you're thinking about, I will add that I only told a very small number of people (my mum, my brother and sister, the principal, the head of my department and one other teacher who is best friends with the head of my department) that it was cancer. Oh, I actually told the deputy principal last September, but I'm pretty sure he knew already; either the principal told him or he guessed from being privy to some of the discussions that implied there was more going on (like the principal asked me in front of him if I was OK to work during covid). Everybody else - the rest of my colleagues and my friends - I just told I had a lump on my thyroid that could cause problems if it pressed on anything, so the doctors had recommended it be removed or just that I needed my thyroid removed. Just in case you are worried about informing people you have cancer, thyroids are removed for lots of things, so it doesn't really raise too many questions. That is if you don't want to tell people.

Oh no nicola,you must be so worried.Im so sorry.I hope you get your treatment soon.We are always here if you need a chat anytime.Scared to hell about mine but too.Take comfort in the fact there are alot of treatments now,please keep in touch hun.x

Thank you chatting to you about your experience has really helped me this week I was prepared more for that today I was more suprised that ENT said don't specialise in thyroid cancer I don't know if mabye just the one consultant so I'm now wondering where I am going to now and didn't even ask about the lymph nodes where the lump is I'm wondering if that means it's there too he said was more than one at the scan but nothing was mentioned to me on the call just I had thyroid cancer they don't specialise in it and someone from a team what does will be in touch I'm not sure how soon the wait is I have never actually seen anyone face to face since this began except at the ultrasound at a diff hospital but chatting on here is really keeping me postive x 

Bless you stay in touch hun,let me know how you get on.Im going away next week but still have Internet etc.x

I will do thank you have the best time and try to relax and not worry x 

Thanks hun.I don't know if it helps at all but a maxiofacial team have been dealing with all mine.I imagine if you need surgery maybe still ent or thyroid clinic.I wishing you all the best will be thinking of you.

They often can't tell if it's in the lymph nodes or not until they do the operation. A thyroid biopsy won't say anything about that. I got called for a lymph node biopsy, completely out of the blue - I was not told this was necessary at all and ended up calling the doctor to find out what it was they were biopsying. That came up negative - no cancer - but they took out about 57 lymph nodes anyway and found cancer in 8 of them.

I was praying not to get the results of that biopsy, as I'd been told it wouldn't be conclusive and was worried either about them saying it looked suspicious and then being more nervous about the operation when it might turn out to be nothing or them finding nothing, as happened, but the doctory deciding it looked suspicious during the procedure.

It doesn't matter all that much anyway. As far as I can tell, spread to the lymph nodes increases the chance of reccurance, but makes no particular different to the survival or cure rate. And like the odds are still against reccurance even if it has spread to the lymph nodes. It just means they might do radioiodine treatment and the recovery time from the operation will be longer. Like I said, I was four weeks off work, whereas it would have been less if it was only my thyroid removed.

I am surprised too that they don't do thyroid cancer. I guess it depends on specialisation and all.

I think they did a biopsy on the lymph nodes he went in where the lump is at side of neck then went in to the front to my thyroid I stupidly didn't even think to ask today I felt more like the call was more them telling me and telling me would pass to someone who specialises mabye I should of asked these things I was choked up I couldn't really speak. I will need to think straight and ask these questions whoever I will be dealing with next . Yeah I was confused when she said he didn't specialise in this considering I started at ENT. Thanks for the reassurance again it's good to Speak to someone who knows exactly what to expect do you mind me asking when you got diasnosed how long will surgery etc x