Hi Megan, I have a nodule or cyst on my thyroid that is 1.5 cm so I can feel it and sometimes I can even see it. I was referred to a surgeon when it was discovered (by my gynecologist, believe it or not) who biopsied it in the office and found it wasn't cancerous. It is unbelievable what you find you can handle - now that I've had a few needles in my throat, almost nothing scares me. After that I went to get it scanned with contrast meaning that I had to ingest a substance that made my thyroid glow. They saw that it was functioning as part of my thyroid and producing thyroid hormone, meaning I was getting too much. A few months of drug therapy replacing the hormone with synthroid (synthetic thyroid hormone) shut down the thyroid function and slightly decreased the size of the nodule.

What I've found is that if I get too tired, smoke too much or get sick with or without a cough, it gets irritated and really hurts. It's alarming but goes away in a few days, or weeks, and then it's just a bother.

Even though it's on top of my thyroid, just under the skin, I feel it as a lump <i>in</i> my throat. I've seen the ultrasound which shows that it is pushing down on my airway and slightly distorting it in one area, so that explains the sensation I feel.

Your thyroid is located pretty much right over top of the middle of your "adam's apple" area, so it's sitting on a bony structure and that might make it hard for you to find a lump.

Can you get it checked out? Then you'll know for sure. It's been one of the easiest things to treat on me and the treatment worked pretty quickly.

Hope this helps.

Aeryn :)