at least I know

The biopsy was positive. At least now I know. The next stage is waiting for my doctors to confer so we can come up with a concensus for the next steps. The nodes will have to come out, but whether or not I get some type of scan first and then whether I'll have to get redosed with I-131 afterwards are the questions. Being one myself, I know it can take a while to get 2 doctors on the phone at the same time, especially when one is a surgeon. Oh, well, like I said, at least I know the biopsy result. The rest is easier to wait for.......

Waiting.....again

Had the u/s directed needle biopsy of nodes in my neck yesterday. The procedure really wasn't bad at all. He numbed the area with lidocaine which stung just a bit. After that, all I really felt was pressure of the ultrasound transducer and from the needle when he biopsied. He did three separate passes and I could only tell he stuck me from a little pressure. I'd read accounts of it being pretty painful, so I was relieved.
Now I just have to wait for the results which will probably take about a week.

Not the News I was hoping for...

Last week I mentioned an upcoming ultrasound of my neck. Unfortunately there were a couple suspicious nodes, that if positive, suggest persistent disease. The endocrinologist seemed pretty certain that those nodes are likely the source of my elevated thyroglobulin (TG) , a level that should be heading down toward zero if the surgery and radioactive iodide were successful. The next step is therefore having a needle biopsy (FNAB = fine needle aspiration biopsy ) to get a sample and test to see if any cancer in it. If it's positive, there will be more surgery in my future. If negative, I guess I'll be having some kind of scan to see where else the source might be hiding.

I feel almost like I'm starting all over again. It was July last year that I had the first surgery, an open biopsy, that diagnosed the cancer in the first place. I never saw the movie Groundhog Day, but I'm feeling like a Groundhog Year. I'm hoping for better outcome the second time around.

Wednesday is the needle biopsy, then I'm sure it will be a couple more days before the pathology is back. Time is moving really slowly right now.