When it rains it pours. That’s been my life in 2009. This year will go down as the year that my life was turned upside down and rebuilt from scratch. Not only have I moved to a new town and changed jobs, but I’ve had my share of medical issues. My left ACL was torn and rebuilt, I took a silly fall which resulted in a small scratch that turned into a huge infection, and now I will be having a thyroid lobectomy.
Lets rewind to 6 years ago. It was the end of the school year and I was visiting a doctor (a PA to be exact) in Boulder because I had an unimaginably painful sore throat. While I was swallowing, she noticed a small lump in my neck. She said, “Do you have a thyroid nodule.” “Huh?” She recommended I get the lump checked out by the Boulder Medical Center’s endocrinologist.
So, I did. The endocrinologist I saw there was an unpersonable old man who had a very matter-of-fact way of treating a thyroid nodule. He basically told me that I had a tumor in my thyroid, which may or may not be cancerous- like it it was no big deal. As I spiraled through the emotional roller-coaster of how this was going to impact my life, the doctor decided to do biopsy. He told me it came back with only cystic fluid, so the tumor must be benign. But then he came out with this- “Oh, but you need to take thyroid medication for the rest of your life.” Typical doctor. Like it’s no big deal I’m on some medication for the rest of my life.
He put me on Synthroid, a thyroid hormone. Basically, he was treating me with thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Your thyroid produces hormones which are eventually involved in regulating your metabolism. By replacing this hormone, a message is sent back to the thyroid that there’s enough in your system, so it doesn’t need to produce as much of this hormone. Essentially, the thyroid barely does any work anymore. It’s put on retirement. The theory behind this is by preventing the thyroid from having to do much work, the thyroid nodule will hopefully keep from growing any larger.
So, I stayed on this plan for a number of years. But the move to Crested Butte made me seek out new health insurance and new doctors. In June, I saw Dr. Maruca, an endocrinologist located in Grand Junction. He took one look at my old medical records and basically told me they were a load of horse-crap. My old endocrinologist simply didn’t keep good records. There was no record of the original size of the tumor, to compare and see if it was growing. And I distinctly remember doing two biopsies in Boulder, yet record of the second had mysteriously disappeared.
But, the worst news was that my old biopsy was in fact inconclusive. Dr. Maruca explained to me that to have a true idea of what is actually in a thyroid nodule, solid components need to be obtained from five different sections of the tumor. Well, I remember the biopsy needle poking into my neck five times (how could I forget that!), yet it came back with mere blood smears. There were no solid components. So, in essence, whether the tumor was malignant or benign was inconclusive. Yet, my doctor at the time decided to tell me it was benign. Because of this, Dr. Maruca suggested that I have another biopsy. Believe me, I wasn’t thrilled about having a needle poked into my neck five times again. But, I saw the value in it. Plus, due to my ACL surgery earlier this year causing me to meet all insurance deductibles, the otherwise costly biopsy would be basically free.
I did the biopsy and then went home. I kind of put the whole thing out of my mind. Though, I was expecting a phone call. But, doctors rarely call when things are fine. They just don’t. So, that’s what I assumed was going on. I assumed my test results were fine. But then one afternoon at the end of June I checked a message on my voice mail and it was Dr. Maruca himself. “This can’t be good,” I thought to myself. So, I called him the next morning.
Dr. Maruca basically informed me that the results of my biopsy had come back from the pathologist having a specific kind of cell that may or may not be cancerous. He went on to explain that you can’t tell if this cell is cancerous until you take a larger sample, which would involve thyroid surgery. “There’s about a 1 in 20 chance that it’s cancerous,” he said, “I think you should just have your whole thyroid out.”
The thought of having my whole thyroid removed was not new to me. This was presented to me as an option by my old endocrinologist, although he did not recommend it. Thankfully, I was able to work past Dr. Maruca’s matter-of-fact statement that I need to have surgery to remove my whole thyroid and ask the right questions. He investigated my medical records further. And I did some research on the Internet. With all that is at stake between cancer vs. my metabolism being messed up sans-thyroid I decided that the best route for me was to have a partial thyroid removal.
Today, I visited Dr. Harthorne, an otolaryngologist/surgeon in Grand Junction who will be performing my surgery. I was able to set a surgery date- it will be Monday, August 3rd. And he was able to answer the last few remaining questions I had about the procedure. Based on the research I’ve done and what Dr. Hartshorn explained to me, I will do my best to explain the procedure.
The surgery is done with general anesthesia. They pump your neck full of saline, so this can make your neck very sore. But, this allows them to make a smaller incision which will scar less. The saline will be used to expand the working area. They will take great measures to protect my parathyroid gland, which regulates calcium levels, and also my vocal cords which can easily be damaged in this surgery. The surgery will last somewhere between 1.5 – 3 hours.
