# Cold Nodule



## beaddiva (Jun 19, 2015)

I have posted a few times through this process of figuring out what is going on and also ensuring it is all connected. I suspect that the symptoms may all be connected. I never know how to talk about this story without going back to the beginning, because some of the actions they took to 'fix' my hormones just created more problems. Roller coaster to get to where I am and at least I trust my doctor now.

*Hyper?*

At least four years ago I was having hot flashes, night sweats, getting over heated, heart palpitations and a weird rash that would appear on my chest (usually around my cycle). I had assumed this was all peri-menopause or menopause but my cycles are pretty regular. All doctors blamed this on hormones.

*Birth Control*

So the doctors (OB and general) suggested I take Loestrin birth control. I did feel better in some ways when I started taking this, the hot flashes improved and the night sweats stopped. However, I started gaining weight immediately and was out of all my clothes within weeks. I had horrible water weight gain and I just felt like my skin was tight. I did have more energy but it was frustrating that the weight kept coming and no amount of exercise could stop it. I stayed on the BC for three months.

*Bio Identical Doctor*

So, I decided to go see a Bio Identical doctor because I just wasn't getting answers and I was not really feeling better on many levels. It was almost like I traded out symptoms. He had me get off the BC, then my hair was falling out and I had hoped the weight would just come off but no matter how much I worked out it wouldn't come off. In fact I kept gaining, slowly but it seemed like my body was continuing to try to gain weight. I think my working out was just slowing it down a little.

I saw the Bio Identical doctor for about a year and the price was crazy high and I really didn't feel that great. I still wasn't able to lose the weight I gained. I really just couldn't afford to keep going. Plus he changed up my thyroid medication one month and the price jumped from $40/month to $140/month. Plus, they kept doing different tests which made me suspicious.

He was giving me progesterone, T3, testosterone (but this scared me and I wasn't very faithful in using it) and vitamin D drops.

*Weight Training*

So I decided to eat as healthy as possible and hired a trainer. I did high intensity cardio weight lifting three times a week along with cardio on two other days for over a year. I did gain muscle, but it seemed like I just couldn't lose weight. It doesn't seem unreasonable to lose 1/2 - 1 lb per week and I couldn't even lose 1 lb a month. I continued this training for just over a year and I continue to work out still 4-6 times a week. Weight lifting three times a week and cardio 2-3 times a week. I swear my trainer thought I was coming home and eating pizza's every night.

*Endocrinologist*

Went to see the Endo doctor and told her I didn't feel well and she did all the tests but said everything was fine. I wasn't so sure but I really didn't know any more at this time. When I found the nodule, I went back to her again (about a year after the first time) and I didn't like her any more the second time around. She did a biopsy and on June 22 it came back benign. She was covered under my insurance but she was awful. She even did an ultrasound and then when I asked them to send it to the ENT doctor, their office called and asked me what office did the ultrasound. Do they not document things? She does have a 2 star.

*ENT Doctor*

The ENT doctor was pretty worthless too. I told him that I haven't been able to sleep on my left side for months and he said it was just because I knew the nodule was there. I also said I felt like it changes in size sometimes because it was more bothersome at some times than others. He assured me that was not correct. However, taking a low dose of armor now has made it feel less bothersome for sure. Not in my head.

*General Doctor*

This doctor is not very helpful, prescribed me Wellbutrin. I am not so sure this is what I needed. Plus when I told her about the weight gain, she just said "Well there is food everywhere." I said I really think there is something working against me here. My numbers were coming back hyper but not considered abnormal.

*Found Nodule on Left Thyroid*

Nodule was found in June 2015 and it is 3.2 x 2.5 x 1.5. The Endo I went to did the Biopsy but said it was benign and I was fine. Although I told her I could not breath very well and I was not able to sleep on my left side anymore. I asked her to run additional tests and she wouldn't respond. I also as my General who said to call the Endo. I asked my OB who said to call this same Endo. This Endo doctor was worthless.

