I have finally had my surgery now. I am waiting to hear if its cancer or not. I was told my out patient appt would be 2-4 weeks to hear the results and was listed as Urgent appt. I havent been given any guidance about scar management other than don't get it wet for 7 days and wear bandage. I have steri strips on, they aren't loose yet. A nurse said to try to peel them off if they will come off but I feel uncomfortable doing that. I wish I was told more about what to do and if I should use scar treatment on it etc. I've seem some people use silicone strips.
I found out today by chasing my appt up, that my appointment to hear my results won't be until 6 weeks. I've questioned it as 2-4 weeks seems more appropriate. I was told it could be a call, I've said I would prefer a f2f so he can look at the scar! I'm getting the secretary to check if a 6 week call is a mistake. I don't know what will happen at this appt or if they are even planning to test my TSH. I've had half of my thyroid out.
What advice do you all give for me. Scar management, tests, what should be happening now? Etc although my surgeon seems like a good surgeon bt the admin staff make mistakes and I've had to question so many things and they have made mistakes alot and I just can't sit back and trust they are doing a good job I want go know what should be happening so I can make sure it does.
My heart rate has been v up and down and I hope this regulates. This happened in hospital and it was 125 for most of the time after op. Now its mostly below 100 but very changeable.
I feel quite alone medical support wise, discharged from hospital, GP not interested and poss appt in 6 weeks. Kinda crap really.
Thank you for reading xx
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Sleepy101
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Recommend getting full thyroid and vitamins tested done soon
Looking at previous posts you have been on 50mcg levothyroxine for roughly two months
50mcg levothyroxine is only a starter dose. Dose is increased slowly upwards in 25mcg steps until TSH is ALWAYS under 2
Often when adequately treated TSH will be well under one.
Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose change or brand change in levothyroxine
Which brand of levothyroxine are you currently taking
What vitamin supplements are you currently taking
When were vitamin levels last tested
For full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Low vitamin levels are extremely common, especially as you have autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's) diagnosed by raised Thyroid antibodies
Ask GP to test thyroid and vitamin levels NOW
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip)
Is this how you do your tests?
Private tests are available as NHS currently rarely tests Ft3 or thyroid antibodies or all relevant vitamins
Thank you for your reply.Brand of levothyroxine currently taking is Accord. Was Mercury Parma before that.
I am taking vitamin D, selium B vits and in process of getting magnesium. I was told go stop everything before my OP.
Viamin levels last tested in July. My plan was retest after my operation and its been booked and cancelled 4 times.
I will get this: full Thyroid evaluation you need TSH, FT4 and FT3 plus both TPO and TG thyroid antibodies tested. Also EXTREMELY important to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12. I will probably pay for it myself to save time. And then try to get NHS to do in future.
I hadn't been tested for TSH yet. I am on a starter dose as a trial as GP thinks I'm subclinical hypothyroidism. Low T4 but TSH below 10. I planned to retest after op which was supposed to be in Jan. Now op is done I need to get back on track with everything.
Others have given the advice you need but as for your scar, as soon as my wound had started to heal, I put on Vitamin E oil from a health shop. It is brilliant for healing scars and is completely safe. Do not use Bio oil. It is not a natural product. I think you will find it is invisible in time but don’t be impatient with it. I became addicted to scarves until it looked better.
I normally scar so badly but this one is practically invisible now. I have just used normal moisturiser.I used to used wheatgerm oil for vitamin E but I cut gluten from my diet so don't use anything like that now.
I had my thyroidectomy in September 20. Wait for the steri strips to peel off naturally. Dont worry about getting it wet in the shower but don’t soak it unnecessarily. Your scar looks ok.moisturise and massage gently with e 45 or similar cream every day once the strips come off.It will be fine and hardly noticeable after a few months.
The aftercare may be more flaky. Mine was removed as I had a sub sternal goitre so I can’t advise regarding post operative cancer care.
Thanks. Yeah I think I will wait because I have very sensitive skin and I don't want to injure the scar of healing. Once the strips are off I will start with moisturiser
Its been a week so hopefully they have the results and waiting 6 weeks is OK.I have Levothyroxine 50mg from before the op. I havent been given anything else since that.
Sleepy, I think you’ll need more than 50mcg levothyroxine quite quickly—if not already. Without a thyroid you can’t make any thyroid hormone at all and 50mcg is a tiny dose, even for those who still have their thyroid.
