Hi Jennifer,

This is my third attempt at replying to you. I have not responded to
anyone in a while, and I guess my membership froze or something,
becasue I could not post my message to you until I re-registerd as a
new member!

Anyway, if you see three messages from me, you will know the reason
why :-)

I had a total thyroidectomy at the beginning of 2002.
I had two surgeries on my neck 3 weeks apart. My initial surgery was
because I had overactive parathyroid glad, and was scheduled for a
simple parathyroidectomy. Cancer was not even considered – at any
point, in my pre scans or any of my pre tests. When they removed
the parathyroid, they removed one lymph node and discovered the lymph
node was cancerous. So 3 weeks after my first surgery I was right
back there again having a total thyroidectomy. I had Papilliary
Thyroid Cancer and I was pretty scared. So I do know how you feel.

I just wanted to give you a few pointers on what your surgery and
after affects would be like. I hope you don't mind.

Be careful of what you eat for a couple of days before the surgery.
I was so worried about the whole procedure I became constipated, I
thought I would be OK if I took an herbal laxative. But
unfortunately I reacted badly to the anesthetic and I spent most of
the night after my surgery vomiting. I know this affect was caused
by the laxative because I was perfectly fine after my first surgery.

What the surgeon did not tell me, was that because they have to move
neck muscles out of the way to get to your thyroid your neck muscles
will be very sensitive to movement for
about a week. I was not warned about this, and because I was taking
strong painkillers I felt really good, so I started to drive 3 days
after my first surgery. That was a HUGE mistake, I suffered for 2
weeks after my first trip out in the car, with terrible neck pain.
The only thing that eased the pain in the end was heat pads which did
a great job of calming my neck muscles. I also had a small bone
shaped neck pillow, (purchased from CVS at the time) to help support
my neck while I slept. I found that incredibly
helpful. Try not to twist your neck – which is exactly what I did the
first time around.
So I was more or less feeling much, much better, then had to go and
do the same thing all over again. At least I had learned by my
earlier mistakes.

I did not twist my neck at all, I walked around the house like a
wooden toy. I definitely stayed away from driving for at least a
week, and I continued to use my neck support pillow and heat pads.
The heat pads were a blessing.

The surgery is fine, the recovery is OK too but I was lucky I had
help. My mother-in-law came to look after my son who was 4 at the
time. For the first 2 or 3 days I slept for most of the time because
I was prescribed Oxycodine. I tried not to depend too much on the
Oxycodine, and started using Tylanol after the third day.

I was also warned that the surgery could affect my voice only because
the thyroid is so closely nestled to the voice box. My voice was not
damaged in the slightest. Obviously your neck and site of surgery is
sore for a while, and my voice was raspy for a few days, after both
surgeries, more so after the second. I also found it difficult to
swallow for a day or so, but after a couple of days everything
settles down.

I was really curious to see the scar, but I was instructed not to
take the 'band-aid' off for at least 3-4 days. I tried to do as I
was told because I did not want to get an infection – but we all know
the story of Pandora's box, and I could not resist, so I had just a
little teeny peek. Funnily enough I did get a slight infection in
just that one spot where I `peeked'. I am now left with a tiny
dimple right at the end of my scar line. I was lucky, it could have
been much worse!

As for my scar – what scar? I have a perfectly seamless neck line -
my scar is more or less invisible to anyone not knowing I had the
surgery.

Hopefully, all this will help you have a wonderful, quick and hassle
free recovery.

Being diagnosed with any type of cancer is truly a frightening
experience, worrying that you may or may not have it, must be totally
excruciating for you, especially because of your family
circumstances.

I will be thinking of you, and will be more than happy to answer any
questions you may have.

Take care

Debbie


--- In ThyroidDisease2@yahoogroups.com, "Jennifer" <jimnjenh@...>
wrote:
>
> My Name is Jenn- I am 28 years old and will be having a total
> Thyroidectomy in the next few weeks. I was told about three weeks
ago
> I could have Thyroid Cancer after a large mass was found on my
> isthmus. This came two months after finding out my Dad had stage
four
> throat, larnxy and lung cancer. Through out the last three weeks I
> have been to four different doctors including a Ear Nose and Throat
> Specialist and a Endocrinologist. Making my total Doctor visits and
> hospital visits to ten in the last two weeks. After several
biopsies
> and a Thyroid Scan I was told two days ago I would require a total
> Thyroidectomy. I am extremely scared...but thyroid issues are not
new
> to me…I have been suffering from Hypothyroidism since I was
seventeen
> and also have Hashimoto's Thyroditis.
> -Jenn
>