Small papillary thyroid cancer

@shamb52
I did a quick AI search….not always accurate but a nice starting point. Here is the AI search response….

Yes, Medicaid may cover radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for a thyroid nodule if it is proven to be medically necessary.Coverage DetailsState Rules: Medicaid rules change depending on your state, because each state runs its own program.Medical Necessity: The nodule must be benign (non-cancerous), confirmed by a biopsy, and causing physical problems.Approved Reasons: Coverage usually applies if the nodule causes trouble breathing, trouble swallowing, voice changes, or pain.Exclusions: RFA is generally not covered if it is done only for cosmetic reasons on small, painless nodules.Prior Authorization: Most Medicaid plans require your doctor to submit proof of medical necessity before they will pay for the treatment.If you tell AI your state when you do the search. Good Luck!

That is great information. Thank you!!

@colleenyoung Yes consulation after the second set of biopsies (11 biopsies all together). Cancer has not been confirmed, only suspected. We have discussed with the surgeon who for some reason recommended his "buddy" and simply said Jim would be in good hands. Meeting with that second surgeon in a couple weeks. And yes, fears stated openly but doc seemed to be deadset that thyroidectomy is the best option and pretty much refused to discuss other options. I will make sure that other options are discussed fully next visit (patient's bill of rights may be brought up). The goiter in my son's neck is often painful, gets large then shrinks with use of ibuprofen.

Hi. Im Astrid. I'm Indonesian living in Indonesia. This is the story of my battle against Thyroid Cancer in my throat.

- May 26, 2026: A lump suddenly appeared on my neck after I sneezed and had a cold.

- May 29, 2026: I went to a General Doctor at a nearby clinic to have the lump examined. Although the Doctor had already advised me to go to the hospital for a checkup, I still asked him to prescribe cold medicine, hoping the lump was due to the flu.

- June 4, 2026: Because the lump hadn't healed, I returned to the nearby clinic and requested a referral letter to have my health checked at the hospital. After receiving the referral letter, I immediately went to the nearest hospital to have the lump examined by an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) Doctor. Because the lump was attached to my Thyroid, the ENT Doctor asked if I often felt anxious, restless, and worried. The ENT Doctor said that anxiety, restlessness, and worry were closely related to my Thyroid. The ENT Doctor then ordered an ultrasound of my throat.

During the ultrasound, the Doctor who performed the ultrasound found several cysts and nodules on my Thyroid. The ultrasound predicted that my lump was grade 4B, meaning malignant. The Doctor who performed the ultrasound told me not to worry because the sickness was already in my body. He stated that what I needed to do was find a solution to battle against this sickness. Thank you.

- June 11, 2026: The ENT Doctor decided to have further tests by an Oncologist.

- June 13, 2026: During the meeting with the Oncologist, the Oncologist said that he would conduct surgery on my throat and remove my left Thyroid and the lump. However, I asked the Oncologist to only remove the lump. The Oncologist agreed, but he said that I would have to be willing to undergo a second surgery if the laboratory confirmed that the lump was malignant. I agreed and accepted.

- June 15, 2026: The hospital decided that the surgery to remove my lump would be performed on June 20, 2026. I had to see a Cardiologist and an Internist before the surgery.

Note: According to my family, the lump in my throat is a family/genetic condition. Everyone in my family has had lumps, and one person has had cancer.
I am grateful that I am not married and will not have children because I am already in menopause. If I had children, I would have produced a sick child.

The breast tumor I had in 2000 turned out to be a family condition.

- June 17, 2026: The Internist said that my entire body, including my kidneys and thyroid hormones, is healthy. The Cardiologist also said that my heart is healthy. Therefore, the surgery on the Thyroid in my throat can be performed.

- June 18, 2026: The Anesthesiologist said that he would administer general anesthesia before the surgery. Since I have had several surgeries, he hoped the anesthesia would work well and the surgery would be successful. Thank you.

- June 20, 2026: The surgery for the lump in my throat was performed in the afternoon. Before the surgery, I joked with the Anesthesiologist. When the anesthetic rose from my wrist to the middle of my arm, I immediately floated into the sky. 😆

Note: I woke up from my sleep in the sky about 3 or 4 hours after the surgery was completed. When I woke up, I immediately ran to the bathroom to pee, even though my family had told me not to walk after the surgery because I might float and fall. It turned out not to be! I was still able to walk normally to the bathroom while carrying my IV pole. 💪

Before the surgery, I felt the lump shrink, but it turned out to have sunk into my throat. 😭
I'm still grateful. The surgery went quickly and smoothly.

- June 22, 2026: The Oncologist who examined me said I could go home today. 👍
I was then able to go home after having the bandage on my neck changed, taking my medication, and taking care of the paperwork.

- July 7, 2026: The Oncologist said the lab results confirmed that the lump on my thyroid was Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma, also known as Stage 2 Thyroid Cancer.

- July 14, 2026: The Oncologist said that because I had Stage 2 Thyroid Cancer, my entire Thyroid would be removed from my throat through a second surgery. The entire surgery would be performed in August. The Oncologist also said that after the second surgery and after my Thyroid was removed, I would be dependent on a medication called Levothyroxine. The Oncologist also said that after the second surgery, there would be emotional changes. I could suddenly become angry or sad.

- August 1, 2026: The Oncologist announced that he would perform a Total Thyroidectomy. This meant removing my entire Thyroid gland. 😭

- August 3, 2026: The Surgical Officer scheduled a blood test, a heart exam, and meetings with the Cardiologist, Internist, and Anesthesiologist. The surgery schedule was also set.

Note: I felt sad because my Thyroid gland would be removed. It's small, but it's the one that regulates hormones, heart function, stomach function, and so on. The Thyroid gland's function is very important, so I would be dependent on Levothyroxine if my Thyroid gland was removed.

- August 4, 2026: The Internist was a little concerned about the condition she found in my blood. She asked me to have a second blood test. Fortunately, everything was fine, and she cleared me for surgery. The Cardiologist, who loves to sing, said that my heart was fine, so I was cleared for surgery.

- August 7, 2026: The Anesthesiologist I met today provided a lot of reassuring information, and I could tell he was trying to calm me down with his friendly conversational style. Thank you.

- August 8, 2026: The surgery to remove my Thyroid from my throat was performed. The 7-hour anesthesia and surgery were performed smoothly and safely.

Note: The size of the Thyroid removed from my throat was the size of my palm. It was huge!
The Oncologist said that because I had cancer, my entire Thyroid, including the surrounding area, was removed from my throat.

My family told me that when I first woke up from my long sleep after the anesthesia, I immediately sat up. The nurse then got angry because I wasn't allowed to get up right after the surgery, and she was afraid I'd fall.
This is my best post-surgery humor. It turns out that even after cancer, I'm still Supergirl! 😀

I still have a long way to go. I remain patient and determined to battle against Thyroid Cancer in my body.