I had a throid needle biopsy last friday and my results are in but they ?

Question

wont give them to me over the phone? So stressing out a bit. My first ultrasound showed 2 nodules one is only 1 mm and I'm assuming that's the one they got the samples from. Well they wouldn't tell me that over the phone either I had to go in. So my question is if there is nothing wrong wouldn't they just tell you over the phone and save you the $15 co pay. When I made the appt to go in they were going to make me wait till next Tuesday and I said heck no I need to know now or you find me a dr who can tell me over the phone or who can get me in sooner. So instead of waiting almost a week I have to wait a day. Hope its not to confusing but I'm stressing out thinking the worst and to top it off right after I get the results I'm taking my kids to the zoo (already promised them that) So if its bad results how am I supposed to enjoy the last few days of summer with my kids?

thanks to anyone who can help

Answer 1

I think most Doctors offices make you come in for test results and I also think that if it was bad,they wouldn't have asked you to wait a week. Try to relax and think positive as your kids will pick up on your mood. Enjoy your outing with your children and I pray that you have nothing to worry about.

Answer 2

it is probably something they want to discuss with you with the doctor present ....do not jump to conclusions though, it may be something  that tested positive however they may want to go over alternatives and solutions with you ...do not fret which i know is hard to do , it may be something minor that just needs attention.... keep this in mind and be encouraged and have the attitude you will have a great day with your kids at the zoo after your appt.                              

Answer 3

Quit stressing about not getting results over the phone.

Few Drs will ever let their office give out biopsy results over the phone. The reason - lawyers. Let's say you are waiting for results from a chest biopsy for lung cancer (or really any potential cancer related biopsy) and over the phone you hear back that your biopsy came back positive for cancer. You go and get your pistol and proceed to kill yourself. Then the Dr, all of his partners, his entire office staff and everyone near gets sued.  See the potential problems of giving biopsy results over the phone?  This is why to never expect to get biopsy results over the phone, except for maybe simple skin biopsies. The Dr wants to be there to fill you in on the full medical picture plus make sure that things are ok with you.

good luck & enjoy yourself at the zoo

Answer 4

I assume the results were inconclusive, and they need to do a different test or they found another issue that is not cancer. They either call you in immediately for bad news, or if it is good, over the phone. The $15 co-pay is nothing in the big scheme of things. You will actually have more involved with your kids after the results. The not knowing is worse.

I am not giving a professional opinion, but an honest assessment based on my experience.

Answer 5

That's normal - I had to fight to find a doctor to diagnose my thyroid cancer - 3 doctors wanted me to wait a month after my ultrasound just to see them - my mom found a doctor a friend of ours knew and when we called he just happened to have a cancellation the next day.

They don't always make you come in for only bad results.  Sometimes the results are inconclusive and they want you to come in so they can go over additional options - maybe the biopsy came back normal, but they want to check with an MRI as well - there are a lot of reasons you could need to go back in.  Including that the doctor just makes it a policy not to discuss results of these types of tests over the phone so his nurses don't give away the information on accident.

Either way the results should not affect your time with your children.  I was diagnosed with cancer one week after my son was born - as I mentioned, it was hard to find a doctor, etc.  Luckily, I had my mom here to help because she came to help with the baby.  

I have been battling Thyroid cancer for 2 years now - I have an unusual case that metastisized to my neck and chest lymph nodes and it has been complicated from the start.  

I read Tuesdays with Morie a few months into all the treatments - I was off my synthroid to get radiation treatment and feeling like c**p - I had to go to my parent's home to get help with the baby (3 months old at this point) and I was a wreck.  I couldn't do anything I wanted with him.  In that book the man who is dying from a terribly painful disease that slowly takes away his ability to move, answers a very important question.  The writer asks him "what keeps you going?  Why don't you just wallow in your pain and self pitty?  No one would fault you for it?"  (paraphrasing there) - Morie says that he gives himself 10 minutes every morning to feel terrible - 10 minutes to cry or feel sorry for himself, or worry about his wife, or feel guilty, or wallow in the pain he is in.  He actually sets a timer- when that timer goes off, he turns off those thoughts and if they pop up, he tells himself to save them for the next morning's 10 minutes.  He goes on about his day, greeting family and friends who come to say goodbye, working on a book, spending time with his wife and kids and grandkids.

I started to do that, and it really worked.  If I allowed myself a few minutes of selfishness a day, the rest of the day I could concentrate on my son and my family who I was getting to spend some time with.  

One more thing:  The doctors will tell you this if you DO have cancer, and though it doesn't help much them saying it, it IS true.  Thyroid cancer is very easy to treat now adays.  In the 1930's they discovered a way to put iodine and radiation together and it is the perfect treatment for thyroid cancer - so after surgery that's what they use now.  It is a one time treatment and while it isn't great, it's better than 6 weeks of beam radiation any day.  That treatment has meant that very few people die of thyroid cancer anymore - the ones that do are either too far progressed and didn't catch it early like you, or they are old and have a very specialized type of thyroid cancer that mostly occurs in elderly people.

The treatments they have for this cancer are very simple and effective and "it's the best kind of cancer to have" - that's what they say.  I know about 16 people who have it and have lived many many years after - some as long as 30 years, the rest are still in the first few years.

You may not feel like it, but you will be ok.  Try to concentrate on your kids.  That will help.  Enjoy the moments.

Good luck on your results.