[R129 SL] Off topic, sorry. "Is there a doctor in the house?" (thyroid)

[Tom Reynolds]

Sorry for the off topic post.  Wife has an enlarged right side thyroid.
Thyroid has been diagnosed as hypoactive (under active) and the biopsy
(non-diagnostic?) result is that no malignant cells were discovered.  But,
think the Dr. wants to operate to remove the enlarged right side.  We'll
talk to him at our scheduled appointment next Tuesday, but until then, any
professional opinions on this?

Thanks very much,
Tom Reynolds
Hereford, AZ

P.S.  Some miscellaneous thoughts I've been having, don't know if they're
justified or not.  She's been prescribed medication by her personal
physician and we'll see how it's going in June.  Will the right side
possibly reduce in size while Karen's on this medication?  Is the entire
thyroid underactive, or just the (enlarged) right lobe/side?  If the right
side is removed, is there a chance that the left side could become
enlarged, and if so, then what?  Sigh.  I've been told that this operation
is not hazardous, dangerous, etc., but it's been my feeling that *any* non
essential operation is perhaps best left undone, because of unknown
circumstances in the future.  For example, I was a preemie in 1947, given
(turns out) excessive oxygen, causing eye problems (and maybe unknown
others) but then again, maybe my being 4F kept me from getting injured (or
worse) in Vietnam.  Also, had two knee surgeries, and now the orthopedics
are telling me that I would have been better off not to have them done
(this is like 20 years ago) but that's my thinking at present.