# Am I imagining things?



## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

I have been told by one of my thyroid friends at support group on Friday that I have a goitre. I am still looking for closure regarding this as my GP has examined my neck and not felt one. Also my Endo did not examine my neck when I saw her at my first Endo appointment, which I thought was odd seeing as I have Hashi's.

Blood results first -

Nov 2011

TSH - 5.2 (0.27-4.2)
FT4 - 16.8 (12-22)

Jan 2012

TSH - 2.2 (0.27-4.2)
No FT4 as TSH normal

Jan 2013

Anti-TPO - 84,000 (<34)
TSH - 0.69 (0.27-4.2)
No FT4 as TSH normal

May 2013

TSH - 22 (0.27-4.2)
FT4 - 10.9 (12-22)
Thyroxine doses at 25mcg, 50mcg and then 75mcg

Aug 2013

TSH - 4 (0.27-4.2)
No FT4 as TSH normal
Thyroxine increased to 125mcg

Nov 2013

TSH - 4.3 (0.27-4.2)
FT4 - 15.3 (12-22)
FT3 - done privately as GP will not test for it - 5.5 (3.1-6.8)
Thyroxine increased to 150mcg

Dec 2013

Anti-TPO - 41,000 (<34)
TSH - 4.6 (0.27-4.2)
FT4 - 15.6 (12-22)
Thyroxine not increased

Jan 2014

TSH - 2.7 (0.27-4.2)
No FT4 as TSH normal

Ultrasound report on Feb 2012 -

Thyroid mildly enlarged and mildly vascular. However no abnormality of concern.

GP will not do another ultrasound and neither will Endo, which has made me feel like I'm imagining this terrible difficulty swallowing. Whenever the GP feels my neck for a goitre and says there isn't one it makes me feel like a hypochondriac and I am definitely sure that I am one.

Thanks for your help.

Jo xxx

(Picture attached)


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

You do have a goiter. See another doctor; preferably an ENT. Dang!


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

Andros said:


> You do have a goiter. See another doctor; preferably an ENT. Dang!


Hi, thanks for your reply. Just wanted closure, really.

I need to see an ENT? For a goitre? Doctors refused to believe I have a goitre and have never said I have one. I thought ENTs only dealt with choking/cancer. Is it now the case that this goitre could be cancer? I cannot feel any nodules and is quite even in symmetry.

Jo xxx


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I also believe you should see an ENT. When I look at your photo, I do not see symmetry. Look at your right-side collarbone (left side of the photo you posted); that area seems much larger to me than the other side. Do you see the same thing, or is it an "illusion" from the angle/photo?


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## Pskovmom (Jul 21, 2013)

According to my doctor, if you can feel your thyroid, you have a goiter. But not all goiters are cancerous. I would still see an ENT to be safe


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

Octavia said:


> I also believe you should see an ENT. When I look at your photo, I do not see symmetry. Look at your right-side collarbone (left side of the photo you posted); that area seems much larger to me than the other side. Do you see the same thing, or is it an "illusion" from the angle/photo?


Hi Octavia, thanks for your reply.

Yes, there is no symmetry. I spoke to a doctor at my practice about a possible swelling at the right side of my neck and she commented that I have very defined neck muscles.

With an ENT referral, what would they do? Would they stick a camera down my throat? Also, if I have elevated Anti-TPO antibodies, would this have anything to do with what's going on with my neck?

Thanks

Jo xxx


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

With your elevated Anti-TPO antibodies, your thyroid is under attack, which could lead to the swelling. But not to scare you or anything...just being realistic...my goiter turned out to be thyroid cancer. Very curable, very manageable, but cancer nonetheless. If the same may be true for you, you need to find out. If yours is more "general swelling" than a true "lump," then your odds may favor Hashi's, but still, you need to see a doctor who will take this seriously.

I doubt the ENT would stick a camera down your throat unless you are having voice problems. Instead, he/she will feel your neck, take a good look at things, and likely do a fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA). Basically, that means a few needle sticks to pull out some cells and look at them under a microscope to see what they might be.


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## madthyroid78 (Jan 28, 2014)

I told my ENT my throat was tight like i had lump in my throat and he used camera. Are you having any of those symptoms?



Octavia said:


> With your elevated Anti-TPO antibodies, your thyroid is under attack, which could lead to the swelling. But not to scare you or anything...just being realistic...my goiter turned out to be thyroid cancer. Very curable, very manageable, but cancer nonetheless. If the same may be true for you, you need to find out. If yours is more "general swelling" than a true "lump," then your odds may favor Hashi's, but still, you need to see a doctor who will take this seriously.
> 
> I doubt the ENT would stick a camera down your throat unless you are having voice problems. Instead, he/she will feel your neck, take a good look at things, and likely do a fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA). Basically, that means a few needle sticks to pull out some cells and look at them under a microscope to see what they might be.


I told my ENT about my tight throat and feeling of lump in throat and he used camera. ar u having any of those symptoms?


