Sorry to hear you are dealing with this. If it's any consolation, thyroid nodules are extremely common and the vast majority are benign. Only about 5% are cancerous.

And even in the worst case scenario, well, they say that if you HAD to have cancer, thyroid cancer would be the one to choose. Obviously, in reality, nobody would choose ANY cancer, but it's rarely life-threatening and removing the thyroid usually cures it, so no ongoing treatment.

Know how you feel! I'm back at the hospital tomorrow for FNA results. The waiting has been unbearable. Hope you don't have too much longer to wait.

Thankyou so much for getting back to me, im just so worried, every time my phone rings my heart sinks thinking its for my results, iv heard a few horror stories about thyroid removal, some say you have no voice after

Thank you. I'm dreading going. My appointment is late this afternoon, so all day of waiting and thinking about it. At the FNA, the dr said there were suspicious looking nodules and enlarged lymph nodes, so I've convinced myself it'll be bad news. Fingers crossed you have your results come through quickly x

Well, that's not true about having no voice afterwards. I was talking fine the day after my operation. Yes, my voice was a bit weak for a couple of months afterwards but not in a way that would affect one in normal life. It was really only noticeable when teaching and saying trying to call across the yard when on yard duty or like I'd start coughing after speaking for 40 minutes in class.

I think there are a small number of cases where the vocal cords get damaged - I remember them testing mine the morning after my operation - bur I think that's a pretty small minority. But of course, the cases where things go wrong are the ones most likely to get attention.

I hope it's ok to ask, but did you have full thyroid removal? Or half of it? And treatment afterwards? I've had to have a CT scan too, so I'm worrying that means it's not just in the thyroid but has gone into the lymph nodes. It's so odd, I've had zero symptoms and found the lump by chance. Feeling stressed and nervous about what I'll be told later.

Yes, I had the full thyroid removed, along with something like 57 lymph nodes (cancer in 8 of them).

If by treatment afterwards, you mean radio-iodine treatment, then yes, but that is only a matter of taking a capsule really. It isn't ongoing treatment and doesn't make you weak or sick or anything. It's annoying because you have to be in isolation for a few days afterwards but otherwise, it's just swallowing a capsule and going about your life.

It is common for papillary thyroid cancer to go into the lymph nodes and that doesn't really make much difference to the prognosis. It does make the operation a bit more involved and meant I was in hospital for nearly a week after the operation instead of just overnight.

Thyroid cancer doesn't usually cause any symptoms. It's common for it to be found my chance. Mine was found when I went to my GP about a completely different issue and he said, "has that nodule on your thyroid ever been checked out?" I'd also guess they'd do a CT scan in all cases, especially as spread to the lymph nodes is fairly common. I wouldn't think it necessarily means they have any particular reason to think you have cancer in the lymph nodes. I'd guess it's just standard.

Hi ya, how did your appointment go ? Iv been keeping my fingers crossed all day for you xx

Thankyou for your reply thats put my mind at ease a bit x