How much swelling is ok?

[lumpety]

I had half my thyroid removed on Monday. The dressing came off about 4 hours ago. At the time it was a bit swollen but not alarmingly so. Since then it seems to have really puffed up. I normally have quite a slim neck. I can feel quite a bit of pressure there but I can still breathe ok. Wait and watch or get it checked?

If your breathing is unaffected and you can swallow, I would have thought that is ok at the moment. But keep a watch on it and if you start to get any difficulties, get seen straight away.

Cheers lougle. I didn't really want to have to drag my H and the DC down to the hospital but I'm a bit woo on endone at the moment so not trusting my own judgement. I'll get the family to keep their eyes on it as well.

Does your voice sound normal? If you have any new changes to how your voice sounds then you should also get checked. Any breathing difficulties call 999
Can you take ibuprofen? This may help reduce the swelling

I'm not allowed ibuprofen because it increases bleeding risk. I'm a bit croaky from the intubation but that's been the same since the surgery. I'm dabbing it with an ice pack for the sake of comfort.

It might just be some fluid build up. I remember having two drains coming from mine, to drain off fluid, when it was removed. If it gets worse pop down the doctors and let them take a look.

I had this after my first thyroid op (one half removed). It swelled up alarmingly and I could feel a pres sure on my throat and even more so with the help of gravity when lie in down.
When I went go my 3 week follow up they stuck a needle in to drain it as it was fairly big. No fluid came out and my consultant said it was imflammatio of the scar/wound bit not infection
I was advised to gently massage it daily but to be honest I didn't because it was tender a day just made me feel odd. It just gradually went on its own accoRd of er 3 months.
I expect just had the text removed a few weeks ago and although I have similar swelling it's not as bad this time.
I did research about the swelling after my 1st op as I was worried it may be permanent and it's fairly common and always graduly goes over varying amounts of time.

So you should be OK but obviously if it affects your breathing get don't delay getting medical help.

Ffs. My phone is buggered. Hope you can understand above.

Thanks for the replies. I haven't responded until now because ... I ended up in hospital on Thursday night and went back to theatre on Friday morning. They drained 50ml of gunk and pus from an infected haematoma, which apparently happens in only about 1% of thyroid surgeries. Lucky me.

Before they trundled me into theatre my entire throat area was hugely swollen, I was unable to swallow without gagging, my voice was disappearing, and I was in an awful amount of pain around my throat and ear. The surgeon waited until today to tell me that if the infection hadn't been removed in time I could have permanently lost my voice as my vocal cords were very close to the infection and had already been displaced by the pressure. I've just been allowed to come back home after several days of drips and serious antibiotics.

I feel so much better now. My incision is rock hard (doc says it's normal) and other than tenderness there my only pain is in my neck muscles. I'm very glad I went to A&E on Thursday and cried at them until they got the surgeon in.