The thyroid is divided into two lobes on the right and left side of your neck, connected by something called the isthmus. Since the tumor lies my left lobe, this half will be completely removed. Thyroids are a unique organ in the sense that they have a huge blood supply. Blood is always being fed to the organ. This makes removal of a partial lobe basically impossible. They can’t remove just the tumor itself because the thyroid tissue around it will bleed too much. This internal bleeding can cause a lot more problems than actual removal of the thyroid itself. So, if a tumor is found in a lobe, the whole lobe must be removed.
Remember, the reason why they are removing this left thyroid lobe on me is to be able to take a better look at the tumor. They want to determine if it’s cancerous or not. So, they will take out the lobe, remove the tumor, instantly freeze it, and then slice it. This is called a “frozen section”. They will send this frozen section down to pathology where they will run tests to decide if it is benign or malignant. If it is malignant, the other half of my thyroid will need to be removed, on the spot. If the tumor is benign, or even if it is questionable if it is benign or malignant, they will leave the right half of my thyroid in tact. Here, there is a small risk that I may need to have another surgery to take out the right half of my thyroid – if the tumor is questionable, and they have to do more extensive tests that cannot be done within the timeline of my actual surgery. But, this is a small risk.
When the surgery is all said and done, there are risks of certain side-effects. Aside from the normal problems with possible nausea and infection associated with all surgeries, I will likely have trouble swallowing and eating for a few days. But there are two relatively common side effects that pertain directly to this surgery. One is damage to the parathyroid gland. This gland regulates calcium levels. There is one of these glands on each side of your neck. With a partial thyroid removal this is hardly a problem, because if one parathyroid gland is damaged, the other just takes over. But, another main risk is damage to the vocal cords. Vocal cords can be severed in this surgery, which results in completely losing the voice, permanently. But, this risk is rare. More common is damage to the vocal cords which causes them to become temporarily paralyzed. It is not uncommon for people who’ve had thyroid surgery to lose their voices for somewhere between 1 and 3 months.
I must say, this vocal cord thing is my greatest concern. I suppose I can handle losing my voice for a couple of months. But, to lose it permanently would be devastating. I mean, I can’t be a teacher if I can’t talk. It just won’t work. But, the doctor saw my concern about this and elaborated . He explained that there are two vocal cords and the likelihood of both being severed is very very rare. He said that the vocal cords work by kind of squeezing together back and forth. If one is severed, a gap occurs which prevents the full squeezing from happening. But, a plastic implant can be surgically placed there to allow the other vocal cord to squeeze it instead, making it so you can have your voice back. Knowing this bit of information has calmed me considerably.
If I have half of my thyroid removed, I don’t need to spend the night in the hospital. But, if it turns out that I need to have both lobes removed, I will have to spend one (or more if my calcium levels are not right) nights in the hospital.
Generally, the first few days after the surgery will suck, obviously. But, it seems that most people continue regular activities within 2-3 weeks after surgery.
Check back, for more blogs about this. I’ll be doing some blogs about how the actual function of the thyroid as well as what my life will be like with only half a thyroid.
For those who care, I found this to be one of the best sources of information about the surgery I’ll be having.
Texas Center for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Thanks for reading!
[...] Brittany Walker has a tumor on her left thyroid lobe and has to have a thyroid lobectomy. Posted on July 22, 2009 at 7:02 am, filed under BlogHer, Fitness. Bookmark this entry.Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback. [...]
Brittany,
WOW. I am so glad to have found your blog!! You have written the most amazing and incredible post here! I have thyroid disease myself and am always searching the internet for other patients.
Your ordeal with physicians seems to unfair and unwarranted and just plain unacceptable. Unfortunately, for so many of us, we go undiagnosed or we get undertreated for so long. Finding a DR who we like and who is knowledgeable is sort of a rarity in terms of thyroid health.
I write for a website that focuses on thyroid health, http://www.dearthyroid.com. We’d love for you to come check it out! We have a whole community of people who understand what you’re going through and who support each other. Unfortunately, there ARE alot of people who have been where you are. In a weird way, it’s nice to know that.
Liz
I hope this is received. My name is Alice Sanchez. I am recovering from a right lobectomy. MY neck does not feel the same. It’s sore and stiff. My concern is having to have to take levothroxine @ mcg every day for the rest of my life. I also take a multi vitamin and a vitamin for my Glaucoma. Just looking for anybody that is on this medication and if there are alternative medicines out there. Thank you
Hi Alice,
I am on Levothyroxine and have been for a number of years. I have a friend who has had a full thyroid removal and is also on it. My body took a few weeks to adjust to the levothyroxine, but now I feel fine. If anything, I think it helped me, long before even having my actual lobectomy. What is your worry about taking the levothyroxine exactly?
