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My doctor noticed that my thyroid was enlarged when I was about 23 or 24, but I had no symptoms (hyper OR hypothyroid).

Over several years, I had about a million blood tests, a sonogram (found a nodule), a thyroid/iodine uptake scan (came back showing a cold nodule, which is not good but not necessarily bad), and two fine needle biopsies (both with uncertain findings). I finally had surgery a few months before I got pregnant with my daughter - I was tired of always having the possibility of thyroid cancer hanging over me. The surgeon removed the enlarged half of my thyroid and it did turn out to be benign.

Interestingly enough, my mom had the exact same experience about 5 years before. Thyroid problems do run in families - my sister is hyperthyroid (discovered after her first child was born) and my maternal grandmother was also.

Since my surgery, I take synthetic thyroid hormone. In my case it's not because I'm hypothyroid (though partial thyroidectomy often causes this), but rather as a preventative measure. The meds keep the remaining half of my thyroid suppressed. As long as the meds provide thyroid hormones, my thyroid doesn't have to work and hence should be less likely to develop another nodule.