There are also physical exercises like neck stretches and voice therapy that can support your recovery after surgery. I have a 4cm nodule that has been biopsied 3 times over the last several years but because it continues to grow the doctor said to get it out. The scar is hardly noticeable. I know a lot of people travel to Tampa for him and Im having a partial thyroid lobectomy done by him on Monday. It has only been 4 days since surgery. INDEPENDENT AFFILIATE, CADENCE TRAVEL I hope this puts anyone going through this at ease. Did anyone have an experience like this? Hi Paula The benefit is that its scarless). I have a cystic thyroid nodule on my right side that was first discovered in 2013 or 2014. I had severe nausea from the anesthesia. For a few days I was unable to sleep, shaky, really cold hands and feet with twitching muscles. I had to stay over one night in the hospital and Im home now. I had a great surgeon at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, Dr Lisa Orloff. Hi Robin, I probably read it 3 times per day just to assure myself that people did fine with the surgery. They do another ultrasound that shows the once concerning 2.5 cm nodule is now 0.6 cm so they think it was cystic. Apparently the nodules were pressing on my vocal cords continuing to make me horse and with the nodules gone I have my voice back!!! Thyroidectomy - Mayo Clinic My PTH post op never decreased; my calcium level never went down, my vitamin D was never checked. Molly, Hi! Recovery after partial thyroidectomy - Thyroid UK - HealthUnlocked I think would get another opinion. Maybe you feel more comfortable with the second-opinion doctor? My nodule was 5cm only on the right, so I only had that side taken out. I had surgery on a Thursday and was back at work on Monday. Thanks! I have read so many horror stories about weigbt gain and horrid mood swings neither of which I can handle right now. You may instead be given local anesthesia to numb the area. Molly, A CT scan is a good idea. Hi. my dr said with 1/2 u are like normal, calcium levels should be fine nothing changes. Hi everyone I had a partial thyroidectomy on March 8th this year. Had my partial thyroidectomy 6 days ago due to a hyperfunctioning autonomous nodule (aka hot nodule). Back at work after a week if you want to be but I would give it two to be sure. . Sounds like we all have the "tired" symptom, but It's good to know that it can get back to normal, I just have to be patient and see. After that If I started to hurt I took Tylenol and it was fine. I was on the sofa for three days watching TV but feeling better after that. If so, what med and dosage? I am wondering if anyone else had these post op and how long did those feelings last? Thank you so much for your post about the partial thyroidectomy. my doctor said he doesnt feel a strong need for b), but wanted to put it out there since theres ample time to do one before the surgery. However, my primary doctor has told me not to expect surgery for at least 3 months. It was cancerous, so Im glad I had it removed. While partial thyroidectomy is a fairly routine and simple (relatively speaking) surgery, surgeons seem to have different incision sizes. Careers. However, they asked me about allergies beforehand and I know for sure they double checked and kept that in my mind. UGHHH I am really hoping that the nodules were causing the weight gain and I dont have to join the circus, but instead will return to my slender self again. So take care - and just take it one day at a time. doi: 10.1530/EC-21-0506. I had a hemi-thyroidectomy, my levels stayed the same, there has been no effect on my weight. Disclaimer. Unfortunately, I caught a horrible cold during week four and the coughing really irritated my surgical site. Im scheduled for a partial on the 2nd of February. A partial thyroidectomy is surgery to remove part of your thyroid gland. Thanks again for responding. There wasnt too much downtime and my husband was permitted to hang with me. This was such a great article. Just wondering about exercise after having surgery; will I have to stop yoga for a while to heal, or does anyone know if I can continue this (lets say a week) after surgery? My follow up appointment with my endrocologist is 1/29 to go over everything and a plan. But, since my gum graft surgery recap seemed to help so many people, I thought Id share my partial thyroidectomy experience. We will do one a month for a couple of months to be sure but it looks like the half will do its job. I had a partial thyroidectomy two weeks ago after my biopsies repeatedly came back as indeterminate. If the dose of thyroid hormones are too low, you might experience symptoms such as tiredness, involuntary weight gain, and difficulty focusing. What I meant about the second surgery was that I had a lot more side effects with no thyroid than I did after the first