medical question

[Janice]

At my exam the other day, doc checked me from head to toe, starting with my head & neck.

He said the right side of my thyroid was enlarged and I should get it checked by an internest.

Does anyone know what the thyroid is and what it actually does? and what an enlarged thryoid means?

I'm clueless.

Thanks!

[Reg]

Hi Janice,

This might help.

Medical Information Fact Sheet

Thyroid Gland:

The thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped gland located at the base of the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. The thyroid gland weighs less than an ounce but has an enormous impact on a person’s health. Every aspect of metabolism from heart rate to how quickly calories are burned is regulated by thyroid hormones.................

http://www.rivcoph.org/phn/v1i16.htm

[mary]

Hey, Janice,

An enlarged thyroid (or a part of one) is not uncommon. An endocrinologist would be the specialist (within the field of internal medicine) to see about that. There would be more reason for alarm - but not much - if your thyroid were palpated and they found hard nodules on it that they couldn't ascribe to another cause, or an irregular enlargement or whatever. Screening for the initial manifestations of thyroid abnormalities involves mere blood tests that take only hours to complete.

Treatment of thyroid problems now has become very sophisticated and generally simple. You could check things out with an endocrinologist and still attend to the cervical CA problem without putting a glitch in that; that's your more important deal now, anyway...

Well, you didn't need this on top of everything else. Four years ago, I was in the hospital undergoing investigation for possible ovarian cancer and they found some thyroid abnormalities in some of the initial blood tests. Turned out both were "non-starters."

Praying for you -- that these "medical news flashes" from your docs would stop coming in buckets... Some of these doctors need to get a life, I mean it! :)

Love,

mary

[Janice]

Doc says its a "goiter". Mt pet scan has been changed from Wed to Thurs. and he said that scan will show if it's more cancer or not.

I also have to have an "uptake & scan" test on my thyroid (whatever that is).

I was 180 lbs. the last time I went to this doc back in Dec. I was 157 today.

This doc didn't seemed too concerend about it. It doesn't stick out that much. I never even noticed it until my oncologist noticed it. Like I sid in an earlier post, I've had some pain there but thoght it was from the meat slicer at work.

I've been very 'crampy" the last couple of days, and my bleeding has gotten a bit heavier.

Thanks ALL for your prayers and PLEASE keep them comming!
__________________

[Jo Jo]

My thyroid gland doesn't work very well, so I'm on thyroid medicine. If I don't take my medicine I'm tired and cold and my hair falls out... those are the external signs. I also get heart palpitations, that's one way I can tell. I also gain weight. eeeee When my medicine gets too high I get kind of agitated/anxious and I can loose weight. That's when I can tell somethings up in the opposite direction.

Thyroid problems can affect all your internal organs from working properly. A lump like that on your thyroid does sound like a goiter and can usually easily be removed. I had a friend who had one and had it removed. She's just fine now.

I hope some of this info helps Janice and I will pray for you.

[hornblower]

At my exam the other day, doc checked me from head to toe, starting with my head & neck.

He said the right side of my thyroid was enlarged and I should get it checked by an internest.

Does anyone know what the thyroid is and what it actually does? and what an enlarged thryoid means?

I'm clueless.

Thanks!

this is all i know my mother had it and she had it operated on......she was fine after that.......... so did my grandmother. it can affect weight and things like that. it has something to do with hormonal type things i think it does that may not be right. let us know what u find out

[hornblower]

Praying for you -- that these "medical news flashes" from your docs would stop coming in buckets... Some of these doctors need to get a life, I mean it! :)

Love,

mary


amen mary enough is enough already hear that lord god

[Satscout]

Doc says its a "goiter". Mt pet scan has been changed from Wed to Thurs. and he said that scan will show if it's more cancer or not.

I also have to have an "uptake & scan" test on my thyroid (whatever that is).
The uptake and scan is a nuclear medicine test. They inject an isotope of iodine (at our facility usually I-123) and take pictures. The more active areas of the thyroid will show "hot spots" on the images. (Conversely, places with less activity will show "cold spots".) The uptake part of the test gives a quantitative measure of how much iodine the thyroid takes up (at our facility, uptake is measured at six and 24 hours after injection). The more iodine the gland takes up, the more active it is.

If your scan shows discrete hot/cold spots and/or the uptake is high, they may do a follow up ultrasound. Between the ultrasound and the NM study, they can figure out where the trouble lies.

[Janice]

The uptake and scan is a nuclear medicine test. They inject an isotope of iodine (at our facility usually I-123) and take pictures. The more active areas of the thyroid will show "hot spots" on the images. (Conversely, places with less activity will show "cold spots".) The uptake part of the test gives a quantitative measure of how much iodine the thyroid takes up (at our facility, uptake is measured at six and 24 hours after injection). The more iodine the gland takes up, the more active it is.

If your scan shows discrete hot/cold spots and/or the uptake is high, they may do a follow up ultrasound. Between the ultrasound and the NM study, they can figure out where the trouble lies.


You're just a walking medical book Sharon! Thanks so much for the info. :D