Hi, I had a partial thyroidectomy in Nov, cancer found so had the rest removed this week. Struggling more this time & any advise would help!

[mum21]

[Jackie]

Hi First of all sorry to hear your news. However to be positive lots of good results from this type of cancer as normally controlled in the thyroid. It will take you a long time to recover. make sure your vit D, Ferritin, B12 and Folic acid have been tested.In fact I would take some iron anyway ,as a huge range safe. These are often effected by any surgery. have the best multi vitamin and mineral pills you can find. I also find co_enzyme Q10 very good , it helps healing ,thyroid and lots of things. It is safe, I have taken it for years and have to be very careful. It is often recommended for thyroid disease and lots of other things too.

With very best wishes.

Jackie

[mum21 in reply to Jackie]

Thanks for your reply. I got over the initial op really well & felt like I had before the op but this time I don't feel the same! I know it's only 5 days & obviously this time I have no thyroid whatsoever. It's not helping that I have a cough which is pulling that whole area making me feel very sore & tight. Sleeping is proving difficult as I can't get comfortable, go off ok but wake 2-3 hours later & then seem wide awake. I feel very emotional too & fed up. I guess 2 op's in 4 weeks has just taken its toll on me! I started taking 150mg of levothyroxine on Friday. I will start on the other bits too, thanks for the advise. I get my results Friday.

[marbru in reply to mum21]

Hi. I had apartial thyriodectomy initially in 1987, but my vocal cords were damaged, which is a possible side-effect, so they were unable to remove the rest of the thyroid until 3 years later, though they kept an eye on me throughout that time. But i felt extremely tired after the fist op for at least 3 m0nths. There were no checks on vitamin deficiency, etc then, but in hindsight, how sensible. Two points; a] Following Radioactive Iodine uptake treatment after, i experienced a decline in my Dental health. Ive only recently discovered that the treatment causes a reduction in saliva, which in turn can lead to tooth decay.Why dont they give you this info at the time ?!! b] It can run in familys, as my sister also had the same op.All the best, and dont underestimate the chronic tiredness.

[betty]

Hi Mum 21

I am sorry I don't have any advice for you, just want to say take care and find out as much as you can about recovery and what you can do to self help. Love to you and your family, try to enjoy Christmas

Betty xx

[k1066]

My thoughts are dont jump to take supplements yet until your consultant has time to get meds right the op scar does pull and tug for quite sometime although it heals very quickly, i too had thyroid cancer 16yrs ago and had a total thyroidectomy plus i also take calcium as two glands are removed along with the gland please feel free to email my in box for any further advice because i do feel there isn't enough help for this type of the disease plus the emotional trauma

But believe me you can have a full and happy future as normal your tabs become a way of normality you will become fine tuned

take care Karen

[shellybelly_71]

Give yourself a chance woman. It takes it toll. Make sure you are taking your pain killers, especially at night for getting a sleep. I was given tramadol and paracetamol. I like you was terrible after my second surgery. Terrible pain, I wouldn't take anything more than a regular multivitamin till you have been tested. If you can speak to your oncologist asap as you may have to have radio active iodine therapy, it easier to come off lyothronine than thyroxine before this treatment, the more you are under active the better that will work apparently. On the recovery side, please listen to your body and rest up, It takes time your body has been throu so much in a short time. Sleep when you can. You will get there, take care shell xxx

[shellybelly_71 in reply to shellybelly_71]

I used sbc propolis gel on my scar once the dressing came off, amazing stuff x

[vajra]

Hi M. I had partial and then complete thyroidectomies for a cancer in 2005 and 2006.

There's scope for feeling a bit off in the short term, but it shouldn't be bad if all is in order, and should resolve in a week or a bit more. If not it's not necessarily a big deal but is probably best to get back to the doc.

One that matters is to ensure that you are promptly started on an adequate replacement regime - it's to my mind (and experience) apart from being highly uncomfortable and dispiriting unwise to let bodily processes run down.

Fatigue is likely to kick in much faster after a total since you no longer have the means to produce hormone. If you're feeling very or more likely increasingly fatigued after a few weeks then (while there are lots of other possibilities) it's quite possible that you are not getting enough hormone. (or able to use that you've been given)

Endos often have a highly cavalier approach to replacement in this situation, and seem to think nothing of sending patients off to drag themselves around for weeks and months on a nominal (but safely low) replacement dose. (what they call a maintenance dose - it saves the need for blood testing while waiting for the residual natural hormone to work out of our system I presume)

If you were significantly hypothyroid long term or highly stressed/suffering adrenal exhaustion prior to surgery it's possible you may struggle to feel well on T4 only. Some of us in that situation (especially those that had long term thyroid autoimmune disease) end up needing T3 too to feel well - because it seems our conversion processes have run down.

It can be hard to get the latter diagnosed and prescribed. My thought would be to not be afraid to change endo if needed to achieve this. My surgeon did a good job, but my original endo in Dublin was in the dark ages on replacement practices..

ian

[daffydowndilly]

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear of your recent experience. The toxins from the anaesthetic(s) take quite a while to leave the system so make use of some good vitamin C, starting in small amounts and building to tolerance level ( you know to decrease a little when slight cramps/loose stools become apparent). Trust your body to heal,communicate with it. I wish you very well.

Daffydowndilly

[ChloeGladding]

Hello Mum21

How are you feeling now? Hope you managed to get through Christmas and New year. Do you feel a bit more human now??

I'm due to have a thyroidectomy on the 4th Feb at the Lister hospital (Stevenage) and doing lots of research, hence joining this forum.

How are you getting on with your meds?

Wishing all the best in your recovery and your journey to a healthy happy lady

All the best Chloe

[mum21]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Sorry I haven't replied before now, I felt very ill after my first post, I had a chest infection, my scar was infected & weeped constantly & I ended up on antibiotics which didn't clear it up & in then has to have a further prescription of different antibiotics, thank god for free prescriptions! Feeling more 'normal' now though. I had to go to the nurse yesterday as the scar was itchy & sore again but it seems it was a bit of my internal stitch that had worked its way out & was stuck....luckily she could see the end of it & pulled it out. My 1 concern is that I seem to have a bulge now above my scar which I didn't have after my first op or even to begin with after my second one but I'm seeing the consultant again in 2 weeks so will check with him then. It's nice to know you're not alone in these situations! X