How many days are you out of surgery? Your neck should be stiff and sore for about a week.
I don’t really know of very many alternatives to taking levothyroxine except taking Cytomel which mimics T3, where levothyroxine mimics T4. Having only half of your thyroid removed you could technically be fine without taking any medication at all, although it may be difficult for half your thyroid to do the full thyroid function, but it will usually be close enough.
Skim through my other thyroid posts and see if you find them helpful!
http://14erskiers.com/brittanysblog/?s=thyroid
I am so glad I found this blog because I am about to have surgery as well for a thyroid nodule that may or may not be cancer. I have only been able to find people explaining how horrible their experience was so it is refreshing to read someones point of view on going through the surgery. Did the doctor give you a name for the diagnosis of the cells that were possibly cancer. My doctor has told me I have follicular adenoma and I was wondering if that was the same diagnosis you had.
So glad to hear that everything worked out for you and you are doing well.
I’m glad you found my blog and that it has given you some relief
The cells my doctor originally diagnosed were called hurthel cells. I hope that your surgery goes well and that your body is cancer-free!
Hi Brittany
Thank you so much for the insight, I’m getting ready to have a left thyroid lobectomy 4/19/10, my concerns is having my vocal chord damage and just being in pain. Thanks for sharing your experience, I have been doing some internet research myself.
I am a 50 yr old male, and have had these two nodules on the left side for quite sometime, I was told that my biopsy came back benign, but like your doctor, I was by my doctor he would no more once he gets inside.
I am not looking forward to having the difficulty in swallowing and the stiff, sore neck, but if everything comes back fine, then it will certainly be worth it.
Again, thanks for sharing your story, quite a bit of encouragement for me.
I’m so glad that you found my blog encouraging! I truly believe that if you have a good surgeon it makes all the difference
Good luck with your surgery. I hope that everything goes well and that the tumor is indeed benign. The surgery is painful at first, but hopefully you will have a quick recovery like I did 
I am 6 days out of a right thyroid lobectomy. I had a fast growing cyst on my thyroid that the surgeon said had grown in the 2 weeks since I discovered it and my surgery on March 22, 2010. It was over 3mm. For me, the worst part of the surgery so far has been the soreness in my throat and lack of voice. No damage to my vocal nerve occurred…but 6 days out I am hoarse and have no energy behind my voice. I still have pain around the incision area and desperately want the surgical tape to fall off.
I was down for the count for about 4 days, and then slowly started to to get my energy back. I am due to go back to work tomorrow (day 7), but will see what happens with my voice. I am a teacher and lack of voice is never very helpful.
This blog was very helpful. Thanks for posting.
Corey- I’m sorry to hear that you don’t have your voice right now! Though I never had that issue, I was really concerned about it, being in the field of education myself. My surgeon told me that this was a common side-effect, but said that voices usually return in a month or two… which isn’t great to hear given that you’re a teacher. But, it will return. I’m sure the surgical tape will fall off soon:) If it’s any consolation, they removed my stitches after only 8 days, so I’m sure you could start giving that tape a good tug!
I must have the best doctor on the planet! I had my left thyroid lobe removed on Friday, May 28, 2010 and was able to eat the next day. I didn’t have near the amount of pain I thought I would. I hate to say it, but I google everything and read some very horrific stories! I was freaked out before I even had the surgery. I was sore for a few days but was eating normal food three days after surgery. If you live around Savannah, Georgia, check out Dr. Yeager! He is the greatest!!!
Hi Brittany my name is Susan I just found out I have to have thyroid surgery and I fond your blog it was very helpful thank you but I am scared to death to have this surgery I want to know how life is after wards I have lots of questions and I don’t no any one who has had this so called common surgery and my Dr. tells me we just need to get it out I am concerned about weight gain I’ve struggled with my weight I don’t want to gain any more if you could please add me so I can ask you some questions if that is alright with you it would be so helpful and mean so much I have my surgery on Tuesday June 15 sorry about the short notice thanks again!
Hi Susan,
You can ask any questions you like!