*New Endocrinologist*

So in July I had an appointment with a new Endo doctor. It took me a month to get in and she had a 5 star rating and many comments said that they listen. She immediately sent me in for blood work and ruled out any autoimmune disease. She said my numbers were a bit more hyper (I will have to post these later). She sent me in for an Uptake and a thyroid scan. The scan came back showing I had a Cold nodule which increases the chance for cancer. So she wants me to get a second biopsy from a different pathologist to see if it comes back benign too.

My test results also indicated I was a low Insulin Resistant which she thinks was brought on by the birth control. This explained the weight gain and inability to lose weight. She gave me a low dose of metoformin to take once per day to try to get IR under control. Obviously this is concerning because that is pre-diabetes even though my blood sugar is not high.

She also gave me a l low dose of armor thyroid. I have been on this for two weeks. I do feel better than normal. My vision feels like it improved. The biggest difference I noticed is my throat doesn't bother me as much. It seems like I can almost sleep on left side where I couldn't at all for several months now. Makes me think it is less swollen. I do have more energy. I still get a bit winded, but I think I have been getting winded going upstairs for a while now.

I am also being good and not eating or drinking anything for an hour after taking thyroid meds and I wait for two hours to take my vitamins.

In June I had an episode where my chest hurt and that is how the nodule was discovered. During that time we ruled out any heart condition. So that is not the issue. I know Hyper and Hypo can cause all kinds of symptoms.

*2nd Biopsy*

I should have the second biopsy within the next two weeks and then we are going to discuss surgery options. Although I feel it is less bothersome now I am not so sure I can ignore this nodule, it is just a bit too large and seems to cause obstruction. Now that I am on armor I don't seem to feel like I have something stuck in my throat anymore. If this nodule were a bit smaller I think I could just wait on it.

Another thing I noticed is my chest stopped hurting. It was like my chest muscles and breasts were hurting all the time and I don't feel it so much now. It was like having PMS symptoms all the time. I do feel a few more symptoms coming on as a near my cycle. My stomach and digestion is a bit more irritated. Going up stairs can make me feel breathless, but as I mentioned this has been going on a while. However, I exercise regularly but I am unable to do the intensity, I would like to because it seems like it is easier to over do it. I am paying attention to my body.

I would really rather not have to have surgery, but I am not so sure I can avoid this option. My nodule is larger, has smooth edges, no calcification, but has blood inside. So she did say that the blood can make it hard to get a true reading because it makes it harder to get the cells. This is why she wants another test with another pathologist.

I am sure I left some things out but that is a summary that sums up all the steps. I am not sure if I am missing anything here and I don't feel worse for sure. I am not quite as tired as I normally feel.


----------



## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I'd love to see your lab results with reference ranges. And any antibody testing they did, too.

Generally, when you are talking about a nodule that large, it needs to come out, regardless of whether or not it is benign or malignant.


----------



## beaddiva (Jun 19, 2015)

Lab Results:


0.74 - TSH (range 0.4 - 4.50)
1.3 - T4, Free (range 0.8 - 1.8)
3.3 - T3, Free (range 2.3 - 4.2)
<1 - Thyroglobulin Antibodies (range < or = 1)
4 - Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (range <9)
6.2 - Insulin (she said it should be less than <4)
Nodule - Cold defect found in mid to interior left thyroid lobe region, further testing my correspond to thyroid nodule of concern. On biopsy came back benign, and she wants me to get a second one see if we get another benign result.

So, how it possible I feel better with a very low dose of armor thyroid medication?

I do have more energy than before. It is that my throat typically is really bothersome, like there is something in my throat. But since taking thyroid meds, it seems like my throat is less bothersome now than before. Almost like it is less swollen than it has been for some time. I still can't sleep on my left side, not really, but it doesn't seem to obstruct my breathing as much.

I probably will still have to get it removed, which I am not looking forward to doing.


----------

