Kristie J

hello, I just want to update you that everything is good after six months, my high note slowly coming back. and I will do a whole check up as Dr. Jun recommended in a year time.

So the surgery went perfectly well. I didn’t get any hoarseness after that, a little pain at the neck, but bearable. I didn’t use painkiller either. But reaching high note is a little hard at the moment because it’s too new. Also, the nodules are not cancerous. My surgeon requested multiple tests on it. I didn’t get as anxious as I thought I would in the operation room, because I feel I can rely and fully trust the surgeons, my general anesthesia dr and as well as his team. I feel very well taken care of. now, I’m back home, safe and sound and healthy again. I want to say thank you and I’m grateful for your advices, recommendations and concerns. Thank you so much. I wish I can repay it some days. I hope your nodule is okay and stay benign as it is now. I wish you healthy, happy and all the best in life.

Thank you for the process detailing. Now, I have a clear idea of what to expect or prepare for. Just in case, I will be staying by myself after surgery. My family hasn’t been very helpful emotionally, only triggering, so I really need to keep my distant from them. anyway, I will be doing the open one as Dr. Jun recommended. she said if I was her daughter, she would make me do the open one. But if I am singer, or superstar or celebrity, then I can choose the endoscopy to avoid the visible scar. Also, since the neck has quite an amount of blood vessels, she said open is more recommended. she recommend Dr. Angkoon for endoscopy, and Dr. Watana for open, and asked me to meet Dr. Watana first. I met him, he explained the process and everything, and make me feel like I can trust him. That’s why I just choose to go with open.

is there anything else I should know about? The side effect, the consequences or anything during and after surgery? I scheduled the surgery on Monday morning and feeling very anxious right now.

Yes, the other side has two very tinies nodules. The doctor says it nothing to concern for now, but to do the check up on it every now and then. To put it simply, perhaps i just want to go back to live the way I was without losing any part of my organs, if that make sense to you.

Mortality rate isn’t what concern me, I am more scared of the fact and consequences that I have to live with half thyroid. And I don’t even know if the others nodules on the other side will grow too or not.

do you believe in treating it traditional way? My dad want me to try drinking certain tea made from wood, and use cream for a month to see the result. If it doesn’t work, then surgery. right now, I’m wavering with options.

beside that I don’t have any other symptoms which make me so hesitate in cutting it out. considering it still functions. is it the right way to think? Like right now, I am fill with thoughts of many things.

for Afirma test, the hospital says they will get back to me after they get a clear information which for now I haven’t gotten anything. I didn’t raise the repeat biopsy question because when I first i meet her, I told her that I came with a thought of getting surgery and I want her opinion on it. She said ‘it’s the right and good thought’. My chest X-ray shows the windpipe got pushed a little to the right side because of the big nodule on the left, and that leads to affecting my sleep and breathing sometimes. so she said even if it’s not cancerous, due to the size of the nodule, she still recommend half removal. As oddly as it may sound, I took another scan on my thyroid early august, somehow it nodule shrink a little. Dr. jun think it may shrink a little but not much more than that. The shrinking size make me hesitate the surgery, of course I am hoping it could go back to normal. But it’s unlikely right?

also if you have a good recommendation for a nice apartment nearby, please let me know too. I have searched and been staying at hotel but I don’t think it’s very efficient.

Hi, Yes, I raised the concern to my doc and she told me not to worry about it because they have immigration office at Bumrungrad. By minor effect on swallowing, you mean it hurts when swallow? I am sorry to hear about your other thyroid not working properly. How do you adjust to taking pill everyday? I had to ask because kind of feel a little anxious about the surgery. and did you do the biopsy twice? Mine says indeterminate which make it very hard to decide on surgery. if it’s benign, and it would be unjust to cut it.

By air. I can stay in Thailand for 14days without visa. also, I met with Dr. Jun. Thank you for a good recommendation. she suggested an open surgery, by Dr. Vatana, and I asked about the endoscopy, she recommended Dr. Angkoon. At the moment, I’m in a considering stage. I am anxious in case the other half nodule can’t function properly. Any opinions? Or thoughts?

Hi again, I am now in Thailand. But I have one concern regarding the visa (if you have any information), Right now I don’t have a clear schedule (exact date for surgery yet), but they estimated around 2weeks. But just for any change of schedule that require me staying longer, where can I go to do the visa or requested?

My point of view on the second biopsy is that, if the first one says indeterminate, then within a month time it's unlikely to be spread this fast, unless it's already stated cancerous/suspicious which mean bethsda category V. I think doing another biopsy during that time won't give me different result unless, again, it's cancerous which I am hopefully not. On the others hand, if it's to spread, then I am sure another test, which I will do within 4weeks times, will give me a more accurate result. So then, I can be more determine on doing the surgery or not. At the meantime, I am following up with the blood test of my thyroid in my home country to see if it's growing or any change in form. my family doest have history of cancer, also from doctor's explanation on the ultra sound, they also told me it's very unlikely to be cancerous depending on the shape and what is in it (cancerous normally non liquid and it doesn't look round, mine is round and more liquid). I am aware it could develop, and I don't want to delay it that much, as having this didn't give me much of full rest since I keep worrying, but I do need to look at this in another way than pursing immediate surgery. Also, certain type of nodules could develop or change due to the rapid biopsy, so I think two FNA (if the second one needed) within two months is my best shot. for Afirma Gene Expression Classification, this matter I could email to ask them, or perhaps asking for a direct contact with the doctor to see if they could do it. Otherwise, if they couldn't do it, then going for another trip just to ask that would be a waste. Right now for my next visit, I planned to ask everything, and perhaps another biopsy if necessary, if not I would proceed to surgery if it keeps growing in size or what is in it keep changing. If It seem like keeping it causing a lot more stress than removing it, then I think removing it would be wiser. What I am worry most is it could grow to the other side which would lead to full removal of the thyroid.

Also, I have thought about how switching hospitals for surgery and follow up back and forth could be at disadvantage too, which I agree with you on sticking to just one. For Rama, I have heard of the queue to meet and consult and the long wait and everything, but one thing I have yet to know of is the surgeons' background which make it impossible for me to choose. At least, at the Bumrungrad, there is background to check and learn what surgeons' ability and result we could expect from. About the Endoscopy, I checked and learned that the tubes have to go through from different place (armpit or chest depending on doctor and how big it is) to perform it. So I was wondering if it could, by chance, affect the other areas during the process?