I am not sure if you are having an entire thyroid removal, or a lobectomy. I had a lobectomy- the left part of my thyroid removed. It generally is easier to adjust after this type of surgery rather than a full thyroid removal. Still, I have had several friends who have also had their entire thyroids removed. While everyone handles these things differently, I can tell you that my friends and I have all had successful recoveries. Weight gain has been negligible. We are all athletes, and continue doing the athletics that we love and live normal lives. The only difference is that we are all on synthetic thyroid hormone medication. Once a dosage is determined for you, you’ll have to get your blood checked for thyroid levels every year. Be careful with this. My doctor was only checking my TSH levels, not my T-3 and T-4. In the fall and early winter this year I was tired a lot, had low energy, and wasn’t eating as much as usual. I thought maybe I was just “getting old”. But, I had my blood levels tested. My doc said everything was fine, but when I looked into it, he only looked at the TSH levels. I read from multiple sources that your T3 and T4 levels matter even more so I went to a different doc and had her prescribe another blood draw to test these levels. She confirmed that my medication dosage was indeed too low and bumped me up to the next level. Within a week or two I felt back to my normal self- normal energy, not so tired, and had my appetite back. Other than these minor things I really lead a normal life, and so do my friends with full thyroid removals.
I hope your surgery goes well and if you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I know this surgery seems really scary.
Brittany
thank you for blog . Tomorrow Dr will remove cyst by leftlobe
and do biopsy on two nodules . Your description of procedure enlightened me.
My concerns needless to say is to get bad stuff out and to keep my voice.
Thanks again
Rick
Best of luck with your surgery!
Brittany all went well left lobe with cyst removed /spent night in hospital . Pain was minimal due to drugs . Today feel incision a bit more may take a vicodin tonight. Also voice a little raspier today . As a precaution taking Keflex and have a drain which will be Removed tomorrow.
Thanks for your informative blog . My situation was very similar to yours in re to diagnosis etc.
Good health
Rick, Glad the surgery seems to have gone well! Best of luck to you and my best wishes for a speedy recovery!
Hi Brittany
My situation is remarkable similar to yours. 2010 has been my upside down year. Aside from my nodule saga I detail below, I was diagnosed this spring with an inguinal hernia that will need surgical repair. Six years ago they discovered I had 2 nodules on my left lobe when they were ultrasounding a bump on my adams apple-(which turned out to be just cartilage). I was referred for an FNA biopsy on the larger nodule which showed atypical cells (Hurlthle cellls). I was referred by the surgeon to an endocrinologist for his opinion “just to cover all the bases” and he said we could just watch the nodule and do annual ultrasounds, that surgery at this point would be “premature”. For the first couple of years afterwards I was good about getting them done but there was not much noticeable change , so I figured ” I am all set with this thing” and I let 4 years go between scans! This Feb. I had an ultrasound done and it showed a “slight increase in size and complexity ” of the nodule. I went back to my endo doc and he wanted to repeat the FNA. After reading way too much about it on the web and scaring myself out of my wits, I questioned the medical advice I was getting , and did not do a repeat FNA. Through the web I found Dr. Randolph at the Mass Eye and Ear who specializes in thyroid cancer, and went and saw him for his opinion. He told me that he would not even consider repeating the biopsy since even if it came up normal, there was atypia there in 2004, and the only way to be certain one way or the other would be to remove the lobe. Needless to say I was a bit shocked that the advice I was getting from my endocrinologist was so far off base. I am scheduled this Wednesday July 14th to have the lobe removed. Having never had surgery , and having a 10 yr old son and a 6 yr old daughter, this is a very scary ordeal for us all. I am glad and thankful to have found your website
Roger- Good luck with your surgery. Hope all goes well! Funny how endocrinologists can have such differing opinions, isn’t it?
Had right thyroid lobectomy last week. As soon as operation had finished I started bleeding heavily and had to go back for 2nd operation to stop blood flow. However first I knew about it was once it was all over and I was drinking a very welcome cup of tea! Very little pain, slight sore throat and could eat normally straight away. Wound looked awful but already much better after a week. Still waiting for tests to see if I need thyroxine. For anyone worrying about pain of opeation – stop! Really not a big deal! Waiting for op was worse than the event itself. Best Wishes from England.
Hey Brittany,
THANKS FOR SUCH AN UPLIFTING STORY. I AM SCHEDULED FOR A RIGHT THYROID REMOVAL ON AUGUST 6, 2010. I AM A TEACHER ALSO. I BELIEVE THAT ALL THINGS ARE GOING TO WORK OUT FOR MY GOOD. THANKS AGAIN FOR SUCH AN ENCOURAGING STORY. MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS YOU.
WoW. this is almost my entire story. Except for the beginning. Mine is the right side. I’m scheduled for surgery on the 13th of august. The vocal cord issue is my big concern also. My dr. recommends doing both as in most patients they will need to have the other removed within 5 years. My only concern with that is the Metabolism issue. I have read to many horror stories of gaining alot of weight. I have always had a hard time lossing the weight. Do I really want to have the left removed and dealing with weight gain? IDK what to do.
