Thyroglossal Duct Cyst ( Sistrunk )

[stuwi]

Hi everyone,

I will begin with the background, which let me tell you up until now was extremely secretive.
At the age of 12 I had a cyst in my throat which was treated with antibiotics and got rid of the cyst.
I am now 22.
Every year since I was 12 a small cyst appeared every year around December time and then disappeared within 3-4 weeks and I never went to the Doctors.  I was extremely petrified of the Dr which I know sounds silly but I was just scared. So I kept it to my self and carried on.
Around 7 years ago I was playing a rugby match and was studed in the throat at the time of having this cyst. It burst and puss came from the cyst.
I still never went to the Dr.
It has now for 6 years been attached to my throat below the hyoid bone, middle of the neck, slightly to the right. It looks like a scar but it has a tube attached to it which moves when I move my tounge and the tube attaches to the hyoid bone I believe,  the tube I believe is the duct.
I am so scared of telling anyone and have hidden it for over 9 years and has stopped me from doing things I love, being in the sun or swimming etc
Im scared about the operation and waking up not being able to swallow etc I have read a great deal about what it is but have never found much information.
I would appreciate any help and advice.

[Barb135]

It's okay that you put it here, you just have to understand that we don't just have this tube flopping around in our body.  If whatever, happened when you were playing rugby 7 yrs ago had been horribly serious, you would, most likely, have had complications from it long before now - and you aren't even having complications now, you're just having fear.

I understand about waking up after an operation feeling horrible (most of us do feel bad for little while) and nervous about how it went.  That's a normal reaction to any surgery.  I've had enough surgeries in my life to know that, but you can't ruin your life over something you don't know exists simply because you're afraid of a surgery you don't know will take place.  Sometimes our minds and "Dr Google" can work us into a real mess and we do ourselves more harm than good by not talking to our doctor.

Talk to your doctor about it, then post back and let us know what it is, okay?

[stuwi]

Thank You for your reply.

I was not 100% where to  post it apart from here. ( Thyro Glossal ) I guess I more related to the thyroid.

The worrying thing for me is just waking up after the operation feeling horrible and being nervous about how it went.

[Barb135]

We're a thyroid forum and this doesn't sound thyroid related.  But, aside from that, we can't really tell you anything, because you don't know for sure what it is.  

The thyroglossal duct, typically, atrophies once the thyroid gland has descended to its final position in a fetus.  It doesn't just flop around in your neck.

You need to go to the doctor and find out what it is.  You're assuming there will be a surgery that may never happen and if there is one, the chances of your being unable to swallow are pretty much slim to none.  I've had 2 surgeries on my vocal cords and the chances of not being able to talk afterward were pretty great, if the surgeon had "slipped", but I had to trust him, because I certainly couldn't continue the way I was.

Call your doctor and make an appointment asap and find out, for sure, what you're dealing with and don't buy trouble.