I think if nothing else, I’d query the dosage with my GP, because something about that doesn’t sound right—in fact, it really should have been reviewed before you left hospital. If your GP isn’t helpful, it might be worth ringing the ward you were on and asking for advice.
The scar looks good—I’m so sorry you didn’t get much in the way of advice for how to look after it. The advice in this leaflet might help - it suggests you should be fine to remove the steri-strips after 7 days.
Hello. Thank you for your comment. That leaflet is very helpful I took the strips off yesterday and they came off fine. I had a partial so thought that's why I didn't get anymore levo yet. I assumed that they test me in 6 weeks to see my levels? I have an appointment with the surgeon then. Although I have found out it is a phone call.
Definitely ask your doctor about levo dose. I wasn't on anything pre-thyroidectomy but was immediately put on 100 mcg after it with blood tests 6 to 8 weeks later. Also get calcium checked as parathyroid glands can be damaged during a thyroidectomy. Wishing you a good recovery.
Your scar looks good. I wish mine looked as good as that, and that's after 25 years. I had two operations, one to remove the 'lump' and another 6 months later to take the rest of my thyroid as it was cancer, but luckily encapsulated. You are more likely to get a raised keloid scar on the midline of your body, so moisturising daily with vit E oil or just body lotion for 5-10 minutes will keep that from happening.
I'm day 11 after op and took steri strips off yesterday. I was planning to start massaging and using lotion day 14 to make sure I'm properly healed. When did you start massaging your scar?
I never did. After the first op, I had no issues with a keloid scar. After the second op, I had a haematoma on my voice box and was told not to touch it at all costs. After my 6 week check, the surgeon started injecting the scar with steroids. It is quite possibly the most hideous thing I've ever had to endure, as nothing could take away the pain. They did that every 6 weeks for 6 months. At that point, the gel came out that reduced the scarring. It did help, but I developed an allergy to every type of adhesive dressing/tape on the market, so couldn't wear it for very long. I really could only have it on if I wasn't moving. Given I had a 2 year old and a 6 year old, that wasn't long. Probably about a year after the second operation, it was decided that no further improvement was possible. I find it impossible to wear a round neck or something over my scar. It makes me feel physically sick, even yet.
Hello Sleepy, your incision doesn’t look bad at all. I had mine out 26 years ago (cancer) and this was followed by iodine radiation therapy. I can’t remember all of what took place but you very shouldn’t have to wait so long for results. You should go back to the surgeon and let them know what is happening and that you need to get results ASAP.
You can remove the bandages and start to treat the scar. If you put a warm compress of a wet hand towel over the scar for a few minutes it should help you remove the strips.
The best thing for your scar is to use a good vitamin E oil - and massage that into your scar two or three times a day-don’t be afraid to give it good pressure when you do. Even though it is tender it will be fine. You can use BioOil as well.
I hope you get results soon. Hang in there! It is definitely a process to get things moving in the right direction. This is a great forum to find information. Good luck 🤞 😃
I'm glad my scar looks good so far. Really hope it carries on. I have an appointment to hear the results and it would be an appointment 6 weeks after op so I'd hope thar means I don't have cancer. How quickly did you hear? I was planning to start massaging day 14 to make sure I'm healed, I am quite a slow healer but I am also prone to scaring.
Hi, as you had a partial consider yourself lucky. I wish I still had some of my thyroid. Had mine removed 2yrs ago as had cancer and in lymph nodes.As I understand the surgery can cause a spike in circulating t4 so that may explain your heart rate being high, I had the same post surgery and my t4 was at around 29 for at least a month.
I went to the g.p and insisted on regular bloods (just mention cancer scare and surgery) my gp didn't question me.
I had my follow up 2 wks post surgery but went private, had surgery on nhs last year and had to wait 6wks for a telephone follow up which really upset me as I assumed they would want to do a physical examination and check healing etc. (Very lax and doesn't instil confidence)
Regarding the scar I used castor oil and was advised to massage the area, this will help all the highways of muscles in the neck to heal.
I definitely do consider myself lucky and I hope I can keep the other side and its not cancer, I am still waiting to get my results. I'm sorry to hear about your experience :(My heart rate has settled now which is good.
I also have a phone call follow up 6 weeks after op and I will hear my results here from op. So sounds right for NHS then but yes very lax. I questioned the timing but have been told f2f will be months.
I'm going to start massaging soon going to use vitamin E. I've been massaging around the scar but I want to heal bit more before I massage scar. I'm day 11.
