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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask has anyone had a thyroidectomy? I'm so scared!!

70 replies

ILoveHuskies · 23/11/2021 16:06

I'm booked in on Saturday, I'm shitting it. The reason is because I have thyroid nodules that have gradually caused my thyroid to go overactive. This also makes my neck look slightly swollen which I hate. I'm actually having to go private due to being on the nhs wait list for over a year and I just couldn't carry on waiting indefinitely

Although I've had a chat with the surgeon etc and he was very reassuring and is very experienced, I guess I'm scared of something going wrong, and on a more shallow level i am worried how my neck will look (I do have health anxiety though)

So I'm hoping for some positive thyroid removal stories to reassure me if possible please ? Tia x

OP posts:
Totez · 27/11/2021 11:18

Glad you’re calm.

Hope you have a speedy recovery.

Femwitch · 27/11/2021 09:04

Best of luck OP!

kimlo · 27/11/2021 08:59

it'll be fine. You'll be in recovery before you know it.

Original poster
ILoveHuskies · 27/11/2021 08:53

Thank you. I'm just waiting to go down to surgery now

I feel oddly calm 😬

OP posts:
kimlo · 27/11/2021 08:30

good luck for today.

Original poster
ILoveHuskies · 26/11/2021 20:12

Thanks so much to everyone who posted

Its really really helped me. Off to bed soon as gotta be at the hospital for 7am so will be up at 5 as it's quite far. Thank you all again

OP posts:
Original poster
ILoveHuskies · 26/11/2021 17:52

@Femwitch
Oh wow you cannot see it at all

You have a lovely smooth neck, (I notice these things so much seeing as mine is a bit lumpy)

OP posts:
TopTabby · 26/11/2021 13:58

Another hemi here, had it done 6 years ago. It is so nerve-wracking on the day but it was honestly fine.
I spent one night in hospital with drains in, home the next day & I had a bed on the settee for about 5 days & 2 weeks off work.
I was really surprised how pain free the whe thing was & that I could eat normally afterwards.
Mine was removed because I had a large cyst wrapped around it & it was very good to get rid of that as it was dragging my neck quite a bit.
My scar is minimal & as I've become a bit more wrinkled pretty unnoticeable!
Good luck with your op!

Rummikub · 26/11/2021 13:54

By all accounts it’s pretty routine, take care x

Rummikub · 26/11/2021 13:52

I had my op in two halves. Had staples and stitches.

I was moving about in bed in hospital and as long as took pain killers was ok.

My scar is barely visible and matches my c section scar!

I too was scared of GA. but it was ok- don’t remember a thing after they gave me it. Within seconds!

Rummikub · 26/11/2021 13:47

@CiderWithLizzie

I hope it all goes well. Can you have only part of your thyroid removed? I ask as I’m hypothyroid (under active) and it was dreadful getting my levels sorted. I didn’t react well to thyroxine but am doing well now on a combination of T3 and T4.
I keep asking for a combo of t3 and t4 from my Consultant but he keeps saying no. He made it sound as it was quite unusual. How did you get the combination? I find thyroxine very hard.
Totez · 26/11/2021 13:40

Best of luck tomorrow, OP.

You will be fine. Enjoy the rest afterwards.

Femwitch · 26/11/2021 13:30

I'll be thinking of you OP - but I'm sure it will go great. I was hugely anxious about mine as well but it was 10 years ago now and all is well, and my scar is less noticeable than my real wrinkles! It's the fine line in the centre of the photo.
My parathyroid got freaked out during the surgery and stopped working for a few days so I had to have intravenous calcium, but it recovered totally and no issues there now at all.

To ask has anyone had a thyroidectomy? I'm so scared!!
Original poster
ILoveHuskies · 26/11/2021 13:17

@HidingFromDD

Thanks for your story. Eek I'm sorry to hear you reacted to the dressings, that sounds horrid. But glad you had a good recovery etc

I'm taking two weeks off work afterwards too, the surgeon advised at least ten days. I am praying I'll be ok for work after that time, as im self employed and absolutely rammed until Christmas (I am a semi permanent make up and microblading artist so as you can imagine everyone wants their brows done in time for Christmas )

(I also love your username and completely relate to it btw 😂😫)

OP posts:
HidingFromDD · 26/11/2021 12:02

Had a partial 11 years ago. Tbh I don’t really remember much about the recovery, except I had a reaction to the dressings which was horrible. I was back at work full time with a 60 mile commute within 2 weeks and you really have to struggle to see any scar. Surgeon helpfully ‘cut along that crease line you’ve got’ 😁. The only thing I do remember is that it took a while before I felt psychologically comfortable bending my head back, just in case they hadn’t fixed it back on properly 😂

The other thing I wasn’t expecting is that they used staples rather than stitches. Apparently it heals better with less scarring.

