Hi Sassygirl and welcome to the forum.

Hopefully others who have experienced similar after their FNA's will get back to you soon but I just wanted to share some information I've found online on how to cope with waiting for news. As you say it does seem to be the worst part of the process but I hope this helps and that you get good results.

All the best,

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hello, 

I  am sorry to hear that you have to go through it.

It sounds like my story last Oct-Nov. Only I freaked out when they offered FNA at ultrasound session and had to go back 3 weeks later. I was waiting for 4 weeks for results and finished up chasing hospital. In the end the doctor called saying it was benign lesion.

It is very likely your sore ear is related to the test. I periodically get it, as well as jaw ache, that's how nodules ache apparently.

My second biopsy was last month (just over 6 months later after first). I noticed the lump became larger and started to hurt more. The doctor called 3 days later saying there were some changes in cells and from thy2 it became thy3 which means they don't know what it is and need to take it out. 

So if they haven't called you yet, you are more likely to be in clear. Try not to worry too much. With anything suspicious they are really quickly to get in touch (at least after FNA. I experienced both variants now). 

I hope it helps and wishing best of health

Maryna

Hello Maryna 

Thanks for taking the time to reply. 

They advised 7-10 days after biopsy for results and I've got an appointment tomorrow which has worked out in line with that they said, hopefully it won't be anything to worry about.  

My sore ear lasted a few days but it's settled down now although when prodded, it does still hurt a little. 

I did get a lump like feeling in my throat that I couldn't clear either but this has also now settled down.

Hopefully the results will bring some positive news tomorrow. 

Good Luck with your thyroid removal, if you haven't already had it. 

Good luck, I hope all goes well

Hello 

I have had the results, I was told it wasn't cancerous and now I have two options, either leave it and monitor or have it removed?  

I think I might just have it removed to put my mind at ease otherwise i'll just be worrying about it all the time and I think it'll drive me mad! 

What do you think?

Thanks. 

Hello, I am glad to hear you are ok and it's not cancerous!

How large is it? Is it interfering with your life?

I wasn't planning to touch mine.  Hormones seemed ok and life is too busy to take sick leaves, plus there is higher chance of thyroid going underactive. So i was just planning to observe it and have another test 6 months later.

But looks like fate decided differently. I have relatively large nodule- 7x4.3cm in november, and it is a painful one. I had earache, squeezing feeling and jawache,  and still wasn't up for removal.  When I noticed it becoming larger ( pretty much 6 months later), I called the doctor. 

By the time my biopsy arrived 2 weeks later, the lymphnode on the neck popped up. It wasn't large, but it is on the side where the lump is. Sonographer didn't think much of it.

The doctor told me it needs to be gone within a month because of changes in cells and size(7x5cm now) He said benign nodules can stay with you for years and never evolve, but mine didn't.  

My operation is on monday and I am freaking out a bit. Not as much of operation itself,  but of what they may find.  The lymphnode became larger and more swallen and now quite sore. I am constantly having sensations in the area, either earache, or pressure or some needle-like feeling.  It is bearable of cause, but I really need to have it gone, as it started to misbehave. 

If your lump bothers you too much in physical or emotional way and you are not bothered about side effects,  get it gone.

Side effects from operation aren't great. The doctor warned me about vocal cord nerve damage (possible lost of voice), bleeding, which will result in tracheoctomy or damage to para thyroid glands which are close by - then your body will not absorb calcuim, and more chance for underactive thyroid in the future. Some of these are very rare, of cause, but still...if I still had thy2, I wouldn't operate I don't think.

I had test for covid 19 today - a must at the moment, and pray I am not a symptom-less carrier of the virus, so operation goes as planned.

I'm so glad I found this thread..

Hope you don't mind me jumping in.

I've had a swollen neck for about a year to the point where people notice and it aches like hell with pain in my ear, recently it's also moved to the other side, it really bothers me as it makes me feel like I'm coming down with something, but never do, which is fine for a few days but everyday it gets tiring. 
I saw my doctor last year and had a scan and was told my lymph node was enlarged and to come back in six weeks, went back and still enlarged but looks normal shape so come back if you feel thing getting worse, then covid hit and never went back. Thankfully I have private insurance with work so when they were able to see people made an appointment with ENT, had a camera up my nose, he noticed a tonsil and grow back in my left side and because I have auto immune diseases and immunosuppressant drugs his thoughts were that I'm getting a long occurring tonsillitis, even though I never have a sore throat, he wanted to rule out lymphoma so booked a scan and possible FNA. 
so I've had the scan the lymph nodes I'm told look ok but found multiple thyroid lesions 3 of which looked black on the scan and therefore needed to have a biopsy. That was on Thursday and now have to wait for results. I'm now freaking out it's thyroid cancer, my face is so swollen and my ears hurt both sides. The FNA defo hurt my earring the left as he was doing it I had shooting pains going in to my ear, it seemed to of settled a little.. 

I just can't handle this swelling and pain everyday, hoping to have answers soon. X

I am very sorry to hear that they give you so much pain, and all the worry on top. Covid doesn't make it easier, but at least you have private insurance which would help to deal with it really quickly. 

I did a research on ultrasound images for thyroid, what means what, and how they determine what is suspicious and what not. 

From what I've understood, it is white areas you need to be afraid of, as they are calcifications and are warning sign. Black often means fluid, so your nodules can be cyctic. They are less likely to be bad. Also clear edges around it with the thin line (called halo) also is a sign of non cancerous lumps. Different textures within nodules need to be investigated too.

It is hard to say, I wish they were giving print outs. I became crossed eyed trying to stare on the screen when they did mine, which did have halo border, was a prolonged shape (another indication of good ), didn't have white bits. It was mostly grey and had some weird lumpiness I thought, in the place which sticks out the most on my neck and where they stuck the needle to. But I have only one, with multiple ones it's more possibilities for all sorts I guess.. 

It sounds like most likely they will remove yours, even if they are not cancerous, as they are painful and give you lots of grief. Are they in one side of thyroid or both?

I hope all goes well for you. Please let us know how it went. 

Best of Health

Maryna

PS sonographer told me, the larger the nodule, the more pain you get. Sounds like you have quite a lump, hense the sensations. I know it is hard not to think the worst, but everyone says, cancer usually doesn't hurt. Fingers crossed