Quite frankly, I had no symptoms. Mine was caught by an MRI after having been rear ended in a car accident last November. During the MRI, they measured a mass that measured 2.9cm on the right lobe in January. I went in to Mayo around Valentine’s Day and had an ultrasound and biopsy done, and two days later was in surgery for the complete thyroidectomy. Once out the pathologist confirmed the diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer with not one, but seven different tumors measuring 46mm in length. I had no problems or issues breathing other than my sleep apnea (been diagnosed for 12 years). Pain was minimal after the surgery, but highly recommend resting as much as possible. I had to have a subsequent surgery due to four post-operative bleeds caused by nausea after being sent home. I highly recommend having the anesthesiologist add anti nausea meds to your cocktail as it will save you the pain later. Pics post op and healed for reference.