surgery with half a thyroid. Are you on any thyroid med since the partial thyroidectomy? Its not common to remove a nodule thats 1CM approx 3 1/2 becomes suspicious and they suggest to remove. Has anyone experienced hurthle cells? I wanted to share my experience from the UK after surgery because this thread helped me tremendously in the days running up to my op when I was panicking. My levels have been normal, and my parathyroid seems fine, too. I went back to the office the third week, and energy levels felt good, but by Friday I had to leave early and go home to sleep. I fell asleep at my desk. What was your experience with the necessity of pain meds? I had a partial lobectomy 10 weeks ago to remove a 7cms nodule. My doctor advised having it removed. 2022 Oct;30(10):7903-7911. doi: 10.1007/s00520-022-07225-w. Epub 2022 Jun 21. Did I mention about how slow you have to eat! Also, the follow up blood work came back as a 10 which means hypothryoidsim. My voice is the same my chest and back were sore on day 2 but my energy level didnt change. Hi, Dawn, I would stay off of other websites. Give it time each week, continue to keep your mind off the procedure but be aware as you are. I was told that is a much more complicated surgery and recovery. So far so good. Yes. Losing weight to get control of blood sugar. I do suffer being lethargic though my TSH, T3, T4 and free T3 as well. If you dont feel right, or if you are experiencing any unpleasant side effects, say something. Good luck. I slept sitting up in the lazyboy for the first two nights, but am able to sleep in bed now. All authors have no financial, direct or indirect personal relationships that could potentially and inappropriately influence (bias) the work and conclusions of this study. Life after surgery | Thyroid cancer | Cancer Research UK Your healthcare provider will tell you how to prepare for surgery. Quick question- did you have yours done by Dr. Clayman? Anyone had to use oral steroids post op? I did leave a comment a week or so ago but notice it did not post. Energy. It is found in the front lower part of your neck. Im not sure if this is a side effect of the surgery? I laughed and said that I had my thyroid removed 18 years ago and have been on synthroid since. I notice that I still have a pulling sensation or the feeling of have a tight or high collar shirt on. They came back quicker and bigger after each draining. I wish you all the best! I am 68 years old and NEVER had surgery; you can imagine how frightened I was. I hope all goes well for you. Hitting the voice box or causing issues with my breathing. Has anyone heard of this or tried it? Any complications ? In general, thyroid surgery is well tolerated and the vast majority of patients will have a smooth recovery. I am sure it will all heal but will take some time as I am 53. I know it takes time but it makes me so frustrated and makes me want to burst into tears because I rely on workouts to help me get rid of stress and it just upsets me to not be able to rely on it and I just would like to know if any of yall had this experience and how yall fixed it. Partial or complete thyroidectomy is performed to relieve compressive symptoms of thyroid hypertrophy, prevent sequelae of thyroid carcinoma, and achieve hormonal control of hyperthyroidism. There is a slight fullness sensation on my right ear though, Im not sure whether orhers do have the same experience. I am wondering if the right side has not been working since I had large nodules in the left side. I just had my needle biopsy on February 16, 2017. Went back to work today January 6th for 7 hours (Im a hairdresser) felt great, drove myself and had enchiladas for dinner. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed their stories on this site. My tsh is usually 3-5 an Just received my results, I've been diagnosed with Hashimoto's about 7 years ago and with diet and exercise im still gaining weight. Numbness I have swelling and redness, as well as a major bruise (black and blue) all the way down my chest. Also wondering if you or anyone else can tell me when you were able to start working out again? I had my op 3 weeks ago. My recovery was a bit hard because of my reaction to the anesthesia but I think normal recovery is quicker. This test is great on identifying benign or malignant masses. The samples taken could easily miss something. Well that test was useless it came back inconclusive so the only way was to do 1/2 thyroid removal. I feel so very cold and sleep with my electric blanket on, but if I get too hot the breathing is made worse. Be prepared to feel a bit tired for a week or two. Good luck! Did this affect your weight? Although I was terrified, I sailed through it! Younger age, history of depression, thyroid hormone suppression (odds ratio 1.48 [confidence interval 1.21-1.82]), and receipt of radioiodine (odds ratio 