Hi Brittany
My story is also similar to yours. I am waiting for a date, but have been told it will be in the next 4-6 weeks to have the left side of my thyroid removed after needle biopsy failed to say whether nodule was benign or not. I am so scared of having the op I can’t think straight and feel constantly sick. I think the most frightening thing for me is being put to sleep as I never have been. Aside from the obvious that it may be cancerous. I am only 25 and have 2 small children so getting emotional thinking about them really.
How did you cope? What was it like when you went to sleep and when you woke up? Did you fell as though you’d been asleep for ages?
Thanks for
Anne-Marie,
Being put to sleep for surgery can be scary to think of for sure. For 2 out of 4 surgeries, I’ve chosen to stay awake- being slightly “sedated” but not actually been put to sleep. But, for thyroid surgery, this is not really an option. I mean, think about it- it’s one thing to wake up and feel them working on your knee or hand (which, yes, you can feel them working on these things), but if they have your neck wide open and a tube down your throat, waking up would suck. In both cases, I barely remember being put to sleep- it happens so fast. And you generally wake up in the recovery room. Both times I was put under, I knew exactly where I was and the first thing I remember asking was “what time is it?” I think that’s usually what I think when I normally wake up from any regular sleep, so it wasn’t anything unusual. Waking up felt pretty much the same as waking up any morning (you never really know how long you’ve been asleep which is why you look at the time), except you knew you’d been under surgery. Each time, I asked the recovery nurse questions about how the surgery went (for the thyroid- was it cancer? Did I have half of my thyroid out or the whole thing?) The nurses never really know anything- or if they do, they won’t tell you. You have to wait for the doctor. For my thyroid surgery, I was able to deduce that I probably did not have the second half of my thyroid out based on the time- I’d only been in surgery for about an hour and they said that if both sides had to be removed, the surgery would last 2-3 hours.
At any rate, I hope your surgery goes well. I know it’s a really tough thing to think about and it’s definitely scary. But, if you have a good doctor and you’re at a good hospital, you’ll be alright in the end. You’ll be so happy when it’s over.
Brittany-
) I’m 31 years old currently with two children, a 4 year old boy and a 2 year old girl. When I was pregnant with my first child 5 years ago (2005), I was in search of a new family physician in the current town that I live in. In order to become a new patient, I needed to come in to the office and have a basic “new patient” evaluation, completed with a short physical exam. The physician was feeling around my neck during the exam and said that my neck felt “bumpy”. The physician really didn’t say much about it and moved on talking about something else. She didn’t seem concerned or anything so it didn’t spark any concern on my behalf either. I’m normally pretty on top of things dealing with health, so I’m not sure why nothing else was ever done with it. I guess I just didn’t think it was an issue that needed attention. Move forward 4 years now (2009). This would now be only 1 year ago. I went back to the same family physician for some normal screening blood work, such as blood sugar, thyroid levels and cholesterol. Diabetes, thyroid disease and high cholesterol all run in my family, so I thought it was a good idea to get the levels checked periodically. I hadn’t been back to this physician for anything since that visit 4 years prior. I’m usually pretty healthy! During this visit, the physician felt my neck and again said it felt “bumpy”. That triggered something in my memory that she had said 4 years ago when I was pregnant with my oldest child. I told her that I remembered her saying that same statement before and she looked back in her notes in my medical record and it did note that same thing. She said that I was supposed to follow up with my OB-GYN on the nodule(s). I didn’t remember her saying that at all 4 years ago. Again…I’m usually on top of things that have to do with my health and I don’t remember a follow up being mentioned at all. But, nothing had been done for 4 years. She suggested since nothing had been done that an ultrasound of my thyroid needed to be done. She ordered it, and I got it done as soon as I could because I was now in “freak out” mode. I work at a Cancer Center and I was really scared at this point that this could be something serious. I went in for the ultrasound and the tech seemed pretty concerned at how suspicious the nodule looked. She, of course, couldn’t tell me anything, but all she could say was that it really needed to be either taken out or biopsied, in her opinion, to be certain it wasn’t cancer. As it turns out, it had a lot of calcifications and shadowing on the ultrasound. I ended up having the biopsy done at an ENT office. After the biospy, the ENT doctor called me at home and told me he “thought” I was going to be okay and that it most likely was not cancer, but to be sure he was going to order another ultrasound in 6 months. I had that ultrasound done 6 months later and not much change had happened. Still, one solitary nodule with lots of calcifications and shadowing, measuring around 8mm. He then said we’d do another ultrasound in another 6 months and then maybe have some decisions to make….such as possible surgery. So, I had my last ultrasound done July 2010. The results were still the same as the previous ultrasounds. During my office visit, the physician asked if I was interested in having the left lobe removed. I told him that I was worried to make an actual decision, but I was also afraid not to make a decision. In other words…I didn’t want surgery if I didn’t need it, but I didn’t want to not have it if I really needed it. So…we agreed that he’d write in my chart that if I called back and decided to have surgery, the office staff/schedulers had “permission” to go ahead without me having to come in for an actual office visit to get the ball rolling. I talked it over with my husband and other family members and friends. We all decided that it wasn’t worth missing a diagnosis over and to proceed with surgery. Now….I’m in waiting mode. Waiting on my FMLA/short term disability paperwork to go through, waiting for my pre-op visit and waiting for my left thyroid lobectomy surgery date of Sept 3rd, 2010. <> Did I also mention that my doctor is taking out my tonsils during the same procedure?! Double ouch!!! I’m super nervous. Yes, I’ve had two wonderful babies and I’ve lived through their deliveries. I’ve had very minor surgical procedures before, such as wisdom teeth exctraction and finger surgery….but this tops it all in my “nerve factor” book. I just want to feel like myself again. I can’t concentrate at work, I’m guessing because my work deals with cancer and that is one of my fears on top of having surgery. I’m also worried about taking care of two small children while recovering. My husband will be there too, but his job is very demanding and has long hours and is “on-call” every day for work. I have awesome family and friends that will help me out as well, but it is hard for me to accept help and have others take care of me. That’s my job….to take care of others, not the other way around. Thanks again for your story. Sorry mine was soooo long!! I sure hope everything goes okay and the nodule is benign!!! 