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

Octavia said:


> With your elevated Anti-TPO antibodies, your thyroid is under attack, which could lead to the swelling. But not to scare you or anything...just being realistic...my goiter turned out to be thyroid cancer. Very curable, very manageable, but cancer nonetheless. If the same may be true for you, you need to find out. If yours is more "general swelling" than a true "lump," then your odds may favor Hashi's, but still, you need to see a doctor who will take this seriously.
> 
> I doubt the ENT would stick a camera down your throat unless you are having voice problems. Instead, he/she will feel your neck, take a good look at things, and likely do a fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA). Basically, that means a few needle sticks to pull out some cells and look at them under a microscope to see what they might be.


Hi, thanks for your reply.

I spoke to a triage GP who said I have a slight "contour" at the side of the thyroid. Would this mean a nodule? He has said there's not a general swelling of the neck.

I do have a tight throat, feeling of lump in throat, difficulty swallowing and throat spasms when trying to eat, yes.

Jo xxx


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

My ENT did an ultrasound of mine (and later on, he did my surgery). Have you ever had an ultrasound done? That will show any nodules, swelling, etc.


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

jenny v said:


> My ENT did an ultrasound of mine (and later on, he did my surgery). Have you ever had an ultrasound done? That will show any nodules, swelling, etc.


Hi Jenny, thanks for your reply.

Long story.

I had an ultrasound done in 2012 - it showed the thyroid as mildly vascular and mildly enlarged. Apparently it did not seem to be much of a concern to anyone but this report was never discovered by any of my doctors. So it lay dormant for 2 years.
I spent all of that time going to and from the doctors asking for the feedback on this ultrasound report and when they failed to explain what it had found (which I had put down to them not receiving it) I left that practice and went to a different one.

So I managed to ask the receptionist at the hospital about this report - well, she got quite rude with me when I explained I had moved practices and had so much trouble but she still gave me a copy of the report.

Result: Endo will not do an ultrasound and neither will a doctor - even with this report now found. They have both said there is nothing to assume I have a nodule/lump but even though the triage doctor had noted there is "something there" I am too afraid to go back there and frustrate the doctor, only for them to say "Jo, there is nothing there. You have no goitre."

Jo xxx


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## Airmid (Apr 24, 2013)

Octavia said:


> I also believe you should see an ENT. When I look at your photo, I do not see symmetry. Look at your right-side collarbone (left side of the photo you posted); that area seems much larger to me than the other side. Do you see the same thing, or is it an "illusion" from the angle/photo?


I'm seeing the same thing.

My aunt got a goiter. They told her she could leave it in unless the appearance bothered her. They were supposed to be keeping tabs on it. In November, at her last Endo appointment he casually told her to get an X-ray in passing as she was leaving. Turns out her goiter has bent her trachea and is in her chest next to her aorta. It barely showed on the outside of her neck, you'd never know it was so huge by looking at her. She has to have a trauma surgeon remove it. Goiters can be problematic even if they aren't choking you.

You're thyroid care is up there with mine and I'm in the VA - so that's really saying something when you hit their level of care. Honestly your doctors should be embarrassed. You aren't imaging things but it can feel at times like you're losing your mind when trying to get help and met a wall of unobservant doctors who won't investigate things.


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## Jo853 (Aug 16, 2013)

Airmid said:


> I'm seeing the same thing.
> 
> My aunt got a goiter. They told her she could leave it in unless the appearance bothered her. They were supposed to be keeping tabs on it. In November, at her last Endo appointment he casually told her to get an X-ray in passing as she was leaving. Turns out her goiter has bent her trachea and is in her chest next to her aorta. It barely showed on the outside of her neck, you'd never know it was so huge by looking at her. She has to have a trauma surgeon remove it. Goiters can be problematic even if they aren't choking you.
> 
> You're thyroid care is up there with mine and I'm in the VA - so that's really saying something when you hit their level of care. Honestly your doctors should be embarrassed. You aren't imaging things but it can feel at times like you're losing your mind when trying to get help and met a wall of unobservant doctors who won't investigate things.


Hi, thanks for your reply.

My doctors aren't embarrassed at all unfortunately. I complained to them through the NHS and they would not accept that anything they did was wrong. They then blamed me for missing two appointments instead of them failing to diagnose me properly.

I am so glad there are people here now saying I have a goitre. Although it's barely noticeable I can now make out a small thyroid-shaped bump/lump higher up. Not sure if this is anything at all.

Jo xxx


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## Airmid (Apr 24, 2013)

Your doctors sound like mine. When I petitioned a senator's office to help me with the VA the VA used to appointments they never notified me that I had against me, instead of, you know, actually doing their jobs.

I am glad that something's being done at least. When you start noticing lumps and that your neck isn't symmetrical it's time to be checked out. Like I said, even if it's "just a goiter" that doesn't mean those can't cause issues all their own and should be monitored.


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