1.31 [confidence interval 1.10-1.56]) correlated with worse energy. I had migraines for a few days after and still have a slightly hoarse throat. He explained to me that I had German Shepherd trying to get out a cats door and he had to make 6 inch incision. The .gov means its official. Im glad you mentioned the silicone scar padsI will definitely use those. Patient reported complications or side effects experienced as a result of thyroid cancer, Factors associated with patient report of worse energy 24 years after surgery compared, Factors associated with patient reports of moderate to very severe fatigue 24 years, Thyroid cancer treatment side effects and complications associated with worse energy and significant, MeSH Dont play on driving for at least a week, if not a little longer. Took 4 hours on table some if which was to determine before closing having pathology to detetmine if there was any signs of cancer though biopsy was negative. I feel absolutely fine, but Ill report if the levels are still normal. There is always a possibility that they find cells not found on the needle biopsy. Bit confused! The camera helps your surgeon find the right area for surgery. Didn't find the answer you were looking for? Yes, I slept in my lazyboy for a couple of nights because it was more comfortable that laying down. My other major concern is fatigue after the surgery. Thankfully since I worked in healthcare, I recognized the symptoms after a day of being home and my doctor saw me right away and gave me a prescription. This was my first surgery so was nervous! Although my thyroid levels are fine, my CO2 levels are apparently really low. What happened in the end? One surgeon told me that my down time would be 2 days (which is a complete crock, on hindsight). The edema went away after about 5 days. All multiple FNAs were indeterminate. Ive read so many scary posts about managing hormone levels and poor quality of life issues after full thyroid surgery, etc. Hello everyone, I have a 1cm nodule on my right lobe. Hi Linda, I did the legwork on that one for you.). Recently a mass 5.5cm found on my left lower thyroid gland. Then over the years the nodule grew, started to put pressure on the trachea and the jugular. In addition to accepted risk factors such as depression and comorbidities, receiving radioactive iodine and reporting low calcium after thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer were associated with reports of worse energy compared to preoperative levels; thyroid hormone suppression was associated with reports of both worse energy and substantial post-treatment fatigue. My module were found by accident. That being said I exercised 5 days a week for 3 weeks and dropped the weight very easilyjust like Ive normally been able to dountil the holidays came. I pray I feel like me and require no permanent meds. Thyroidectomy Recovery Time | New Health Advisor After it was out they found it was malignant on the biopsy so 3 weeks later I had a completion thyroidectomy. Other than that, all is well. I, too, have a need for a partial thyroidectomy and am pretty scared, unsure what to expect, etc. He also biopsied a small nodule on the left thyroid & a right parathyroid gland. An official website of the United States government. I had a large goiter (the size of a softball) and half of my thyroid removed four weeks ago. My nodule was over 7cm, but I didnt notice any effects, just that it was large and needed to come out. Its important to keep the incision area moist once the wound has closed up to reduce scarring. Thanks for the info. Still nervous, but less so.. Hi I am having a 9cm x 5 left side mass removed from thyroid. Also, while the recovery is not bad, it is not fun for a couple of days. I am fearful also of hypothyroidism as I dont need any weight gain and feeling sluggish, etc as I work full time. I was hesitant about the surgery, but I can honestly tell you that it was not bad at all. My throat hurt quite a bit, and my neck was stiff. Plus, it was a very mild and painless surgery and recovery. I am going to have thyroid surgery this Fall hasnt been scheduled yet. Even though Im scared, I hope I can get surgery to remove this thing asap and not have another long wait. I get tested every 6 months. So from your experience there's no chance the remaining half will eventually compensate? Your thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly. Like you, I was very nervous from reading some of the posts. FOIA Hello, I am on day 6 of recovery from a left thyroid lobectomy. You may feel some pressure during surgery, but you should not feel any pain. I met with a number of surgeons and all said that next day activity was a no-go. Yes! long story short i was back to zumba in 3 weeks. Surgery was quick and surprisingly painless as I did not have to take even Tylenol after surgery. But this will