)
Your story is really helping me “attempt” to relax about my upcoming thyroid lobectomy on the left side. You’re probably so tired of hearing multiple stories about upcoming thyroid surgeries when yours was over a year ago….but I felt a need to write you and tell you my story. I just had to get it out there!
Mel,
Thanks for posting. I think it helps just voicing your fear to others. Your fear is very real, and as you can tell, many others feel the same as you. I hope you can find some comfort in the fact that many have had similar experiences as you, and many have turned out quite well. I am glad that my story has given you a reason to “relax” and hopefully it will bring some comfort to you as well. One problem with the Internet is that so many negative things get published. If someone has a problem with a surgery or something, you bet you can read about it on the Internet. But, so many people who have had procedures with little to no complications end up not posting anything. Sometimes it helps talking to the doctor or surgeon about this. Ask him how many procedures he’s done like this. How many have been cancerous? etc.
I hope that your surgery goes well and that your tumor is indeed benign. Best wishes.
Brittany-
Thank you soooo much. You have helped me more than you know! You are so right on negative information on the internet about surgery. I think that is another reason why your story is so refreshing. It’s genuine and real. Thanks again! Did you ever think you’d get such a huge response from your blog on thyroid lobectomy?
Mel-
No I didn’t really ever think that I would get such a huge response from my blog on thyroid lobectomy. But, I’m happy that it has helped others!
-Brittany
hi,
I had my op in march and had no problem, very little pain and able to eat the same day!!! was tired for a little while as i ajusted to my hormone tablets and my voice was weak for 2 months. Now my life is back to normal, i take my tablets in the morning and a multvitmin at night and apart from a fading scar no one would know!!!!
best wishes and good luck
julie from England
Hi Brittany-
Since you helped calm my nerves so much, I thought I’d fill you in on how my procedures went! I ended up having my left side thyroid lobectomy and complete tonsillectomy on September 3, 2010, as planned. The nodule on my thyroid ended up being benign…yeah! It was the best news ever!!! The recovery from the partial thyroidectomy was pretty easy compared to the tonsillectomy. I was sensitive on my neck and was pretty bruised and swollen, but all-in-all, the thyroid procedure was fine, just like my ENT doctor said it would be. Ten days post-op, my right tonsillectomy surgical site started to bleed, but it was re-cauterized and I’ve been good to go since. I am now back to work as of today, which is two weeks after the 2 procedures and feeling pretty good. Life seems pretty much back to normal! It’s amazing how our bodies can bounce back! Thanks again for helping me. Your blog was exactly what I needed!
Your posts have been helpful. I just had 1/2 my thyroid taken out. Same story: very painful nodule since November. Roller coaster T3, T4 and TSH levels — always just a little bit out of “normal” range. Unfortunately, the GP I was seeing thinks the range is still 0.4 to 4 or even 5. He is unconvinced that it should be 0.3. to 2 or 3, tops, like my Endo says.
Anyways 1 month post op, my sed rate and c reactive protein have jumped. Both are in the 50s. Both were high before but not this high.
I think I may just have a sore throat, but with all that has been done to my neck, I just can’t be so sure. Has anyone had problems 1 month passed surgery?
I just started levothyroxine 2-3 days ago. Could that give me a lump in my throat? A sore throat or other problems? Every doc I’ve talked to makes it sound like taking thyroxine is no big deal at all.
Would love to hear from someone …
Thanks again.
