On March 2nd I was told I had several small foci of papillary carcinoma in the tissue of the right thyroid that was removed and that the entire mass was being sent to another hospital for further research but it looks benign the doctors recommended removing the other side, we decided that was the best plan. Numb feeling on the front side of my neck between my chin and incision. I only lost 2 lbs on the diet and basically ate rice cakes and carrots for 4 weeks. Post Operative Instruction | Thyroid Surgery Melbourne, VIC Stretching exercises to reduce symptoms of postoperative neck discomfort after thyroid surgery: prospective randomized study. The nurse offered me some jello, and that wasn't quite as bad as the water, but it was no picnic either. However, expecting something and being prepared for it are not the same thing. Methods: Patients who undergo thyroid surgery frequently suffer from unpleasant symptoms such as a stretching, choking, or pressing feeling or discomfort in the neck for a long time. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted We watched tv and I prepared to watch the Monday Night Football game (pretty much normal for me). As an example, one surgeon said he wouldn't do the surgery without intraoperative nerve monitoring of the recurrent larynegal nerve and the other said he thinks it's a waste of time to use the nerve monitor. Nerve pain or neuropathic pain comes with skin sensitivity, tingling, numbness, and stabbing pain. A month later I had a TT and my tonsils out due to a chronic sore throat. Given that I had what my doctor (the top thyroid surgeon in the region who does hundreds of surgeries a year) said was the biggest surgery he had done all year, my recovery was much worse than what most peoples should be. I was there a short time where I met briefly with a surgical nurse, my anesthesiologist, and my surgeon. Some may be from my Saliva glands, but THyroid bed feels sore for sure. Now though my right knee has been making me limp a bit for the past few weeks will have a Dr Appointment while on convalescence leave. Had a visit to ENT clinic at Madigan and then I did my pre-op for left ear surgery. I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer over the summer and received a total thyroidectomy and bilateral neck dissection two months ago. The ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association Support Community connects patients, families, friends and caregivers for support and inspiration. As a complete aside, that bair paws gown they'd put me under was starting to heat up like turkey in a browning bag. If they kept me overnight, the plan had always been for him to go home for the night. I was told I had a goiter and it could be cancer so I needed to get to my primary dr asap. Next for me is probably clinical trials for this lung stuff + more lymph node removal down the line since those are growing back, but for 95% of you that's not something you'll be having to deal with:) But basically my point in all this is that it doesn't have to be as scary as it's sometimes made out to be. We were told it is papillary cancer but the aggressive kind, so he will need a pet scan every 6 months. I also felt myself getting hungry which was a good sign. The best part about it was I was prepared for a great deal of pain and I would characterize my condition as "mild discomfort," never going over "2 or 3" on the "pain scale." My only regret at that point is that I didn't ask for ativan or xanax or something to calm my nerves it could have been given IV. However, there was no significant difference between the groups with regard to the scores at the 1-month evaluation (p > .05). The major questions I waned answered were: how many thyroidectomies do you do a year and what is your complication rate? Was in Hospital 5 days post op with JP drain and limited help, had numerous asthma attacks due to not being able to eat and acid reflux. 14 Months After Thyroidectomy. An official website of the United States government. I was diagnosed with a large thyroid mass Dec 2009 Bremerton Naval Hospital in Jan 2010 they determined the mass was follicular cells but could not determine by fine needle aspiration if it was cancerous or not but since it was making it hard to breath they decided to operate to remove my right side thyroid this happened on Feb 22 2010. I know part of it is because of my cats needing cuddles at 3 am, but I was wondering if anyone else had this problem. I later saw a special on TV (I don't remember if it was Dateline NBC or Front Line PBS) about hospitals getting more aggressive in seeking payments up front. However, patients who undergo thyroid surgery often experience discomfort symptoms such as stretching, pressing, or choking feelings in the neck, headache, shoulder stiffness, and difficulty in moving the neck or shoulders. As soon as you can turn your head without pain or difficulty (within about a week . I was sweating pretty badly and was given anti-nausea medication (it really wasn't that bad to be honest). At 21yo, fairly advanced cancer (luckily only papillary w/ follicular variant) was about the last thing I was expecting, so that was definitely a fun little discovery. I met with two different surgeons. Mid summer I saw and felt a lump on the right side of my neck. I really hope you get the feeling that post-op will take good care of you. 7 weeks after TT and like 2 weeks after RAI. But, you could tell pre-op was used to people popping in for a brief stay and then being whisked off to surgery. Pain medication doesn't agree with him. If anyone has / had the same issues, any info on them would be great. Your thyroid gland makes hormones that control your metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate. Keep in mind that a good history and