depend on how strenuous your work is. INITIAL ADOPTION OF RECOMBINANT HUMAN THYROID-STIMULATING HORMONE FOLLOWING THYROIDECTOMY IN THE MEDICARE THYROID CANCER PATIENT POPULATION. Ive certainly gone through my fair share of highs and lows since my surgery. Yes your inicision starts to physically heal and you may feel like yourself within a week or two but no one talks about the months following. After thyroidectomy, some people may experience neck pain and a hoarse or weak voice. But they got it all, great news. I have quite a bit of pain when swallowing, moving my head or coughing despite the Norco. I had multiple nodes on mine, and had been having them drained for the past 2 years. Karla. Im wondering what thats about. Post Operative Expectations. ANY advise or words of encouragement would be appreciated. My biopsy result is indetermine with microcalcification. Also, after surgery I still test in the normal range and do not need thyroid meds. Why take a nodule out if this one is benign? I just received the call from my Endocrinologist that I have to have a left lobe partial. Also, you need to be careful to not stretch your neck for about a week so no driving. Hi, I had a very similar situation. Incomfort is also worth mentionning. Starting to get nervous. My scar is about 4 long as it turned out my right lobe was huge.7cm x 4cm x 5cm. All I can say is pay very close attention to what your body is telling you. The one thing I do notice is that Im tire easily. Im going in on Friday morning. The reported incidence of hypothyroidism ranges from 5% to 49%, with most between 15-30%. The average dose is 60 to 180 mg/day. Symptoms of thyroid storm include a fever (over 102 degrees F in most people), profuse sweating, a rapid heart rate, and sometimes delirium (severe confusion). Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal. I had only the right side removed on March 16th. The are still within normal range so I havent needed any meds. Total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer. We are scheduled to go on vacation to Florida (live in Ohio) June 25th we are flying. Thank you for sharing us. And the fact Ive put on weight, feel tired and sometimes have insomnia can be attributed to my thyroid as well. i ate light for a few weeks. the only thing is the my 1 inch insicion is super itchy sometimes but i keep out of the sun & use a light scarf.Best of luck on your surgery, think positive & take care of yourself ? The post op biopsy proved it was negative so it ended up being the right choice. Similarly, correlates of substantial fatigue included younger age, more comorbidities, history of depression, and thyroid hormone suppression (odds ratio 1.63 [confidence interval 1.34-1.99]). I visit the endo this week to see if I require the levothyroxin. Im glad you had a good outcome and warned of feeling not yourself that first week or two. Anyway, you get the picture. Anyone feel like you have a constant thing tied around your neck thats the only thing thats bothering me. I found that to be disturbing. My steri strips are still in place and I see the surgeon tomorrow for my post surgery appointment. Im actually sick from the anemia but have no symptoms from the thyroid issue. As an otherwise healthy human, I figured that Id land somewhere in the middle. but I am not sure if the difficulty Im having is because of a post-40 metabolism. Good luck! My incision? They are removing my right thyroid (4cm nodule) and a left parathyroid gland as there is a small adenoma on it. You will have blood tests to check your calcium and thyroid hormone blood levels. I had a partial thyroidectomy on June 12th, about 7 weeks ago. he hardest thing about the surgery is having to sleep sitting up, i the hydrocodon also makes my nausceous abs dizzy, i wish i could just get a good nap. Nervous and anxious is an understatement. Whats the timeline like for fatigue going away? Epub 2018 Nov 1. After you enlighten yourself with the research you will be more confident about your situation and better able to consult with your doctor. The nodules on the left doubled in size, suspicions shape and have microcalcification. For me, I have a 5cm benign cyst that Ive had aspirated but it immediately filled back up and grew. I had a wonderful surgeon who performs 70-80 of these surgeries a year! I had this growth for over forty years and it was continuing to grow around my esophagus, my windpipe and under my collarbone. