@bojibenz I was having pain in my right shoulder that wasn't going away after my initial PTC diagnosis and surgery. They removed my thyroid and 15 lymph nodes (4 of which had cancer). My doctor told me to go to PT for my shoulder pain, but I had already been through everything for it. I was dismissed until I called my OBGYN and they got me in for an exam the same day. My mammogram had missed the breast cancer and it showed up on subsequent ultrasound and MRI. I had a DMX with immediate reconstruction (that surgery outcome is a whole other story). They put off my RAI until I was recovered from my surgeries for the breast cancer.
I had the RAI in 8/2022 and they have monitored me ever since as my tumor levels never fully dropped. They monitored me for 4 years with blood work and ultrasounds until a lymph node in my right neck was showing growth. I had the second PTC surgery at the end of June. Again, my surgery outcome was not ideal, just like my breast cancer surgery. The staffing is short and the patients are the ones who truly suffer. My surgeon accidentally severed a nerve, repaired it, and took out 27 lymph nodes, this time 6 were positive and 2 with extra nodal extension (breaking out of the lymph node into healthy tissue). They went in through my previous neck incision and made a longer version of that. The scar is healing fine. The severed nerve wasn't a major one in their eyes, but it has left me with nerve pain, numbness across my neck and chest and a much longer path to recovery. This is my case, and not like others, and I seem to be the outlier. I had no idea that hospital staffing all switches over on July 1, when the new residents and interns start. That and short nursing staff also lead to a less than ideal hospital experience. My next steps are in my hands as my endo is very hands off/too busy to give each case the proper attention. I am just very dismayed at the care I have received over the years.
Sigh, not all of Mayo is like this, other departments are much more involved and give their patients the time they deserve. Just write all your questions down and make sure they answer them all and set your level of expectations. Monitoring is the way to go-all the blood work and ultrasounds. Do what makes you comfortable!