Went to Royal Perth Hospital today for my first follow up appointment after my surgery 3 weeks ago.

Good news.

They have the results back from the lab, the almost 4cm nodule (lump) which was removed with the right side of my thyroid has tested negative, no cancer at all. That's a relief. I was told after the inconclusive biopsy last July that there was a 15% chance it might have been the start of thyroid cancer but everything is OK.

I have another follow up appointment in a month's time. I only need to change the small bandage covering where the incision was made every few days.

More good news, I also had a second PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood test done last week after my 5 days a week radiation treatment for prostate cancer mid October to mid December last year and the results have just come back - my PSA is 1.8 ug/l (micrograms per litre), same is it was in February. If it gets up to 4 or above then it might become a worry but so far so good (my PSA was 69 when I first found out about it over 18 months ago).

Next thing to do on my 'health list' will be my first Covid 'shot' (AstraZeneca) on Thursday, I'll let everyone know how that goes. 

Hi Carl

First time I saw this, hope all has gone well for you mate and good health for the future.

You might be interested in this link below, I for one believe it but its up to every individual to make his or her mind up about it.

Anyway all the best.

https://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1623627639

Had a second follow up appointment at Royal Perth this morning with the Doctor who performed my thyroid surgery.

The results of the thyroid function blood test I had done on Monday show that the remaining half of my thyroid is still producing the required hormones but the levels are "borderline" at the moment.

He asked if I was feeling a bit tired and lethargic lately and I said yes, I had noticed it a bit (thought it might have just been due to reading some of the posts in the Coronavirus section here  ).

The Doctor asked me to have another blood test in 3 months time and if the thyroid hormone levels haven't increased I may have to take some tablets which isn't a problem for me.

...

Just a follow up here... had another blood test 2 weeks ago for thyroid function, the previous one was in October and my thyroid hormone production levels were still borderline but my GP didn't see the need to put me on tablets at that stage. I'll see what he says today when I go there for another 3 monthly Lucrin injection.

Also had a call from the doctor at GenesisCare, Fiona Stanley Hospital yesterday with another follow up to my 8 weeks/5 days a week prostate cancer radiation treatment which I finished a year ago. I had my PSA checked again when I had the blood test 2 weeks ago (had thyroid and PSA done in the same test).

The doctor told me my PSA is now 0.9 ug/l (the previous ones were 1.8 in March and June. It was 69 when I was diagnosed nearly 2 years ago) and she now recommends I have another blood test in 6 months time and make the Lucrin injection at that time my last one and then just have yearly checkups from then on.

So, it looks like I may have 'dodged a bullet' with prostate cancer seeing as it had infiltrated most of the prostate and also started to appear in one of the lymph nodes outside the prostate when I was diagnosed early last year.

I can't stress this enough, guys... if you're over 50 you really need to start getting regular prostate checkups if you're not doing so already. Even a simple blood test for PSA will suffice to begin with.

I nearly left it too late myself. If I hadn't had shingles in September 2019 and decided to go to a doctor for the first time in decades I wouldn't have found out about my prostate cancer until it had probably spread to bones and other parts of the body.

I also may not have found out about the slowly enlarging (fortunately non cancerous as it turned out) right side thyroid nodule until I started having trouble swallowing or breathing as it was pushing on my windpipe.

Thanks John. Much appreciated.