I Decided Against Surgery

After the news I received from the doctor, I decided to learn more about thyroids. The thyroid is a complicated thing. It takes iodine, found in many foods, and converts it into thyroid hormones. Every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones for regulation of their metabolism. The thyroid also helps regulate your body temperature.

Since I was told that I should remove my thyroid due to possible cancer, I had to research more information. I found out that over 99% of nodules are not cancerous. When cancer is present, it almost always grows within a discrete nodule, and becomes more aggressive the older you are.

There are four types of thyroid cancer some of which are much more common than others.

1. Papillary and/or mixed papillary/follicular ~ 78%
2. Follicular and/or Hurthle cell ~ 17%
3. Medullary ~ 4%
4. Anaplastic ~ 1%

Thyroid cancer is still relatively uncommon and usually very curable.

Considering these facts and many other facts that I researched, I decided against surgery.

I went to my next doctors appointment and tried to talk with the doctor and said I would like to do a wait and see approach. I did not want to rush into surgery on inconclusive evidence, especially since I read a lot about the thyroid.

He said I waited long enough and that I really need to schedule an appointment for surgery as soon as possible. He only had surgery on his mind and I did not feel he was listening to what I was saying. I know he went to school to be a doctor and knows a lot more than I do, but I really felt strongly about not going through with the surgery.

I ended up making an appointment for surgery but I started thinking that I am being taken in a direction I didn't want to go, I didn't feel like I was listened to, and the doctor could not justify to me or make me understand why I needed surgery right away.

I called back to cancel my appointment and I started looking for another doctor to get a second opinion. This time, I was looking for a Thyroid Specialist.