advice after surgery

Hi louise

i had half my thyroid out on 14th of January, like you say the pain isn’t too bad during the day, but trying to get comfortable at night was a bit of a nightmare!  I usually sleep on my front but that was out of the question! I found having 3 pillows and lying on my side with the top pillow tucked under my shoulder  was comfy.  In my experience it took just over a week for the pain to ease off at night.  

Unfortunately I had to get the other side out... this was done on 4th March... would have been nice to only have had one op, but if there is a chance to leave half your thyroid in it is worth the gamble. I am recovering well from the 2nd op and am going back to work on Monday (2 weeks post op) .  I am 48 and normally am very active, running/gym/cycling, can’t wait to get back to all that !

Hope you manage to get a good nights sleep soon x

Hi Louise,

It was the same for me in the first week as well. Could not sleep at night in a comfortable position and kept waking up every other hour. I built a slope by using loads of pillow, so my position was kind of one like when you push back the front seat of car to rest.

It only felt better when I could sleep on my back after a week.

Hi Louise,

i had the op on 15th October. I didn’t go to bed for the first week after leaving hospital. I sleep in a recliner downstairs. I had all a total thyroidectomy and central neck dissection and I think I was convinced that it was going to come open (it didn’t) the only thing was the pain in the bottom of my back from being in such a random position. 

Hope it’s the news you want and you don’t have to have the other side removed.

Gem

Hey Lousise,

Welcome to the forum, though I'm sorry you find yourself here.

As the others have said, you need to lift the top half of your body up a bit when you go to sleep, because lying flat isn't comfortable on your neck. I too built a slope in bed with a load of pillows and a spare duvet etc, and once I'd added a small lump to rest my head on then it was brilliant.

I've never been able to fall asleep on my back either, but for whatever reason my body decided that isn't the rule when trying to get to sleep on a slope! Totally random.

As for the percentage you asked about, I don't believe that number exists anywhere I'm afraid. What I can tell you is that over 90% of thyroid lumps come back as benign. So the odds are in your favour that you won't need to have a second op. However, even if things come back saying it's cancer, these days that doesn't automatically mean you need the other half out. There are a lot of variables involved. Though if you do need the other side out, you'll have already done it once, learnt the tricks, know what to expect, and so it will seem like a much easier time.

Lass

Xx

Hi, 

Thank you for the advice, I will try more pillows tonight.

Good to hear that you are recovering well from your 2nd operation and returning to work, wishing you all the best x

Hi

Thanks everyone for the replies. It is nice to know you are not on your own and that in a week or two I will be back to feeling ok and back to work.

i will try extra pillows tonight.

My Biopsy came back as a score of 4, 5 being they know it is cancerous, so I think I am expecting the worse but fingers crossed the one op was enough.

Thanks again and all the best to everyone.

Louise x

Heya,

Good luck with the extra pillows!

Just to say, a T5 still isn't actually a definite cancer diagnosis. Geri, the old specialist thyroid nurse, did post a list that stated the likelihood of each rating being cancer, I could try and find it for you if you were interested?

And yup, you're def not alone in this!

Lass

Xx

I had a nightmare with my first operation as I developed a seroma (fluid build up on my neck) and so I could not get comfortable for a good few weeks... when I hadn’t the other half removed I invested in a V pillow. Best thing I ever bought and I still use it.

I think the second operation is easier as you know what to expect (and I knew that the pressure in my neck wasn’t normal)! I found the second operation so much easier, I was nowhere near as anxious about everything, the cancer had gone and this more a precaution. Don’t be worrying about your second op, just focus on resting and recovering from this one. 

Yes i agree. I was very anxious before my first op. So much that they had to give me medasalam to knock me out. I was histerical in the surgery lounge. Second op went like a breeze, I only remember lying down on the bed and breathing theouth the mask and boom ,when I woke up I was in the ward with my partner waiting for me. xx

Hello Lousie,

I had the left half of my thyroid removed just over a week ago on March 8th. I was actually in the hospital for 7 days (my hospital policy) so had the luxury of a hospital bed that I could adjust. I found that since I wasn't doing a lot, it was difficult to get to sleep for the first 3 days, but I kept on top of taking the pain medication on time which was really important. On the 4th day, I didn't need the pain killers and I was a bit more active. Walking around the ward a lot, stretching arms and legs, etc., and I also didn't drink any caffeine. Lots of water! I found looking down to eat and drink was the most comfortable.

I used pillows to keep myself in the most comfortable position that I could at night, and also slept with the head of the bed raised a bit for the first few days. I had a travel pillow for my neck during the day if I felt I needed a bit more support. I had a drain for the first 4 days and once that came out things improved a lot. 

It's really amazing how quickly it heals up. I'm feeling really good now and although it's a little uncomfortable swallowing at times, I can now cough, sneeze, and yawn without pain. I have been told not to try to stretch my neck yet and to keep things as relaxed as possible, and not to carry anything heavy. I'm back on 26th for a checkup and for the pathology report results (2cm thyroid nodule that was discovered on a CT scan for breast cancer, FNA came back undetermined hence the lobectomy).

I've been told that if any cancer cells are found in the pathology report the other half will be taken out. As I also have breast cancer (completely unrelated double whammy!), even if it comes back positive they won't touch the other half of my thyroid yet as I am starting chemo on March 20th for 6 months. Have to say the thyroid surgery was much quicker to recover from so I'm not so worried about the other half  - better out than in!

Try to take it all one day at a time. Sometimes I feel like my brain is going to explode with all of the information overload. If someone had told me I'd be having a mastectomy in January and a thyroid lobectomy in March I would have laughed in their face, but it's ok.. you get through it. Try to rest, take it day by day, and be kind to yourself.

((hugs))

x

poky