Used scarves for a month or two to cover the scar but was pretty much not noticeable after that so dropped them (I’m not a scarf person)

You’ll be absolutely fine. It really is a pretty routine surgery nowadays x

Original poster
ILoveHuskies · 26/11/2021 11:35

Just a quick bump for the Friday crowd ...in less than 19 hours time I will be in hospital. honestly I'm beyond nervous now I'm bricking it and feel sick

So any more positive stories would be super helpful 🥰

OP posts:
Original poster
ILoveHuskies · 24/11/2021 15:39

@NCsobroke

Not me but my mom a few years ago. She was 52 and recovered remarkably quickly and you can’t even notice she has a scar. Good luck and speedy recovery Flowers
Ahh that's great to hear, I am glad she recovered quickly I'm a bit younger (42) and pretty fit and slim etc so hopefully I'll be the same
OP posts:
Original poster
ILoveHuskies · 24/11/2021 12:05

@CiderWithLizzie

I hope it all goes well. Can you have only part of your thyroid removed? I ask as I’m hypothyroid (under active) and it was dreadful getting my levels sorted. I didn’t react well to thyroxine but am doing well now on a combination of T3 and T4.
Thank you ! Yes apparently you can just have some removed according to my surgeon. However apparently they remove the whole thing if you are overactive and or have nodules as there's a risk of the bit left behind become over active and or growing again .

I'm glad you're doing well now Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
ILoveHuskies · 24/11/2021 09:22

@WomblingKnobhead

My scar. I can't remember the actual recovery but I had it under local (a nerve block) which I wouldn't recommend
Oh wow honestly cannot see it at all!
OP posts:
NCsobroke · 23/11/2021 21:58

Not me but my mom a few years ago. She was 52 and recovered remarkably quickly and you can’t even notice she has a scar. Good luck and speedy recovery Flowers

Original poster
ILoveHuskies · 23/11/2021 21:45

@Skatastic

Do they remove them just because they are broken?! Mine looks huge and so so ugly I hate it. I've got Hashimotos and do feel better on the thyroxine but hate my neck.

Good luck with the op, OP!

The nhs were reluctant to remove mine, I had to really push for it due to me feeling anxious about how it looks, and then covid hit and everything got pushed back and after a year I still had no op date so I decided to pay. Plus I don't want to be in an nhs hospital if I can avoid it atm as I honestly would not feel that safe tbh

Also, as there is a slim chance benign nodules can become cancerous, I decided I am not taking any risks whatsoever with that.

It's awful if yours is making you feel so down, it's not right of them to leave you with a lumpy / swollen neck. So I'd push to get it removed although as I say there will be a wait sadly. Unless you go private.

OP posts:
flowersun2 · 23/11/2021 21:24

Had mine done two years ago. Procedure was straightforward- one night in hospital. Sore throat for about a week because of intubation- nothing more than the sore throat you get with a bad cold. I took paracetamol and throat sweets for a couple of days.No pain in scar area. Ate cold things like yoghurt, stewed fruit and ice cream for a day or two then hunger got the better of me! Was very disciplined about washing and massaging the scar- special cream prescribed by doctor then when it ran out I used rosehip oil. You can find videos on YouTube. Cover your scar with a scarf ( or sunblock) to prevent discoloring. Mine was almost invisible after 4 months.
I had no problems adjusting to Levothyrox - have had dosage reduced - here in France we get regular blood tests. See the doctor twice a year to pick up prescription.
Good luck with the operation - it will be fine!

CiderWithLizzie · 23/11/2021 21:24

I hope it all goes well. Can you have only part of your thyroid removed? I ask as I’m hypothyroid (under active) and it was dreadful getting my levels sorted. I didn’t react well to thyroxine but am doing well now on a combination of T3 and T4.

Skatastic · 23/11/2021 21:17

Do they remove them just because they are broken?! Mine looks huge and so so ugly I hate it. I've got Hashimotos and do feel better on the thyroxine but hate my neck.

Good luck with the op, OP!

WomblingKnobhead · 23/11/2021 20:17

My scar. I can't remember the actual recovery but I had it under local (a nerve block) which I wouldn't recommend