Had partial Thyroidectomy on 20.03.24 to remove large goitre with nodules. Since the operation I have swelling at the incision site and a dull, throbbing headache daily.Some days a take Paracetamol, some days I don't.
Neck still feels very stiff.
Saw surgeon on 19.04.24. He advised that this is part of the healing process and he didn't appear that concerned.
I just don't feel that well, although post op blood tests state that my thyroid is functioning normally. Thank God.
How long does it take to fully recover from a partial Thyroidectomy?
Is there anything I can do or take to reduce the swelling at the incision site?
Thanks in advance for any responses to my query
Regards
Purplesane
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Purplesane
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I just wondered if an ice pack or alternating ice with heat ie a hot water bottle might reduce swelling and aid healing. Obviously dont use directly on skin, use a cover or t towel.
Thanks for taking the time to respond to my query. I will try your suggestion and pray it works, because I'm really not liking the way my neck looks, six weeks after having the operation.
I have approached my GP and still waiting for an appointment, one week after submitting request for appointment form.
When I had a hemithyroidectomy the endo nurse said to do gentle neck movements to gradually help ease any stiffness; so side to side head movements, up and down. I found slowly moving my head from side to side and holding for a few seconds really helped to ease any stiffness.
The endo nurse I saw after my operation also said to gently massage my scar to aid the healing process. Once I had my stitches removed I still had a light bandage and steri strips over the wound and would use two fingers to apply gentle pressure and circular movements. Did they suggest the same to you?
You're only six weeks post your op so still early days; it does take time to recover.
Your post op care sounds like it was virtually nonexistent! You weren't even offered any painkillers? 🤔
Are you experiencing any tingling or numbness in your fingers or feet or around your mouth? Sometimes your parathyroid glands get jiggled about during your operation this can sometimes cause hypocalcaemia (low calcium levels) Was this not mentioned to you prior to your op? So they prescribe you calcium and vitamin D (AdCal) post op if you have these symptoms.
I did have a headache after my operation though not sure how long for? I had some tingling around my mouth but this was only transient. Low vit D can cause daily headaches; I know this from personal experience.
When you see your GP you need to get your vitamin D, calcium and pth (parathyroid) levels checked.
No tingling or numbness. This was not mentioned by the surgeon. However, I did read about this post op. Surgeon only mentioned possible keloid scarring, voice changes and post op bleeding.
I am disappointed by the lack of post op care from the surgeon and my GP.
I take Vit D supplements daily , so will increase my Vit D and see if this makes any difference, regarding the daily headaches.
I never experienced headaches pre op, only after a having a night out, so these daily headaches are concerning.
They're not banging headaches, just a dull throb.
Anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience.
If you start to read other posts on the forum you'll see that it's recommended to have blood tests before you start supplementing so you know what your levels are.
SlowDragon has mentioned this in their reply earlier and the testing protocol suggested by the forum. If your GP isn't any help then testing privately is done by many on the forum. If you're ok with finger prick tests then it's even cheaper and more convenient than going for a venous blood draw.
If you haven't had any post op thyroid blood tests it's important to know your levels and if you then require hormones to be prescribed.
"practice nurse advised that everything is apparently functioning normally".
Ask receptionist for a printout of the actual results and [reference ranges] for that thyroid test.
Always get hold of the numbers for your thyroid blood tests , so you can learn how to understand what they are showing for yourself , or else you'll never know what's really going on ....... 'functioning normally' means very little... size 5 shoes are 'normal' for women , but walking in them won't be great if you have 'normal' size 6 feet.
eg (made up numbers just to show what you are asking for )
TSH 2.5 [0.4 - 4.5]
fT4 15.7 [12 - 22]
fT3 4.2 [3.1 - 6.8]
Same with Calcium /VitD etc .... before taking supplements . you need to know results.
I will do as you suggested and ask for a print-out of my test results and ask GP to explain what they mean.
I have to gain a better understanding of my post op condition and will be doing my own research, as I can't be reliant on receiving assistance from my GP.
I am grateful to the HealthUnlocked community, including yourself, for sharing their experiences and knowledge.
usually there is little point in asking GP what thyroid results mean (you'll just get more of the ' it's normal' blah blah" ) ... good idea to ask here first , so you know what's what .
I take a variety of supplements consistently and have done for years, so I'm going to increase my daily Vit D and hope that works to stop these headaches.
I can only assume that my body is lacking something, which is why I getting these headaches.
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