Thyroid reassurance please

[MummyEmu]

Hi, am due to have at least half my thyroid removed at the start of feb, maybe more as biopsies came back abnormal. Dreading what it will be like after operation, does anyone have any experience good or bad, please

Had my thyroid removed two years ago as I had a large goitre, the operation was fine,sore for one night. Post-op the biggest problem was couldn't turn my head without pain for quite awhile, so no driving things like that. The incision is not visible, my surgeon put it in the natural crease. I didn't have any abnormalities so don't know about that. On replacement thyroxine, took a few months to get the dosage right but fine now. Ask all the questions you need to, don't feel you can't. My surgeon was very good and talked me through everything.

Thanks for replying, I guess it is the not knowing how much they will take and how long it will take to recover that doesnt fit with my control issues!! Am not good at asking for help and have a 6yo and 3yo, have asked dh to take a week off but I guess it will probably take longer than that and the thought of not being able to drive is terrifying!

Hi there,
I had the right side of my Thyroid removed in March this year. It was a parathyroid adenoma (2cm). So I had the right side removed and 2 of the 4 parathyroids that are attached to the back of your thyroid. My lump was picked up out of the blue when being investigated for something else.

I waited 6 weeks from the surgeon saying he would book me in till the day of my surgery(my fna was also clear but showed some calcified bits in it which can indicate the nasty c). I went in for my surgery on the Friday and left hospital on the Saturday. My pain (and i'm a wimp) was bearable with paracetamol and codine, though I did have a bit of morphine post surgery which was nice . I went back to work on the Monday (I could have had 2 weeks off that was reccommended by the surgeon, but I love work and they are really flexible so I could come and go as I wished and I was fine). I talk alot in my job, my surgeon knew this and was a little worried in surgery because my lump was wrapped around one of my vocal nerves. I remember him coming into the ward afterwards (I was really groggy) and making me talk to him (cant remember what I said, probably I loved him lol, he had that really nice surgeon presence) . My voice was fine and still is.

I had a drain in my neck overnight, this was removed the next morning before I left hospital. My wound was stapled and looked like a zip. I was supposed to go to the nurse after 5 days to have the staples removed but the hospital gave me the removal tool so I got my friend to remove them for me (they were really pulling on one side and I couldn't get in to our constantly unavailable doctors on day 5). I went to the docs 3 days later for a wound check, everything was fine.

Blood tests were taken while in hosp to check calcium levels, thyroid hormones etc and I have them done every 3 months at the moment. Really not as bad as I thought it would be and I didnt use the scarves I bought to cover my scar - I figured its part of me, sod what anyone else thinks - and I did joke when a couple of people asked that my OH had slit my throat lol!

What is abnormal about your results - have you been told?

xx

Thanks iwillbefree your post is very reassuring, it is not the abnormal results that bother me they have said the cells are abnormal and it is 50/50 as to whether it is cancer, but I am strangely calm about that!! It is pain and restrictions post op that bother me. It has only been about 8 weeks since I started having problems and the speed of referral is amazing they even offered to do the op 3 days ago, but i wasn`t mentally prepared, I need to know everything in home and worklife is covered so that I can rest and recover. x

I have had my whole thyroid removed (about 5 years ago) my surgeon was great and the scar is hardly visable. From what I remember there was very little pain after the op, I had a drain in overnite like iwillbefree. I didn't have staples I just went to the gp a few days after to have the dressings removed.
Post op you do have to be careful liftinf stuff for a couple of weeks and also you can't drive - but I can't remember how long for.