Monica Gayle shares her thyroid health scare found after a slip and fall

(WJBK) - After a couple weeks off, Monica Gayle is back after a health scare. She slipped a fell a few weeks back, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Her concussion revealed a surprising find -- a lump on her thyroid that could possibly be cancer. So, Monica just had surgery to remove the left lobe of her thyroid.

Her pathology report has since come back, too, and the lump was benign. Monica will be on thyroid medication likely for the rest of her life, though.

So, what exactly is the thyroid anyway?

"Your thyroid produces thyroid hormone, which affects your metabolism and helps you regulate your temperature, and your weight and your heart rate. So, it really affects a lot of what we daily take advantage of and kind of don't even think about," says Henry Ford endocrinologist Dr. Shiri Levy.

Dr. Levy says thyroid nodules past the age of 40 are quite common, especially in women. The majority are nothing to worry about, she adds.

Monica advises that women and men check themselves regularly and get the proper screenings.

You can find more information on thyroid disorders from Henry Ford Health System HERE.