CV-19 and post op Thyroidectomy

Hi there lumpy. I'm glad you have asked this as I'm a year and a half post completion surgery. I. Also suffer with bad asthma and to be honest I'm worried sick. 

Please please take care everyone xx

Hi there Lumpy, 

This one is a bit of a yes and no answer. 

So, your lymph nodes are part of your immune system, in that they draw the bugs you catch into them then try and kill them off. This is why when you get certain bugs, your glands come up - those are your lymph nodes.

Now, when someone has a neck dissection, some of their lymph nodes are removed. The amount varies from person to person, so some might have a few while others might have a lot. The people who have had a higher number of lymph nodes removed, often find that they catch more colds and sore throats, because without the lymph nodes there, that area is more vulnerable. 

Hoeever, a neck dissection hasn't affected the white blood cells, and everything else in the immune system. So while you might catch more colds because your first line of defense has gone, your body will still kill it off as easily as it otherwise would have - just once it knows its there.

Hence the yes and no. 

Now, this next bit is just a guess, so it might be right, it might be wrong. But it's what I would assume from the above facts. 

If you come in contact with CV19, it looks like you get it. I'm not reading of anyone not getting it, the way that some people don't get some colds they come in contact with. So the lack of lymph nodes doesn't matter, we're all on an even keel there. So it'll be the rest of your immune system that will be attacking it to get rid of it, should you get it, and that is completely unaffected by a thyroidectomy or neck dissection.

Hope that helps, 

Lass

Xx

Thank you for that. Much appreciated 

Thanks for the clarification Lass, and thanks Lumpy for asking the question.

RAI doesn’t affect immune system long term does it? Thanks, Happy! 

Heya Happygal,

Again a yes no answer I'm afraid. 

For people getting the 'usual' treatment of one low or middling dose then it won't affect your immune system at all. Even one high dose won't do much. So the people who have RAI as a mopping up/just in case measure are absolutely fine.

Even the people who have several high doses because they have spread to lungs or liver will be OK, and generally their immune system won't be affected. 

It's the people with bone mets who might have issues. Several high doses that then linger in your bones for 6 months each time can affect your bone marrow, which is a main part of your immune system. It will very much depend on your body whether your immune system will be affected in this sort of a situation, and for how long. Mine bounced back after the second, not so quickly after the third, and after the 4th it has good days and bad days.

So if you've only had one dose, your immune system is fine. 

If you've had a few doses for lymph nodes, lung mets, or liver mets, you'll more than likely be fine. 

If you've had a few for bone mets, then maybe be cautious. Think how you cope with colds and take it from there.

Lass

Xx

Once again Lass, you have come through for me! Thanks so much for the guidance. Great to have some clear, calm info during all of this.

sending you much love x