BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids

Subject: orrhoids. HELP!
From: GUEST,Too embarrassed to admit it
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 07:41 PM

Strees facing needle biopsies on m,y thyroid have led to painful and persisten hem

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: GUEST,GUEST again
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 07:43 PM

Stress facing needle biopsies on my thyroid has led to painful and persistent hemorrhoids.
HELP! On both fronts.
Or backs.

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: jeffp
Date: 20 Jul 06 - 08:02 PM

If you are a member, feel welcome to PM me and I'll listen. I may be able to advise or at least sympathise. I've been through taking care of two wives as cancer patients and I promise I won't try to embarrass you or violate your confidence. At any rate I wish you all the best and hope for a healthy report on your thyroid.

Jeff

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 09:09 AM

I finally had a needle biopsy on my thyroid last Wednesday. I've had lots of small nodes on my thyroid since 1999 & in the past 12 months some had grown. The largest was now 11mm, still small, but it had grown 10% in 12 months.

I only had to wait a week for the appointment, but the stress had led me to panic attacks, one of which had me in the Emergency ward for 8 hours, 4 days before the biopsy.

I walked out with a note for my Doctor saying nuffin' wrong with my heart, lungs, or blood pressure, but telling her to get my heart checked out, just in case, and that happened last Monday & I left that specialist with a clean bill of health & big debt on my credit card.

The biopsy was okish - the painkilling needle ouched but the technician & doctor were great, the technician even fanning me with a handtowel when I started getting hot & short of breath. She had reassured me that if the nodes were cancerous, thyroid cancer was the best cancer to have it is is almost instantly curable - either a simple operation, or a bit of radiation & it's gone! My head was re-assured, even tho I don't like the thought of operations or medical treatment, but certain bits of my body obviously decided you ain't fooling us, mate, we'll overreact if we want to.

I'm now taking Thyroxin, as the growth in my nodes were not a sign of cancer (which my thyroid specialist thought was so likely she had given me a prescription & a pathology referral for later in the year). It was only me who thought catastrophic thoughts.

In the week between biopsy & result (all clear! just take thyroxine & come back in 6 weeks) I was still getting panicky feelings, as panic attacks can set in if not dealt with.

Now I have a book on panic attacks & know what to do if I start feeling odd - uncomfortable in my sternum, hot, short of breath, etc. BREATHE slowly & continually (I'm a shallow breather) - hold breath for 10 seconds, let it out saying "Relax', breathe in for 3 seconds, breathe out for the same period saying "Relax", repeat the cycle for as long as necessary (60+ minutes on Monday!)

I'm taking life slowly as if I move too fast or do too much I start feeling uncomfortable in my sternum, so I concentrate in my breathing & feel better. Moving too much includes walking around for an hour at lunchtime!

And strangely enough, the contra-indications of Thyroxine include lots of panic attack-like symptoms, so I'm assuming that the uncomfortable feelings I've had since Wednesday relate to the tablets. And any bit of my body that thinks elsewise can shut up & behave properly.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: Rapparee
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 10:12 AM

My wife had thyroid cancer at the age of 17, back in 1959. No radiation or drugs (except thryroid extract) back then; she had a radical dissection of the neck, removal of both the thyroid and parathyroid, and several surgeries thereafter. Her medical records at Georgetown Medical Center in DC filled a three-foot shelf.

She's still around, saying that since she's walked through the valley of the shadow of death the HAS to be the meanest bastard in the valley.

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: GUEST,Me again
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 11:05 AM

Painkilling needle?
Lucky you.
My doctor used a "tail" followed by a harpoon shot in from a catapult. Actually it didn't hurt much but on my left side he kept nudging against a nerve - that hurt. That spring loaded needle is scary.
Today am slightly swollen and a bit red but no vampire marks.
I did my online research and found that thyroid cancer is common and usually curable. my results come back Aug. 1.
Glad you're OK Sandra.

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 11:21 AM

August 1? Tell your Doc his lab is jerking him around. Results on fine needle biopsies of thyroid tissue are turned around in less than 24 hours routinely in a decent lab and frozen sections can be done in less than an hour if needed.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: NH Dave
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 12:28 PM

Spaw, it all depends how the material is delivered to the Path Lab.

Our local lab seems to be part of a chain of labs, and have a pick up service for any doctor desiring to use their services. BUT to get faster results, when my doctor removed a skin cancer on my forehead, he did it in the local hospital OR, which has a lab in the basement and can give 15 minute results from frozen sections.

So we hung around the OR discussing the Red Sox, Michael Chrighton, aand the weather until the results came back. The surgeon scooped a bit more tissue from suspect spots with no cleaar margin, skillfully sewed up the vast hole he'd created, and everybody was happy for a couple of years.

This last time a different surgeon did a needle biopsy in his office, which came back clear for cancer, within 36 hours, but when he did the surgery in the local OR, he got back a report of cancerous tissue of a similar nature to the original lesion, and on a reexamination of the two samples, proof that the second tumor had spread from the original one, before the operation to remove it had taken place.

We are now giving this tumor area both chemo and radiation therapy.

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: Peace
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 12:47 PM

The biopsy is one thing and I pray that comes back as nothing but good news. The other thing could likely be attended to with meds. Check with your pharmacist/druggist and see what is available to help with that.

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 01:40 PM

Hi NH......Yeah, I know. Karen's a histologist and I'm well aware of how things go. It is still a ridiculous amount of time ... August 1......the Doc needs his ass kicked for using the place or the Paths for that matter.

For years Docs have blamed labs and for the most part it's bullshit. Only during surgery do you generally use fozen sections and that is usually to check for margins on remaining tissue. But standard processing for most samples (bone and a few others excluded) is 24 hours plus reading time for the Path (who is often behind). Karen is the Lead Tech in a hospital lab that returns slides to the Paths within 12 hours (yep, they run a night shift). Patients using the hospital lab, including out patient services are rarely in the dark more than 36-48 hours.

Not all work so well obviously but no matter how you cut it though.....August 1 is ridiculous.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: GUEST,Me Again
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 06:01 PM

The results will be in on Monday. Unfortunately, the doctor will be on vacation.

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: Peace
Date: 21 Jul 06 - 06:03 PM

Ask the nurse to send the results to another doctor. That is bullshit. The doc should have someone to cover his/her cases. Pardon me for the remark, but screw THAT! Get your doc to allow another doc to give you the info.

Subject: RE: BS: Needle biopsies and hemorrhoids
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 22 Jul 06 - 11:43 AM

Peace, you said it.

Me again, doesn't your doctor employ a locum, or direct patients to a nearby doctor?

I'm glad the Oz health system believes in a painkiller before digging little holes in my neck! I also had a bruised area for a few days.

Tonight was folk club night & I had arranged for a friend to MC as I thought it would be too much for me after a very busy day. Unfortunately I still did too much & ended up with a racing heart so I sat outside in the cold foyer with JennyO fanning me while I concentrated on my breathing. After 10 minutes I was feeling much better, tho Jenny was getting sore hands from flapping a laminated poster to keep me cool!! Fortunately the choir were singing a set that made a wonderful background which helped me get into a meditative state & calm down.