Thyroid Surgery!

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Hi everyone,

I have surgery on 12th April to remove thyroid, papillary cancer and lymph nodes as recent scan confirmed the cancer is present on right side lymph nodes too.

I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a year ago, have had right ovary/tubes removed under emergency surgery as tumour ruptured and need to go back for left ovary/tubes (I can keep my womb as type of cancer is typically not found there). I also had surgery to remove appendix and fatty tissue, have frozen eggs and done endoscopy/colonoscopy to check the cancer hadn’t spread. During a CT scan as I reported I was feeling fatigued, muscle pain, becoming forgetful, dizzy, feeling nauseous, sore throat, coughing and generally run down they discovered the nodule on right side of my neck.

It’s been confirmed that they are not related and all gynae related appointments have been put on hold. 

I joined a support group on Facebook which has actually made me worse - Most are putting posts about their anxieties, weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, dental issues which I totally understand they need support but it’s making me not want to remove my thyroid and feeling that the side effects of not having a thyroid are worse than the cancer! I’ve stopped with the group, and my boyfriend has said that the people with no issues are out living their life and not commenting but I was wondering if anyone has done a thyroidectomy and felt better after it? Any good news stories that can be shared?

Thanks!

  • Hi ,

    Sounds like you've really been through a tough time already, never mind then worrying about life with no thyroid!

    I was the exact same as you, knowing that I had thyroid cancer wasn't actually as bad as worrying about what life would be like with no thyroid. I had a partial thyroidectomy last October, and a completion thyroidectomy about 4 weeks ago, so I don't have a lot of stories to share, but I can say I feel completely normal after mine! I was back exercising 2.5 weeks after surgery, and now almost back to the levels I could do before surgery too! I don't really have any anxieties about it at all, apart from getting my first blood check done to see if the dose of thyroxine I'm on is OK, I'm only anxious about it because I feel great on my current dosage and don't want them to change it! I've not had any noticeable weight gain, brain fog or dental issues so far, so fingers crossed that continues!

    Hopefully this helps calm some of your anxiety about it all, and I know others will have reassuring stories too!

    Kathryn x

  • Hi Kimberley,

    I agree with your boyfriend. Probably the majority of people who feel well are just getting on with their lives and not commenting on the groups etc.

    I had TT and left neck dissection. I wouldn't say I'm 100% as I was before but I'd say im a good 95%. I went back to gym/ weight lifting after surgery. I'm back to my job, which can be quite physical. I'm definitely a woman working in a male dominated industry. I've put on a tiny bit more weight but that could also be lockdown and general crap eating. I have had no dental issues. And generally no brain fog, that I know of Stuck out tongue winking eye 

    Hope your surgery all goes well and you get back to feeling a close to your old self as possible x

  • Thank you both for your replies! It’s reassuring to hear from others that life can resume to normal after. Fingers crossed and I really need to stop with Facebook support groups as they definitely aren’t the kind of support that works for me! 

  • I had a partial thyroidectomy in 2001, had the rest of it removed in 2018. I feel absolutely fine, I take my thyroxine everyday, no problems.