Mel, I am so glad that this blog helped you! Thanks so much for your update!
Maria- I have never heard of levothyroxine giving a lump in the throat. Nor have I heard of it giving any problems with a sore throat. The primary issues you hear about are mis-dosing, which affects hormone levels- which can impact your metabolism and therefore your weight. It can also have impacts on your mood, since it’s a hormone. Taking thyroxine is not a huge deal, really. But, it is something that should be monitored and monitored carefully. At any rate, I hope you get that throat looked at. It would be good to know what’s causing it!
Brittany,
As others have said, thanks for posting this. I am scheduled for Oct. 29 for a left lobectomy because of a 5x3x2 cm nodule basically replacing my left lobe (but no one has ever noticed it, including myself until my OB/GYN felt it in normal exam). I’m kind of embarrassed to say this (and a little surprised that no one else really mentions it) but I think my biggest fear is the scar. Of course aside from the possibility of having cancer, with my docs discussions, we are both thinking/hoping it is benign, based on texture, appearance on the ultrasound and I have no issues (other than a large nodule). So perhaps that is my way of coping by assuming it is benign and now I’m nervous about my neck. I generally don’t think of myself as a vain person, but two years ago I lost 50+ pounds (weighing less now than I did in high school) and have recently just begun to feel better about my self-image. I’m 35 and have more confidence in myself, which spills out into my job, my family life, etc. I work as a consultant and in business development so I talk with a lot of people and all I can think of is them staring at my neck! I know how pathetic this must sound but I keep feeling the smooth skin of my neck and thinking in less than a month, it will never be the same. I’m frightened about losing my voice too, but it seems as though that is pretty rare, so my lame concern is now the appearance of my neck and how I feel about going back into the public eye again.
Any discussion of how quickly the scar heals would help…
Thanks so much,
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
Surgery is scary, undoubtedly. And your fear of scarring is understandable. I can tell you that it’s been a bit over a year since my surgery and my scar is nearly undetectable. My surgeon specialized in ENT surgeries as well as plastic surgery, so he did his best to make the scarring minimal. A couple of key things- ask your doc for an anti-scarring ointment to put on once your stitches are removed. Also, while your stitches are in, avoid stretching your neck too much as it can pull on the stitched area and can increase scarring. In addition, put sunscreen on your scarred area daily until the scar tissue turns normal skin color. Most people never notice the scar on my neck. And other people whom I’ve known to have thyroid surgeries themselves have very faint scars. They are more detectable to people like us who are aware of them. But, the average person will never know
Good luck!
Brittany,
Thanks for the positive feedback and support – it definitely helps to “talk” with someone that’s been through this before, so thank you, I appreciate it a lot. I will ask the surgeon for some anti-scarring ointment and he’s aware of my fears! I’ll do my best to avoid stretching my neck and that part worries me too since I’m always on the move and have two small children! I’m trying to think of my recovery time as forced vacation. He isn’t even using external stitches – he’s using
I think I scheduled my surgery too far out because I’ve had WAY too much time to think about it and fret about things that I probably shouldn’t fret about.
It will be done soon.
Thanks again,
Sharon
Thank you Brittany! You have put my mind at ease. I have my surgery scheduled for Nov. 30. Mostly worried about being under anesthesia. I tend to scar very badly, so I am not so worried about that, as my doc said he will take every measure to prevent scarring. I am praying that I return to normal shortly after the procedure. This last year has been my living nightmare. Anxiety, shakiness, palpitations, and just pure fear has confined me to my home. As far as the possible cancer, I have read that it’s very curable, but I try to keep positive and pray it’s benign. Also, thank you to those who posted about their surgery recoveries and pending op’s. This has certainly helped me get prepared for what’s to come and let me know that I am not alone. Sending well wishes to all of you. May we all regain our health and lead happy lives.
I had a left lobe Oct 28, 2010 doing fine but voice still a little raspy and tends to get sore after prolonged conversation. I had four tumors largest about 3cm. Scar is healing really fast, went back to work after about 9 days. Thanks for sharing your stories. Hopefully all is well and that I have minimal scarring. Still taking levothyroxine until further blood work.Take care
Hello There,
I had three benign nodules on my isthmus and left side of thyroid. I had been in the middle of this new discovery, losing weight and exercising. When I went back to have my thyroid checked, it had disappeared. Not sure if it was due to the exercise and weight loss along with ALOT of praying (which Im sure it did) but I am happy to say that they were gone. Your stories are phenomenal and my sister is right now in the recovery room from her left side lobectomy. She is scared out of her wits….I plan to show her all of your words of wisdom as soon as she is able. Take care and GOD Bless!
~Brenda~
Brenda,
I hope that your sister heals well and that you continue to enjoy good health!
