CHOAKING !Had TT 6days ago was in ITU and high dependency followed by a day on a Normal ward ,Home after 4days. Very large giotre substernal

[sued007]

which had been pressing badley on my trachea and really affected my breathing-totalmass weighed over 3kilo .Breathing much improved already but choking a lot of the time still and speech is very odd (sound like the dog that says sausages!!) also speech comes and goes in force. Im told that they didnt cut the larynical nervers and they could be seen quite clearly during surgery. Also told that sometimes windpipes that have been restricted can be quite floppy after surgery. Cut on neck about 6-7inch but looks very neat. My questions are i have a disolving running stitch under steri strips in my neck,not looked at yet but do you think it would be safe to shower/wash my hair and perhaps remove strips tomorrow (day 7) or should i leave longer as not sore or anything. When do i start rubbing stuff in to help with scarring and what would you suggest ,

The choaking starts with a tickle ,feels like you have some thing stuck on back of throat-its very hard to cough and speak normally, is this normal and how long does it take to improve?

Was put on 150mg Levothyroxine after surgery and had bloods taken today at doctors, im very tired still but was over 4hrs in op, ive not been too bad so far but feel very shaky and getting odd hot flushes late afternoon/evening . i take levo 2hrs before food and other tabs in morning - is this me just getting used to being on medication?

Still feelin tearfull and tired but it is early days. Any help or advice please

[Orangelady1]

Wow! I had a TT done just over 2 years ago. I had staples instead of a running stitch that were removed 6 days after op. As for rubbing things in your scar I used bio-oil, but was advised by chemist not to use it until wound had fully healed. But it does work well. The choking feeling I used to get for a week or so after op. Also I was very weepy and was told a lot of that is due to the amount of anaesthetic we are given. May I ask the outcome of what they removed? Keep getting stronger.

[sued007 in reply to Orangelady1]

hopefully non toxix multi nodulargoitre that is not hopefully cancer but will know more when see surgeon at post op. the stich is self desposing doesnt need removal

[Clutter]

OMG that's a huge mass!

If you can hold out until your stitch is removed, I would. I had running stitch too, and it's a doddle to remove, just stings, and scarring is almost imperceptible after a couple of months. I was given antibiotic eye cream something like chloraphenicol to apply 3 to 4 times a day after stitch out.

With a mass like that removed you'll have quite a vaccuum in the wound and it will take a while to heal. Surgeon told me major healing happens in the first few months but continues for up to 18 months.

It'll take a few weeks to get the anaesthetic out of your system so try to drink plenty of fluids and eat a good diet to help the healing. Might be an idea to ask for ferritin, vitD, B12 and folate to be checked and supplement if you're low in range which hypothyroid patients often are.

Voice should return to normal in a couple of weeks. Hope you feel better soon.

[sued007 in reply to Clutter]

thank you- i feel great considering-yes a large space to fill although had drain in for 2days so brising minimal just glad its over. had ferrttin and b12 calcium t3 t4 full bloods and vit d done his morning. im on ferrous glutonate vitd and b12 tabs after being on this site and reading before op . neck is so much smaller now but instead im chokingon everything and nothing

[Clutter in reply to sued007]

Windpipe's probably dancing the fandango in ecstacy having been freed of the strangulating mass.

Don't overdo things for a few weeks. Rest and sleep as much as you can. Your mind's probably been wracked with anxiety apart from the trauma your body's experienced.

[Mumtoboy]

Still take it very easy on yourself. It took me two weeks to feel almost better but my goitre wasn't as big as yours. My voice was getting better after two weeks. I didn't have choking but had a strange noise when swallowing. If you are worried about it, why don't you ask to see the surgeon sooner? I think the general pattern if recovery should be that you feel a but better each day. If not then get checked out by gp or surgeon. I wouldn't put anything on your scar yet until it's 100 percent healed. When us your post op check? What did they say about removing the strips? I just had a waterproof dressing with dissolvable sutures and the surgeon removed it a week post op - hair washing wasn't a problem as the dressing was waterproof but I was told not to soak it in the bath.

Good luck with everything and rest loads

[Hidden]

I was told do not shower, bathe or wash hair until strip off. On day 7 I showered and washed hair. Quick in and out.

When discharged i was given letter for nurse and on for GP . Surgery phoned me with an appointment for 10 days after op. The nurse took my steri strip off I didnt and she snipped the end of dissolvable stitches and they had already dissolved. Surgeon told me steri strip holds scar together and stops it from stretching but should not come off until 10 days.

I rubbed bio oil into scar the night sterstrip removed. I am still rubbing it in 3 times a day.

Just be careful if you laugh. I had hysterics with one of my friends on the phone about a week after op. I woke up next day with such a sore throat.

I stayed in bed for about 4 days after op. I had such pains in my stomach on day 4 like sore trapped wind I spoke to surgery and they told me to move around as much as possible. Fall asleep in a chair rather than in bed and to walk around house few minutes each hour. Worst thing you can do is lie in bed. I did what they said and pain disappeared.

Wishing you a speedy recovery!