Wow! It is definitely a stressful situation! I would assume the GERD is acting up due to the stress of not really knowing what is going on and thinking some of the worse scenarios…..I have GERD too and it definitely reacts to stress! Some of your issues may be coincidental and not related to the growth so TRY not to get too worried about them; swallowing concerns might just be related to the GERD. Try not to worry too much about the radiologist scan with the needle biopsy…it’s the same as a regular FNA. I actually thought it was kind of cool…..the doctor is able to see where they put the needle to take the sample from…..it seems like a much more accurate way to due FNA! When I was being considered for RadioFrequency Ablation, the first needles for the FNA were filled with blood too; they just put the needle in a new location and did an additional test and then sent the material out for Affirma testing. I don’t know if Affirma testing is used on other areas or if it is just thyroid, however it is supposed to be a very good prediction for cancer. The waiting and not knowing is definitely tough! However, on a brighter note, the treatment options and surgical techniques have advanced significantly since your thyroidectomy was done, so you might have options you had never heard about. Radio-frequency Ablation, Cyberknife surgery, endoscopic surgery, etc….techniques and treatments have evolved, so once you find out what is going on, the treatment options might help to reduce the stress. Try to remain positive…scar tissue can really muck things up so you don’t want to assume the worse and get yourself all stressed out when it could be related to scar tissue. Sending positive thoughts your way! Good Luck!