Loose Women star Kaye Adams has revealed she feared the worst after undergoing surgery to remove half of her thyroid gland, but tests showed the growth was benign.
On a recent episode of her How To Be 60 podcast, the 63-year-old told listeners she underwent a hemithyroidectomy after doctors found an abnormality that needed testing. The Scottish presenter explained that medics had been monitoring the issue since a scan the year before, but at her latest appointment she was advised that having part of the gland removed was for the best.
Lump discovered after interview
Talking to co-host Karen MacKenzie, she said she first went to get checked after noticing what felt like a lump in her neck – something she became aware of after interviewing comedian Mark Steel about his throat cancer.
“Once you’ve done that kind of interview you go away and you start prodding about,” she said.
After feeling the lump, she contacted a friend who is a nurse, expecting to be reassured. Instead, her friend urged her to see a doctor.
Nervous about surgery risks
The ITV star said she went to her GP, was referred to hospital for scans and later had a biopsy, admitting she initially thought she was overreacting. The uncertainty of the results, however, left her anxious, and she confessed she tried to put it to the back of her mind.
She also explained why she delayed making a decision about surgery, saying doctors had warned her about the possible risks – including the chance it could be cancer, and the potential impact on her voice.
“They always give you the risks don't they with these procedures, so apart from the fact that you might have cancer, which is obviously not good, the risk is to your voice box, so I was really nervous about that, which is I think probably why I delayed it for so long,” she shared.
Relief after phone call
After the operation, she was told it would take around three weeks to hear the results, unless something serious was found and she needed to be informed sooner.
So when her phone rang just days later, Kaye said she feared the worst and let it go unanswered twice before finally picking up on the third call.
To her relief, she was told the growth was benign, a result that left her “jumping up and down like a kid at Christmas”.
Since sharing the news, many of her Instagram followers have sent their well wishes in the comments section. One wrote: “Wishing you a speedy recovery Kaye,” while a second added: “Very glad it all went well!”
A third typed: “Glad to see you are recovering well. Thanks for sharing your experience. There is so many others that think the same way and try to ignore it because they are busy or can’t face it. Very brave.”
