One of my oldest and closest friends is about to have a thyroidectomy. As I understood it he has a fast-growing tumor, but it’s a type that is rarely malignant. Otherwise he’s in good health. He’s apprehensive, and I’d rather not pepper him with questions about his iminent ordeal.
So I’ll pepper you all. Has anyone here had this procedure? The Mayo Clinic website suggests that his recovery will be relatively easy. What was your experience?
I had a laryngectomy. On a follow up visit a few months later, I asked the doctor when I could stop taking my thyroid meds. He laughed and said they removed my thyroid and forgot to tell me, so I have to take them forever.
Now I have to take a pill every morning, and have blood work done a few times a year. Sometimes they change the dosage. The main side effect I’ve noticed is my body’s reaction to temperatures. Cold and hot are more annoying and less tolerable, wear more sweaters in the winter etc. I also have a bit less energy than before.
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Since this is looking for personal experiences, let’s move it to IMHO (from GQ).
I had a total thyroidectomy (TT) in 2015 at Montefiore Hospital in Pittsburgh*. I was supposed to be in and out in 3 days, but due to complications I stayed in about a week and a half. The surgery was quick and painless. I was up and walking around the ward the next day, even encouraged to go outside and get some sun.I
My surgeon is very experienced and made me feel totally at ease. I woke up to no pain but also no voice. The complications were that the cancer had gotten onto my vocal cords and had to be scraped off. My cords were paralyzed for almost 6 weeks. I could talk but I sounded very high pitched and breathy. (Think Minnie Mouse mixed with Marilyn Monroe.)
Eating is not possible until you pass a swallow test. I have a 2-inch scar in one of the natural creases in my neck. If you didn’t know to look, you wouldn’t see it. All in all, not a bad experience.
*See Post 394 in Happy Doper Milestones thread for more
Both my sisters as well as two of my friends had thyroidectomies. All of them healed quickly with no complications.
Getting and maintaining the proper does of thyroid replacement can be tricky, but the surgery itself is routine.
Duration/extent of recovery would also be influenced by what the final diagnosis is and what postoperative treatment might be needed.
I can’t tell from the OP what the preliminary diagnosis for his friend is - goiter, adenoma or whatever (the term “tumor” can cover anything from a cyst to malignancy, though physicians generally reserve “tumor” for a neoplasm, benign or malignant). A malignant tumor could require lymph node dissection in the neck, post-op radioactive iodine or other therapy.
Anyway, best of luck to your friend, and may his thyroid be entirely benign.
My Sister in Law had one a few years ago and other than taking meds and a neck scar she is fine. To define a few years ago… she watched from her hospital window as the Beatles went past.
Total thyroidectomy back in 2006. I believe I went home in around 24 hours. My speaking voice was okay but I couldn’t really sing along with music for several weeks. I don’t remember any particular pain, but I did kind of feel like I had a drawstring pressing a little against my throat for a couple of days. Just a little bit, nothing like I was choking or anything like that. I had no breathing problems and nothing was permanently damaged or anything, it just felt like something was pressing into my throat just slightly. That’s probably what bothered me the most during recovery.
I had one about 30 years ago in the Princeton Medical Center - Dr. House’s hospital before it moved to Plainsboro. My GP found a lump on my throat (I always wondered why they checked that.) I had no symptoms and my tests were okay. They removed half my thyroid. I was only in the hospital one night. I only went on thyroxine about 15 years ago. No adverse affects.
I had cool metal staples on my throat, kind of like Frankenstein’s monster, for a few days. No scars. I got to stay home a week and worked half time another week.
The lump was benign. The doctor said it was like 98% chance of no problem, 2% chance of cancer which would kill me in six months. But I’m still here.
Your friend shouldn’t worry, and I bet the recovery with modern surgical techniques will be faster than mine, which wasn’t bad at all.
Thanks all for your input. Friend’s tumor was a “Follicular Neoplasm” although that diagnosis may change after the post-op lab work is complete. Not very likely though as I understand it.
Surgery was day before yesterday. Although the tumor had been growing rapidly (from 4cm to 5.5cm in 8 weeks), surgeon found it necessary to remove only half of the thyroid. Initial report is 100% benign with no spreading at all.
First day post-op he was in a lot of pain (especially swallowing) but managing with painkillers. He’s an A-type white collar overachiever so a couple of weeks of forced idleness will do him good (sez me). We’re relieved.
Thanks again, folks.
Glad to hear he’s okay and the operation went well.
Thanks. We’ve been tight for 46 years, and neither of us is supposed to get old, much less well, you know.
Sounds like he’ll be fine, which is great to hear!