physical examination are beneficial for early diagnosis and education of the patient with this complication. Bilateral recurrent nerve paralysis resulting in adduction of the vocal cords is a rare life-threatening complication (occurring in less than 0.1% of cases that requires Recommendations to newbies: There is all kinds of chaos going on around the ICU as well, which is understandable since many of the patients in that unit are in extremely poor health and have important needs. On the 4th of May 2010 I was back at Madigan for a radiation count on my thyroid followed by my second uptake dose of radiation (RI-123 UPTAKE) 2.8 mCi I-123 t1/2= 13.2 hours 2007 Mar;39(2):126-32. doi: 10.2340/16501977-0015. I chose the doctor that did 350 to 500 thyroidectomies per year (he was also the doctor who didn't use the larynegal nerve monitor). So, they gave me another shot of something for pain. At last a surgeon came in and had me sign the forms. Please help me understand! Results. I've been on levothyroxine and calcium supplements since I was in the hospital and report no adverse reactions to any of that (fingers crossed on the thyroid medication continuing to be smooth for the most part once all my remaining natural hormone is gone). NSAIDs and duloxetine was not effective for these symptoms. The visit included an ultra sound and 6 needles biopsy of the mass. My Dr (Endo) said he did not want me in his office for another 7 days and the hospital nurse said that was crazy and she used a Geiger counter on me to see how "hot" I was. The bottom line is that as soon I said I'd had a positive FNA and that the nodule was greater than 1cm I was told no. Don't get a ct scan ask for an ultrasound first. On Sept 7th did follow up scan and 1 definite lymphnode lit up in an obscure location, so then was ordered for AG, AGant, and full neck ultrasound (WISH THEY HAD DONE ALL THAT EARLIER). For starters I only discovered what an endocrinologist or Thyroid even was like 8 weeks ago. Exercise therapy for office workers with nonspecific neck pain: a systematic review. My biggest node was 3.5cm, with a couple other in the 2-3cm range, plus ~30 cancerous lymph nodes. The Effectiveness of Neck Stretching Exercises Following Total - PubMed Then, they hit me with propofol and the lights went out. I'm considered low risk for recurrence. RAI was the next thing that worried me, but once again, I found that it was overly emphasized online. On Mar 09 2010 I had a thyroidectomy completion surgery. After getting zero sleep last Sunday night I arrived at the hospital at 6:00 a.m. sharp on November 23. It was another small blow knowing that I had 2 types of thyroid cancer not one. That's a nice way of saying they put it in a neck wrinkle. Which is what I had expected because that is what I was told. Before my thyroidectomy I experienced ear pain on and off, where it felt like a sharp, stabbing pain around my left ear. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. I have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. I also feel sad that my recovery has stagnated and I don't see any improvement in my voice or breathing. 2) Did anyone else get post RAI Ultrasounds and show remnant tissue in thyroid bed? I can't imagine home hard that would be in the neck. I visited her in the hospital on the 18th she was looking real worn out that day, but by the 19th when I took Sylvia there she was doing much better. This was an amazing surgery within seconds of becoming conscious I noticed how loud everything was. Have a wonderful holiday season and thank you again so much to this board for existing. They required me to start out on a liquid diet, which I tore through like crazy (the cherry "ice" was really good). Due to this, I strugelled for over 2 weeks with swallowing. 2005 Jun;29(6):775-9. doi: 10.1007/s00268-005-7722-3. He is now also seeing a doctor at cleveland clinic who specializes in thyroid cancer. I have been constantly monitoring my weight and diet, and have been able to keep it in check till now. She says slowing down in terms of socialization and being tied to my desk more has caused me to have bad posture and allow the tension to really build in that area. But, I wasn't really all that coherent, so I asked if I could have some water (remember, nothing to eat or drink from midnight the night before so, I'm getting on 23 hours without food or drink) CRUSHED GLASS IN ACID MIXED WITH GRAVEL couldn't have felt that horrible. So, I was really getting insistent that he go home. Parathyroidectomy cures almost all cases of primary hyperparathyroidism and returns blood calcium levels to a healthy range. I also never took any narcotic pain killers after surgery. Over the course of 2 years or more I've been from Doctor to Doctor including my family doc, allergist, gastronologist and orthopedic specialist. Difficulty swallowing. They said the scar from my thyroid surgery is mostly healed and looking good and that we can start planning the 2nd ear surgery. 