Fine Needle Biopsy
As most of you know from reading I was waiting to go get a fine needle biopsy done! I got what they call an afirma test done. The AFRIMA test is 96 % accurate on the cancer screening. Along with the Afrima test they took 5 passes at my mass from different spots, they also remeasured this thing and its grown a bit from 3.56 to 3.61 CM. Hello golfball! The worry hasn't left because there are so many unknowns right now, peoples words of kindness have be so appreciated.
After the biopsy was done on Friday and I got to rest the entire weekend because they didn't want a hematoma to form in my neck. I was very sore and swallowing was god awful the first day. The biopsy itself was really just pressure in my neck but the odd feeling of being repeatedly poked to grab cells kinda like a sewing needle every pass was 15 seconds long and after the 2nd one I wasn't a happy camper and wasn't fully numb yet they used extra lidocaine on me. LOL Red Heads generally resist any sort of local numbing medications.
I should have results by Wednesday when I go back to see the surgeon to follow up with the findings unless they call me sooner!
Questions Ive Been Asked
Why can't they just take it out? Well they need to know exactly what they are dealing with first there are somethings that respond better to surgery and so fourth than others. Sometimes treatments (radio active iodine, chemo and radiation) are better than a partial or whole removal of your thyroid. Sometimes you need more than just partial or whole removal plus another treatment of sorts.
How is the recovery process of the surgery? Technically its 3 weeks plus staying possibly 2 nights in the hospital to make sure my bodies calcium levels are normal. Rather extensive serious surgery, though surgeons do them this type of surgery is very tricky theres a lot of things in your neck that they have to avoid hitting during this surgery. This is why there have been so many tests.
Are you HYPO or HYPER thyroidsim? Right now Im neither, right now my thyroid is functioning normally. After surgery if that is the route we go they will monitor my levels for me and then we will go from there.
How do these occur? Great question this is why they call is the practice of medicine because sometimes there isn't a reason for this to happen they just do. The easiest way to explain it is there is a excess of a collection of cells that has formed a mass, most people have them but they are so slow growing they never really pay much attention to them.
Can the ultra sound help detect a malignant mass? NO. This type of thing has several baffled, but the screen in the ultra sound room shows BLOOD FLOWS, ECHOES, SIZE and DENSITY. This helps determine what type of mass or nodule were working with regards to its nature not if its benign or malignant. Mostly because every nodule can have similarities and differences and not be cancerous! Right now because my nodule has so many characteristics its really a wait and see game.
TEST RESULTS
My test came back NON CANCEROUS we can all breathe a little better here now! I will be having surgery in September to remove the mass! No more restrictions of any sorts back to the daily routines! But first Im gonna sleep and eat lots today since my appetite is finally back! thank you again for all the kind words!
After the biopsy was done on Friday and I got to rest the entire weekend because they didn't want a hematoma to form in my neck. I was very sore and swallowing was god awful the first day. The biopsy itself was really just pressure in my neck but the odd feeling of being repeatedly poked to grab cells kinda like a sewing needle every pass was 15 seconds long and after the 2nd one I wasn't a happy camper and wasn't fully numb yet they used extra lidocaine on me. LOL Red Heads generally resist any sort of local numbing medications.
I should have results by Wednesday when I go back to see the surgeon to follow up with the findings unless they call me sooner!
Questions Ive Been Asked
Why can't they just take it out? Well they need to know exactly what they are dealing with first there are somethings that respond better to surgery and so fourth than others. Sometimes treatments (radio active iodine, chemo and radiation) are better than a partial or whole removal of your thyroid. Sometimes you need more than just partial or whole removal plus another treatment of sorts.
How is the recovery process of the surgery? Technically its 3 weeks plus staying possibly 2 nights in the hospital to make sure my bodies calcium levels are normal. Rather extensive serious surgery, though surgeons do them this type of surgery is very tricky theres a lot of things in your neck that they have to avoid hitting during this surgery. This is why there have been so many tests.
Are you HYPO or HYPER thyroidsim? Right now Im neither, right now my thyroid is functioning normally. After surgery if that is the route we go they will monitor my levels for me and then we will go from there.
How do these occur? Great question this is why they call is the practice of medicine because sometimes there isn't a reason for this to happen they just do. The easiest way to explain it is there is a excess of a collection of cells that has formed a mass, most people have them but they are so slow growing they never really pay much attention to them.
Can the ultra sound help detect a malignant mass? NO. This type of thing has several baffled, but the screen in the ultra sound room shows BLOOD FLOWS, ECHOES, SIZE and DENSITY. This helps determine what type of mass or nodule were working with regards to its nature not if its benign or malignant. Mostly because every nodule can have similarities and differences and not be cancerous! Right now because my nodule has so many characteristics its really a wait and see game.
TEST RESULTS
My test came back NON CANCEROUS we can all breathe a little better here now! I will be having surgery in September to remove the mass! No more restrictions of any sorts back to the daily routines! But first Im gonna sleep and eat lots today since my appetite is finally back! thank you again for all the kind words!
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