Make a nurse appointment at your GP for blood tests and they can also look at your scar. The hospital should have done blood tests or asked the GP to. If you are in touch with the hospital ask the Secretary about blood tests, should be routine. 6 weeks for the consultant/surgeon appointment is fine, they will have to wait for a biopsy and decide if you need any further treatment. As you are aware from your delay in operation, the NHS is in a bit of a mess at the moment. Scar looks good. You might consider creams when it is healed. See Butterfly thyroid cancer trust information and advice.
I tried to book a nurse appt to look at my scar and apparently she's on AL and no one else is free! Told to leave the strips on until they fall off. I'm so hard to take blood only the hospital walk in can do it so I always have to go there. In the end I asked medical secretary for the surgeon to get me an answer to what to do and he said take off after 10 days. That was yesterday and I've taken them off. I asked about when I will have blood tests and have now realised that I didnt get an answer to that. I will email again.Going to get some vitamin E oil tomorrow and start massaging around scar and neck and then from day 14 the actual scar. I'm still healing a bit and a little scared to go on scar. Ooh thank you I will have a look at Butterfly
I have to say that that is the best post op scar I have ever seen, looks fantastic. I’ve had two partials and I looked like a slaughtered animal for at least two weeks after. My first op was nearly 40 years ago and I didn’t use anything on the scar at all and within a year you could hardly see it, my second one was a few years ago and it’s the first thing I notice when I look in the mirror but I am the worst side of 65 now. I was told to try and keep the wound dry for at least a week then showering would be ok but just to let the water run on it, don’t rub or touch it with soap etc. I wouldn’t put anything on it until it has completely healed and sealed. To be honest I don’t think you will have a problem with scarring as it looks good now.
I really hope it carries on being a nice neat scar. I'm glad to hear that your scars faded for you even though it sounds like they were bit scary looking straight after.
Its interesting you say that about water because I have not got it wet for 11 days now and I really think dry healing is making a difference. I'm the same when I have injections I won't get it wet for a week because I've noticed it helps me heal. I have such sensitive skin that when healing and it gets wet it makes it itchy and red. I will start vitamin e and massage but I'm waiting until 14 days to ensure its healed.
I can’t believe that your scar is less than 2 weeks old, it’s amazing. Here are my two, first one is from 1982 and second one is from 2015 which was a week after
oh thank you for posting this, its interesting to see other peoples pictures and how its stitched. I think Steri-strips and glue look less intimidating afterwards to keep wound together than sutures and staples for sure. I did not know what to expect when i took off my bandage as results do seem to vary a lot and the type of suture used afterwards. I have found out that my surgeon won an award for his work and he has def done an amazing job would my scar. I am wondering if it will get redder and raised when heals a bit more but im still happy over all.
Hi, your scar is nice and neat. I had 7/8ths thyroid removal over 30 years ago, not for cancer, mine was post partum problem, my scar was longer than yours. My wound was stapled outside, I presume dissolving stitches inside as I never had to go and have anything done to the wound. A pharmacist advised me to massage pure lanolin into the scar twice a day, my scar is flat and just a pale silver line which nobody has ever noticed . I must admit that I had no follow up appointment with either hospital or GP and never questioned whether this was correct. Make sure that you get properly medicated if you need it, I was left without any Levothyroxine for a very long time then given 25mcg for years whilst I became more and more unwell. If only I knew then what I know now. Look after yourself, let yourself heal from the operation, dobt be fobbed off. Good Health to you.
Im sorry to hear that you did not get proper care and treatment. Its crappie that people are left ill, I wonder then this will stop happening.I do need to make sure I get tested properly and medicated and advocate for self. I knew this but had hoped at 6 week follow up this was goinf to be done but no-one has confirmed this so I am going to check. Im nearly feeling more recovered and able to get back to pushing for tests and learning about hashimotos etc. I've been recovering and resting and nothing else 😴 and it's helped me heal I think
Glad to hear you are recovering well, the rest will do you the world of good. I get full thyroid tests privately as do a lot of members on the forum, GP only tests TSH and FT4, unfortunately most GP's medicate based on the TSH result and pay no attention to anything else, not even your symptoms. I would advise that you read as much as you can, ask questions to forum members who know about Hashimotos, knowledge is the key. I wish you well in your recovery.
I am going to get a private blood test done. My GP is testing my Thyroid and vitamins but like you say its not full thyroid panel. I will definitely continue to use this site and get support and build my knowledge 😊
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