I'm due to get married in August and have been offered a date for my thyroid removal (cancer) 7 weeks beforehand. I want to take the date as my health is more important, but not sure how I will feel 7 weeks later.
I had a partial removal earlier this year and felt physically ok 3 weeks later although I've had brain fog, and I'm not bothered by the scar being in photos, however I have heard that going on to medication is a real journey so I am worried about feeling unwell.
The wedding is just registry office and a pub, only costs involved in delaying would be admin fees.
What would you do?
Written by
Woogsy
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I think you know what you want to do and that's get the surgery out the way first - as naturally - it's colouring and hanging over, everything else.
No one can know how you are going to feel afterwards - nor give you a time line as everyone's journey is unique to them but rest assured we can help, advise and support you through to finding your optimal dose of thyroid hormone replacement.
No thyroid hormone replacement works well until the core strength vitamins and minerals are up and maintained at optimal - so we would be asking for blood tests of ferritin, folate, B12 and vitamin D and lnon optimal levels of any of these can compromise your health further than necessary.
Your ' foggy ' brain is suggestive of hypothyroidism - so you may already be with non optimal Free T3 and Free T4 readings -
Do you have a current TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 reading/ranges ?
Suggest you arrange a TSH, Free T3 and Free T4 - before surgery - as then we have some idea where your T3 and T4 need to be within the ranges - to feel reasonable well and where we need to get back to - at least - in order to restore your health and well being.
I’d probably go with what DD suggests - have the operation, head off to the registry office quietly as planned, if you feel good invite your friends and family and have the party afterwards or if you don’t feel great have a party when you feel healthier. You might feel great after the operation - there’s no way of knowing. Very best wishes to you whatever you decide.
Can you answer me this? When will you feel healthy enough to get married either with or without surgery?
If the answer to that is there are no absolutes, then it should naturally follow that there is no good to be had in postponing the wedding as health is so unpredictable.
Do both. Trying to be like everyone else when we have so many challenges as a disabled people is not worth the very little energy we have.
I've never had thyroid cancer and I'm not a doctor so be aware my comments are just my untrained opinion.
Do you know the kind of thyroid cancer you have?
I have read that some thyroid cancers are slower growing than others. If you have a slow growing type then, in your shoes, I would want to get married first. If your cancer is one of the faster type I would want to have surgery first.
A very useful piece of advice that comes up often on this forum before thyroid removal ...
If you currently feel fairly well then get thorough testing before surgery.
Your thyroid hormone levels before surgery will be wildly different from what they are after surgery. Some people have no idea what TSH, Free T4, and Free T3 levels make them feel well, so if/when they don't feel well they have no idea what to aim for. So, find out now before anything has happened, and at least you will have a target to aim for if you don't feel good.
You could ask your GP to test the following before surgery - but don't be surprised if most of the tests are refused and all you get is TSH. Penny pinching in the NHS has reached insane levels.
TSH
Free T4
Free T3
I don't know what benefit there is to getting antibodies tested before or after thyroid removal, but if you want those too, it might turn out to be helpful :
TPO Antibodies
Tg Antibodies
Hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone levels) reduces the levels of stomach acid in the gut. As a result the body will often perform poorly in extracting nutrients from your food. This then leads to low levels of some essential vitamins and minerals. Many of us have to supplement constantly to maintain our levels.
Vitamin B12
Folate
Vitamin D
Ferritin (iron stores)
Another helpful set of tests to have for future reference is an iron panel.
Serum Iron
Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC)
Transferrin Saturation
Ferritin (a repeat of the above)
CRP (a measure of inflammation. When CRP is high it raises ferritin making it look artificially good)
...
To get these tests done privately, and in some cases to get discount codes :
There may be other companies who are trusted for testing thyroid/nutrients/antibodies but I can't remember who they are that will do all the tests I've listed as one package.
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