30 Nov 2011 Official Retirement from Navy. Anyway this is what is going on now. The doctor says it might not ever be the same. A postoperative neck ultrasound conducted in the clinic did not show any suspicious nodes, masses, hematoma or collection that could potentially compress the sympathetic trunk. Also on the 4th I have a physical therapy appointment with one of the technicians and he did another wonderfully painfully session but the next 2 days there was basically no knee pain. DON'T get a tonsillectomy with your TT. Sent us home & said if it happens again that we need to see the ent in cleveland. Complications are much less common and can include neck bleeding, permanent hypoparathyroidism that requires ongoing calcium replacement, and damage to . On April 20th I was informed that the results from Armed Forces institute of Pathology Washington DC and the summary was that the large mass of follicular cells was also cancer. My surgeon kept telling me it's normal after the surgery, but won't give me detail explanation. Kappeler mentioned Horners syndrome as a complication of thyroid surgery in 1865, and Kaelin reported a case of the syndrome following thyroidectomy in 1915. I had quit my job to start graduate school last fall and then had to defer my graduate program to next year because I couldn't continue during the winter quarter. Is the lack of hormone 6 days post op the reason for feeling like HELL??? She did not develop other complications of thyroidectomy, such as bleeding, wound infection, vocal cord palsy or hypoparathyroidism. I would characterize what I went through as "mild discomfort." The only problem I had with the surgery was hiccups that lasted about 10 days, I was told this was due to the tube they put down your throat during anesthesia. I put them on the table so the doctor could see them and very soon after saying hello, I said, these are my questions. Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of your neck. October 25th had my first Vestibular training they had me bring S. incase the therapy makes me too dizzy to be able to drive. I did not have a JP drain, but I've had them for other surgeries and I know they are annoying. She reported left upper lid drooping and showed a recent picture with only the right side of her face flushed in a hot summer day (Figure 1, upper panel). 6) Went hypo for 6 weeks (didn't even understand what that meant until I physically got to experience it), fought to get RAI pushed earlier when TSH hit 97.99 and I had constant migraines, and no one ever mentioned LID (but I believe that didn't end up being so bad - as I did LID anyway after reading online 5 days prior and before that I was low enough naturally). Overall the pain wasn't terrible. I have discovered that this is not a good cancer to have and it has not been easy. After surgery, you can expect some pain as your body heals. Has anyone else had this problem? After thyroidectomy, patients were called by phone in the 1st week and 1st month. We had to travel to Cleveland Clinic for the surgery on Oct. 28th due to the surgeons here would not do it. I kind of learned quickly to tilt my chin toward my chest as I swallowed to lessen the pain and actually got the four HIV and a couple of other pills down. Care and Management of Voice Change in Thyroid Surgery: Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics Clinical Practice Guideline. This community is sponsored by ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, an Inspire trusted partner. Application of the healthcare failure mode and effects analysis system to reduce the incidence of posture syndrome of thyroid surgery. 2nd of August was my last visit with Dr E., he thinks am in a stable mental state and we both agree that more appointments right now probably wouldnt help any. Unable to load your collection due to an error, Unable to load your delegates due to an error. This hospital uses fentanyl and midazolam post-op. I was told that I couldn't do radioactive iodine (rai) for six months due to my ct scan (cat scans use iodine for imaging and RAI would not be as effective). I did not want to be anywhere around my kids or clients. The first few sips of water are described below, but then the pain quickly got better over the next week. 2022 Sep;46(9):2212-2222. doi: 10.1007/s00268-022-06610-0. One less medical appointment set to have to worry about I did. The initial clinical suspicion pointed to a haematoma, but a needle aspiration showed chyle. It makes hormones that control every part of your metabolism, from your heart rate to how quickly you burn calories. I still do have some hearing loss in my right ear but it is not something to worry about now, although they say in the future I may need a hearing aid. So many people just blindly trust anyone with an 'MD' in their title, but call people you know who have gone through it, meet with multiple different doctors, make sure your surgeon does hundreds of these a year. PLEASE REMEMBER this is just my experience. Stabbing neck pain!!! - Thyroid cancer - Inspire Besides a surgical scar in her neck, a physical exam was notable for left upper lid ptosis and anisocoria with the left pupil having a smaller diameter than the right (Figure 1, lower panel). . 8600 Rockville Pike I then asked if I could have something more substantial and the doctor came in and looked at my plate (which looked like an animal had been fed at the zoo) and said I could have whatever I wanted. Complications after total thyroidectomy - PubMed I also had a Nutrition Seminar on the 28th and found out that some of my energy, pain problems might be related with my Vitamin and Mineral levels. Tender neck : After surgery, it is natural for a patient to minimize . She also told me that if I need another surgery to fix the problem that there is a 10% chance I will lose all hearing in that ear, and being that it is my better ear I seriously hope I dont need to get surgery. My thyroid was removed due to papillary cancer in April 2008. Your thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly. We got to know each other, and exchanged some friendly banter on a variety of topics including football and hockey. He admitted that he would have liked to have seen me when I was still had my thyroid issue but we will work from where I am. Although, some people swear they can't hear it, I can hear it all the time. Those are the same medications they give you for a colonoscopy. From the time I knew I would be "going under the knife" I started experiencing panic attacks, thoughts of extreme terror, and general malaise.