-Isms: Views on life in rural America

After reading this week’s Prairie Doc column, penned by Dr. Kelly Evans-Hullinger, I thought about the women in my family and the thyroid gland struggles they have experienced.

My grandmother took and at least one of my aunts takes Synthroid, a presciption medication that “restores thyroid levels by replacing the amount of thyroxine (thyroid hormone) that your body is missing,” according to the manufacturer’s website.

Mom was also required to take the drug after part of her thyroid was removed in 1977. She was attending a summer week-long workshop at then Kearney State College and, while getting ready for bed one evening, noticed a lump on her neck. A month later, she was in the hospital, having the nodule removed. Thankfully, it was benign.

Funny side story: After surgery, mom was on a soft diet while in the hospital. What was on the menu? Mashed potatoes, orange sherbet and lime jello. I am certain she never ate lime jello again.

In 2007, I had a thyroid scare. During an MRI to scan my left clavicle, technicians found a lump on my thyroid. A thyroid scan was conducted. During the test, a radioactive isotope was injected and then a photo was taken to see if the nodule was hyperfuctioning, or hot.

I scheduled an appointment with a specialist. The bad news: the doctor burned the back of my throat while checking the gland. The good news: everything appeared normal.

Now, I periodically have TSH levels tested, to see if the thyroid gland is still functional. So far, so good.

Here’s what I’ve learned about the thyroid over the years:

• Nodules are common. Research studies estimate 6% of women and between 1 and 2% of men may develop a thyroid nodule. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “about half of all Americans will have one by the time they are 60 years old.”

• According to the American Cancer Society, two or three in 20 thyroid nodules are cancerous.

• Most thyroid nodules are benign. More than 95% are noncancerous, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine personnel.

• While some nodules are solid, others are filled with fluid. Nodules that are both are called complex nodules and will need to be surgically removed.

• Thyroid nodules are treatable and do not always require surgery.

• A fine-needle biopsy can be conducted in the doctor’s office. It will provide enough information to determine a course of treatment.

• Hashimoto’s disease, or inflammation of the thyroid, may lead to a decreased function of the thyroid. Hashimoto’s disease may cause decreased function of the thyroid.

If you suspect you have a thyroid nodule, schedule an appointment with a health care provider.

If you suspect you have hypothyroidism, ask for a TSH test.

Treatment for a thyroid issue looks different for everyone. The key is getting a diagnosis and making a decision that is best for you.