Questions about upcoming FNA

Thyroid Nodules were found accidentally during a cervical MRI that my Pain Specialist wanted done when I started having severe neck & shoulder pain. The only previous MRI that had been done was over 5 years old, and no Nodules were present on it.

My questions are based, mainly, on my reading several Thyroid Nodule articles out of nervous curiosity when a FNA was scheduled for this coming Thursday after their discovery on the MRI.

Just in the past 5 years, I have had several of the …many… symptoms seemingly related to what can/may be the cause of, or the results of Thyroid Nodules. I’d like to also add- most, if not all, of these symptoms can be linked simply to getting older- which just leads to more confusion on my part.

Most recently, within the last 6 months, I have had bothersome enough that I have mentioned it both to my Pain Specialist (Degenerative Disc Disease) and my GP:

1. Ringing ears- which is Very Bothersome. I often have to ask people to repeat themselves, and the TV is kept on basically “blow out” which gets very irritating even to me!

2. Severe Constipation. This I mentioned to my “back doctor” because of the # of pain med’s that I take- I just assumed that they were causing it. I take Miralax several times a week, drink Lots of water, plenty of fiber, everything that I know of to “help” with this, but nothing really seems to help.

3. Insomnia- this I also just “wrote off” because of the number of pain med’s that I’m taking.

4. Tingling/numbness in feet & hands, especially pinky finger and “baby” toe. I kind of wrote this off due to bad disc’s in my back.

5. What feels like maybe sinus drainage Constantly in the back of my throat- because of the time of year (Alabama, rural area) I just assumed my sinuses were acting up- Benadryl doesn’t help, and seems to only add to the-

6. Extreme fatigue, all the time regardless of whether I’ve slept well or not.

7. While I think that my diet has stayed pretty much the same, if not improved, in the past 6 months, I have gained probably 20 pounds, and twice tested my cholesterol has gone Up in both tests. My vitamin D was low enough that prescription was written for 1 a week for 8 weeks, and for whatever reason, it was noted that my Red Corpuscles were larger than normal.

8. I have a seemingly “sensitive to temperature” metabolism now… it seems as if I am on the verge of sweating all the time. Once I Do get hot- I’m miserable.

9. I am very, very forgetful now, and can rightly describe it as a “foggy brain” most of the time. Forgetting words in the midst of a conversation- both the ones I’m trying to say, and less common- understanding what I’m being told. The date- I’m always forgetting what day it is, and have forgotten several appointments lately.

10. My eyes- vision has gotten worse, top of my eyelids have swollen to the point that you can’t really see the bottom half, eyes stay dry & itchy, and I stare a Lot.

None of the above are strictly Thyroid related, I know that- I’m 51 years old, maybe it’s all just symptomatic of menopause.

During the FNA, or at the Dr’s appointment following, what questions should _ I_ ask, what questions should I be prepared to answer, and any other insights, advice, or experience anyone might be willing to offer me is greatly appreciated!

Thanks & I hope this isn’t confusing or to badly written for anyone to understand!
Tanya

Thanks for your reply!

No, there have been no blood tests as of yet.
I'm sitting here drinking my first cup of coffee (10.45am geeesh am I lazy or what...) about to call my GP. I have several questions that I'd like answered prior to tomorrow's appointment.

My GP has a lab in his office which opens at 7am. I'm wondering if I can go by on the way to the FNA and have blood work drawn.

I also want to make sure that my Pain Specialist sent the MRI findings (the thyroid nodules) to him, and that the FNA findings will be sent to him as well.

Everything I've read talks about using an Endocrinologist for this, and if I need one, I'd like him to point me towards one.

I can't remember where I read the original article, but it pointed me to a site about Hashimoto's, which pretty much read like a 6 month to 1 year personal Diary of mine!

My confusion came when trying to decipher if Hashi's caused Thyroid Nodules, or if Thyroid Nodules caused Hashi's.... the chicken or the egg kind of thing.

I do know that I have something that I can't really pronounce, that causes scar tissue to just overgrow- keyloids or something like that. They wouldn't take my tonsils out as a child for fear of the scar tissue choking me. I had to have a mole cut off just below my ear when I was 12- the scar is bigger than the mole was! The 3 tiny scars from having my gall bladder out- are hard, prominent and Very Visible even after about 8 years.

My Grandmother had a Goiter- I remember the scar. My brother has developed/been diagnosed with some form of MS, my sister suddenly has almost gone bald... it looks to me as if Thyroid problems are running rampant. *shrug* who knows...

Quite frankly, I'm just hoping that I'll know Something about what's going on soon. One minute I'm convinced it's nothing, the next I'm convinced it's the "silent killer" and I'm on the brink...
It doesn't make for a very nice day to say the least!

Tanya

Yeah, it sounds to me like you definitely need a series of blood tests done. Definitely the one for Hashimoto's.
I have read that having family members who have other auto immune diseases, MS is one, could be a higher risk factor for you having one yourself.
Also the fact that your grandmother had a goiter....well, it's all looking very possible I'd say.
Good luck. It's always a slow process, which sucks.

Don't panic too much about the nodules. They are SO very common and the majority are benign.