((((hugs))))). I don't know anyone that has had their thyroid removed, so I can't share anything on the note with you and your niece. But I will add her to my prayer list. Sending all the best wishes I can your way.

My best wishes and my respects to Meagan for her blog.

I hope you do not mind my adding onto your thread that as long as you are looking, check the back of your neck as well. This is where I looked when I would screen schoolchildren for health issues related to diabetes :

Check your neck

I know two people , both young, who have had their thyroid removed due to cancer. Both revere completely. One is exa try as he was before and the other has a slightly husky voice. Both say they take on each pill a day and are totally well. It has been a few years since their surgery and the scars are almost unnoticed.

cherryfizz (Anne?) sorry to hear about your niece. Will she be going to Princess Margaret Hospital for the treatment? Some years ago I was diagnosed with multiple thyroid nodules, which they keep a watch on, but so far, they have never grown larger, so it's thought that I may have developed them many years ago. I don't know if you recall, but we've spoken in the past, and I've mentioned that I grew up in Windsor and moved to Toronto after college. Anyway, my doctor here discovered my nodules years ago, while feeling my neck during my annual physical. She has been sending me to get my nodules scanned over the years, to check for any growth.

Interesting thing...one year when I was getting scans, the radiologist mentioned that since I had several, which had never changed in size, they would probably never turn malignant. But then she happened to mention, "Windsor Ont. has the highest rate of thyroid cancer in North America, so at least you live here." I was shocked and told her that I spent my first 19 years living there. I asked my own dr. if she had ever heard about that, and she said no. I have no idea where the radiologist got her information, because I've never seen anything written to confirm that.

Good for her! My thyroid is at risk because of radiation I had as a child, so it gets checked regularly. I also insist on lead shields when necessary. Best of luck to Meagan. I'll definitely read her blog.

Meagen is going to be treated at Toronto Women's Hospital. Princess Margaret would be great though if she could be seen there. 2 guys I went to school with are major fundraisers for the hospital and the hospital is world renowned for their cancer research. Jak4 I know thyroid cancer is common and you can live without your thyroid, I also had a friend years ago who had her thyroid removed and she lost her voice completely. After losing someone so recently to the rarest forms of thyroid cancer this scares me because it is my niece. So many people I know are on thyroid medications. Thanks for reading Meagen's blog, she just wants people to be aware to check their necks and the necks of loved ones. She had the lump for awhile before going to the Doctor. She was surfing the internet to find out why her hair was falling out and learned about the thyroid and connected everything to the hair loss, the lump and why she hadn't been feeling good and took herself to the Doctor.

Just read your niece's blog and certainly wish her the very best. I have thyroid nodules and have to have the FNA done every four years. Mine have grown a little but not noticeable.

For those interested Meagen changed the site and name of her blog http://ww.thycajourney.com