thyroid mass

I went to the ER last February. Very early in the morning. It was a rare slow day at the hospital, so they gave me every test my insurance would pay for. About $38,000 worth in all. I had a broken neck, so that was front and center. When I was discharged, I noted it said I had a 2.5cm mass on my thyroid and I needed to follow up with my PCP. The doctors at the hospital never mentioned it to me. It sounded serious. My father in law recently passed from thyroid cancer. The CT and MRIs I had revealed the mass. None the less, I had to have an ultra sound of the thyroid. The results were posted to my on line medical chart. (2.5cm mass on thyroid). Then I got a consult to Ear Nose Throat specialists. The PA there asked if he could touch my neck. I said sure. He asked me to swallow. I did. Then he said I was finished and I could schedule a biopsy on my way out the door. He wrote on my chart that he informed me I had a 2.5cm mass, which I was unaware of. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. He just wanted to add the consult to the cost of the biopsy. I researched it and decided not to have the biopsy. 50% of people over 50 years of age have a mass on their thyroid. If it is 1-1.6 cm, you have a 5% chance of malignancy. If it is larger, you have a smaller chance of a more malignant form of cancer. I discussed my decision with my PCP, and he said it was a reasonable decision. The ENT got his consult, but the biopsy got away.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. Sounds stressful.