My Newest Medical Adventure

So last Wednesday I felt like I had a pill stuck in my throat. I figured I just swallowed wrong and it would eventually go away. Well, by Friday it was still there so I called and made an appointment with my family doctor which was set for Tuesday. I almost canceled it on Monday but decided to keep it anyway. I went in on Tuesday and the doctor asked me some questions and felt my throat. He gave me a referral to an ENT (Ear Nose and Throat) doctor, some neck and chest x-rays and a neck and thyroid ultrasound. He wanted me to make sure I saw the ENT within a week. Since the diagnostics place was downstairs I figured I would get the x-rays done then and schedule the US. It just so happened that the US appointment that was scheduled right then hadn't followed orders and was in the lobby drinking all her water so they took me back right away for that. I got everything taken care of and went off to work.

I should say here that whenever I have the opportunity I always have any lab results faxed to my work too since I can have my boss read them so I don't have to wait a week to hear from the ordering physician. I was very surprised to find that the results were there when I sat down at my desk. I printed them out and the x-rays came back clear aside from the problems I already knew about. The ultrasound was another story. It said that I have a 7 mm nodule on the right superior lobe on the pole side (meaning my esophagus) of my thyroid. I called and set an appointment with the ENT for the next Tuesday and talked to a couple people about it and did a little research on the internet. The long and short of it is that it could by Hashimoto's disease and/or hypothyroidism, some random growth, or cancer. Either way I'm rather calm about it. It is what it is and I just need to get it taken care of. It sounds like, from the research, since it is effecting my swallowing I will probably need to have surgery to at least remove the growth. Worst case scenario I have thyroid cancer, they take it out and I take pills for the rest of my life. It's not "no big deal" but I'm not freaking out about it. Just being diligent about getting to the bottom of it.

This morning the ENT office called me and said that the doctor's schedule had opened up for Saturday and that I could come in at 8 am. The interesting thing is that their website says that Saturday and Sunday are by appointment only. I don't know if it is special for me or if she has someone else coming in that day but either way I will know more of what is going on 3 days earlier than before. I have been thinking about the things that thyroid problems can cause. One of them is fatigue. I have been really tired but I figured that was just par for the course with working and going to school full-time. I also have had funny things with my voice and throat but I chalked that up to allergies. It's funny how much the thyroid can effect. Anyway, I will be sure to keep everyone updated on what is going on.