Tips for thyroid surgery, please.

My name is cynthia i am currently 25. I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer a month after my 21st birthday. I was  3 hours from home and it was hard. I had my surgery in October of 03. my doctor was very scocked by me. I was eating fine and "talking up a storm" as the doc puts it just hours after my surgery. But i was in ICU for 2 days and in a normal room for an additional 6. I had my full thyroid removed along with all lymphnods (sp?) and a total of 8 tumors. I never lost my voice but the nerve to my left shoulder was damaged and they were forced to cut the nerve to my left ear. To this day i have trouble carring anything heavy in my left hand but suffer from no hearing loss in my left ear. I am on synthroid 300 MCGs a day its really the only one my body had accepted. The only advice i could give you is just take it one day at a time. I left the hospital on a tuesday and was back in school on thursday and work on friday. I took on a lighter load with school and work hours but i just couldn't sit at home. I refused to let my cancer have the best of me. Since then i have been in 3 walks for cancer and have been walked for in 6 different walks. I went into remission 2 weeks before christmas in 06. Almost 2 yrs now! Best of luck and i'll keep you in my prayers

My total thyroidectomy and left neck dissection (lymph nodes from my ear to my collarbone were removed on the left side) was in 2005.  Everything went great.  I went home the next day after they pulled my drain tube.  It was a 3 hour surgery.  I felt bad for about 4 days (sore, inappetant from the anesthesia).  My advice is to make soft food for yourself ahead of time if you don't have a helper.  Get all the meds you need before you get home (calcium, thyroid meds, etc).  For scar care, my scar was covered with a clear barrier (like saran wrap that rubs off) so I couldn't do anything to my incision until my first recheck with the surgeon.  After that he said to use steroid cream on my scar to fight any kind of inflammation, since inflammation is the enemy.  My scar looked fantastic very soon after my surgery.  No cheloid, no problem.  I had a little weakness in my voice for a few months and I'm numb from my chin south to my collarbone on one side (it has improved with time) but I'm quite satisfied and happy with my experience.

Glad you had a good experience----but what's the deal with the drain tube? My surgeon said I will be having one, but from what I've read online they don't usually use drains.

 

On 4/10/2008 Girlcat36 wrote:

Glad you had a good experience----but what's the deal with the drain tube? My surgeon said I will be having one, but from what I've read online they don't usually use drains.

I had a TT in June 07- I thought I was having a PT, but they found papillary cancer on the right side and after further path, found papillary with follicular variant on the other.  I was unsure what the drain tube was as well.  I also saw online that many don't use it, however, my surgeon did.  It was a rubber tube with a ball on the end.  The nurses would come in and "strip" the tube about every two hours and empty the contents.  It is kind of gross, but I guess they want to keep track of the fluid that is coming - I also think that it has something to do with the fluid not coming out of the incision if they use this tube.  I didn't have any external stitches, only stiches on the inside and steristrips on the outside... I wore the steristrips for 3 weeks post surgery and my scar is almost unnoticable.  I used Mederma for about 2 months after the steristrips came off.  I did not have any vocal cord issues - I think the most painful part was the tube down my throat during surgery - but after that sore throat went away, recovery went very well!

Good luck with your surgery. 

 

 

 

On 4/10/2008 Girlcat36 wrote:

Glad you had a good experience----but what's the deal with the drain tube? My surgeon said I will be having one, but from what I've read online they don't usually use drains.

I had 2 drain tubes. one in the front and one on my left side. my scar goes from my left ear to the far right side of my neck. my surgery was 8 hours but the pain was bareable. They came and drained my tubes every hour and also checked for bowel movements. Which was weird but hey what ever helps me get better. and took blood 3-5 times a day i looked like a crack addict by the time i left with both my arms all bruised up.

 

On 4/7/2008 skylog wrote:

I agree with everyone else.  The surgery itself is not bad at all.  The worst of my pain was from the breathing tube,  which felt like the worst sore throat ever.  I also felt like my throat was very swollen on the inside, which made it hard to eat solid food for about two weeks.  This was all a breeze compaired to the way I felt while hypo waiting for RAI (if you need it).  Still now 4 months after my surgery I still feel very tired at times and have gained alot of weight.  This is all due to my thyroid levels being low, because it takes a very long time to get those adjusted right. Also, I still have low calcium, so I eat alot of tums and Vit D.  I keep hearing it will get better.....let's hope.  Good luck, you will be fine.

 

I was wondering who your doctor was. I am about to under go surgery myself...

who was your doctor I am about to under go surgery myself.