I think you were very fortunate. My nodule was very large and was crushing into other areas which definitely can cause issues, however, surgery is not always as easy as you describe. Voice and swallowing issue can occur, so surgery seems like it would be the last option. Every case is different, however if the nodule is growing slowly, why not try non surgical methods? Removing organs “just in case it is cancer, “ can result in having to take thyroid medication for the rest of your life and it is not always very easy to get regulated. I ended up with diagnosis of HCC, however I have not been able to get regulated on medication yet and the side effects of the situation have been very difficult. I am confident that I will get regulated and feel better, but this long road just reinforces my opinion that people should only have surgery if they have fairly strong evidence that it is necessary. Radio frequency ablation seems like an Excellent option for SOME situations and would enable a person to keep their thyroid.
I am sorry to hear about your friend’s malignancy, however each case is different.