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for posting your experience. I do agree it is not as bad as it may seem. Best to those experiencing this, and think it was an experience that was so far much better than expected going in. After a thyroid lobectomy, you'll need to have your thyroid hormone levels checked and will be prescribed a thyroid hormone replacement, if needed. I am so very nervous about the recovery and possible complications. Now Im really struggling because Im nauseous and weak all the time. I know exactly what you mean. We disclaim all responsibility for the professional qualifications and licensing of, and services provided by, any physician or other health providers posting on or otherwise referred to on this Site and/or any Third Party Site. These post have help with many questions I have. Please enable it to take advantage of the complete set of features! 8600 Rockville Pike Im going for a CAT scan tomorrow. I know this is forever ago, but how are you? I go back in January to have my thyroid levels checked. The surgery went well, minor discomfort only. Its itchy. Between the two years of pondering whether or not I should do this, biopsies and appointments with various surgeons, nothing really prepared me for how it really would go for me, which may be differentfromhow you will recover. You vomit several times in a row. No medication needed. There is no best time to get it my opinion. My nodules were found by accident on a chest CT of my lungs and the biopsy said suspicious and atypical so we really had no choice but to remove them. Jennifer. And it was, and they got it all. This has just got the better of me. Still have a very foggy brain it seems. I can drink and eat as normal. I have talked myself out of going through with surgery too many times to count and am very concerned about too many things.weight gain, how I will feel immediately after surgery, the biospy results of removed section, whether or not I have to go back for a second round, damaging vocal cords, will I need mediction, what probs does meds present.etc There is not much I am not worried about. I am scheduled for a partial/poss total thyroidectomy on Nov 5th due to an extremely suspicious nodule in my left thyroid. Im extremely exhausted but from previous posts that seems to be normal. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. Stayed home for a week, but then was I fine. Parathyroidectomy cures almost all cases of primary hyperparathyroidism and returns blood calcium levels to a healthy range. My partial surgery was 9 Feb 2017 ; tonight had to do back to ER for neuropathy left hand, wrist while cooking me a lite supper . You may also feel a sensation of swelling or firmness that will also resolve over time. You have to take an active role. I see everyone is different. My incision is sensitive, not sure how long that will last. The surgery itself is pretty easy. I want to be normal again. Well I turned 50 this year and none of my friends have it, so I was a little frazzled by it all, but I suppose the fact I noticed the lump in my neck and asked questions was a good thing. He has 30 years of experience and I am very pleased. My voice is not completely back to normal (I sing) but its getting there. Let us know how you make out. Apologies for the late reply. I know its a silly thing to worry about but Im only 5ft and weight gain worries me as even small amounts of weight show on me very quickly. If it wasnt for that, I think Id have been off the heavy duty painkillers within a couple days of the surgery instead of taking them for a week. I also had difficulty swallowing and things like vitamins would get stuck. Its been about 6 weeks since my surgery and I got back to my normal routine about 2 weeks ago. Hope this helps. I am not convinced. I just came across this and I am scheduled 8/22/18 for surgery. Im very swollen also but no pain. I had a partial thyroidectomy 3 days ago. I wont need to take thyroid medication. Does the thyroid go into a crisis state after having half of itself removed? It still hurts, not as bad, but my voice is weak, and it hurts to swallow and talk. Thanks so much, Linda. Im almost a week post-op. My hormone levels all test within normal range and I have half a thyroid. Just had my left side removed 4/15/16 at La Jolla and its a week today. A miracle finding them by accident and a miracle getting my voice totally back!!! I went to Mt. Im nervous but Im trying to get as much information as possible in order to make a good decision that I can feel good about. Weight has been O.K. While partial thyroidectomy is a fairly routine and simple (relatively speaking) surgery, surgeons seem to have different incision sizes. Just my thoughts here after my surgery I felt a little down too. I asked my dermatologist how best to avoid scarring and she said that vitamin E and other scarring ointments are basically worthless. I am also a runner, so Im anxious to see if that is easier (its been too hot to run lately). Good luck to all going thru the same thing. Though thyroid levels are in normal range. The nodules do not have to be massive to put a significant amount of pressure on vocal chords and throat and can be extremely uncomfortable to swallow and in extreme cases can even put pressure on your airway.