Hi I’m scheuduled for a thyroid lobectomy I had a cyst and then had a biopsy which was called suspicious for hurthle cell neoplasm and numerous amounts and scanty colloid material and few follicular and foam cells present has anyone every had this and what was the turn out.
Marnie
Hi, I am going in for surgery Mar 9th. Left Thyroid Lobectomy. I am scared I will gain weight. I have been fighting it since I was a child. Just curious how long you folks had to stay off before returning to work. My surgeon says about a week but I would like to return sooner. Does that sound plausible. Thanks for all your blogs. All I have read are the horror stories how the surgery has turned everyone’s life upside down. I hope depression, dry skin, hair falling out etc. . .doesn’t happen. Thanks. -ME
ME- Good luck with your surgery! Many of these go very well. It’s just the horror stories that are usually seen on the internet
I only took about 4 days off from work. I felt self-conscious with the stitches in my neck, but I felt fine enough to do my job (not physical labor or anything). I also took a trip to Spain beginning 10 days after my surgery and did fine. I was worried about some neck discomfort while traveling, but it really didn’t happen….. except when I slept. It was helpful to have my own pillow. I believe that the stitches got removed on day 8. Hope all goes well for you!
Back at home after having the left lobectomy yesterday. Doing ok….neck is pretty stiff and I am pretty tired. Starting on 75mg of levothyroxine in the morning. I hope weight gain won’t be a factor. I have read that levo isn’t as good as Sigthroid (sp?) I guess we will see.
Thanks for your message Brittany.
Hi Mary Ellen. Glad to hear your surgery went well! Synthroid and Levothyroxine are the same drug- both a hormone replacement. Levothyroxine is just a generic version of Synthroid. Some doctors prefer one brand over another. My doc says that sometimes one “strength” from one manufacturer can differ than the same dose from another. She is very insistent on trying to stay with the same manufacturer. Your body will take some time adjusting to the meds and to the loss of part of your thyroid. Just get your blood levels checked every couple of months for the first year or so. I am on 100 mcg of Levothyroxine, but I began on 88. I was feeling tired a lot and had a loss of appetite, which had been happening for about 3 months. So, I had my blood levels checked and sure enough, my dose needed to be bumped up. I never had any weight gain, even through all of that. Good luck!
Hi Brittany, To my amazement, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. So I will be going back into the hosp to have the other side removed. They are running more tests, but the doctor thinks I might have had a genetic defect since birth that has caused papillary cancer. Will see in about 2 weeks. They have recommended radioactiveiodine and radiation treatments. It sure is alot to take in since after the surgery they initially said it looked benign. Thanks for your ear and soft shoulder.
Maryellen- That is horrible! I am so sorry that they diagnosed you with thyroid cancer. I hope that your radiation treatments go well. Good luck and keep us informed!
Hi Brittany. Just found out 2 days ago I need a thyroid lobectomy. When I went to the doctor in March for a sinus infection, she noticed a lump on my left thyroid, went for untrasound, and, after getting results of nodules, went to ENT doctor. At that time, I was really so afraid of what was to come but as I read up more on the internet before my appointment, I started to feel anxious since my nodules were hypoechoic solid which could mean cancer. Of course, I was freaking out and got the Fine Needle Aspiration done which was inconclusive for cancer so now I have to go for the lobectomy in 3 weeks. The largest nodule is on my isthmus. The doctor explained that they will take that out, have the pathologist look at that and then, if cancerous, have the whole thyroid taken out. I am really afraid. I just lost my sister recently to breast cancer so this is just mindboggling to me. I can handle the operation and the recovery but the cancer is what scares me. I know thyroid cancer is one of the better cancers to get if you have to get one but I just never thought this would happen to me.
Nancy- This is all scary stuff for sure! I know things are uncertain, but be strong. You are in my thoughts. Hopefully the nodule is benign.
Nancy-Just wanted to give you a little hope. I also had hypoechoic nodules on one of my thyroid lobes and on the isthmus, which were found by my family doctor on an unrelated visit. I had a biopsy done by an ENT doctor on one of the nodules and it came out inconclusive. My ENT doctor gave me a choice on whether or not I wanted to pursue surgery, and I insisted we go through with it since we weren’t for sure what the nodules really were. The surgery went well, I healed much faster than I anticipated, it was just the anxiety of knowing you have to go through a surgery that was the worst…and the wondering of the final diagnosis. All ended up well though. Even though my nodules were showing up very suspicious on multiple ultrasounds, they turned out to be benign. I have not had to start on any thyroid medication, but I am followed up with lab work to ensure my lone right thyroid lobe is keeping up and doing its job. Good Luck to you, my prayers are with you! Hugs to you!