Thyroid and lymph node removal

Hi Skye Loren, 

Wow your scar looks really good! It's hard to believe that it will eventually become almost unnoticeable but it really does keep fading away. 

I had bilateral neck  and upper chest dissection in November 2020. It wasn't planned but when they went in there was a lot more cancer on the second side so they went for it all. My scar is also ear to ear. 

Like you, I was numb from my ear down to my chest. I'm now almost 3 years post surgery and while I do have some numbness across my collarbone area, I have gotten sensation back throughout my neck and shoulders. I would say that it feels different, particularly on the left side where they removed all lymph nodes up to behind my ear. Something touched my neck the other day and I almost jumped through the window, it felt like I had gotten an electric shock. But I do have feeling back. I would say that it probably took 2 years. Most of what you read will say nerve healing takes up to 12 months. It definitely continued longer than that in my experience. 

Best of luck with the RAI. It will be great to have it done. Feel free to get in touch any time.

Mind yourself,

Claire

I have had central and rh side neck dissection with 60 lymph nodes removed, 14 were cancerous, plus TT.  My rh side from under my chin down to my clavicle bone has been numb since my operation on the 26th July last year, so tomorrow is my 1 year anniversary.  I think it is getting some feeling back slowly but I don't think it will ever feel like it was, and I was warned about this by my surgeon.  My rh side chest used to feel tingly and took quite a few months for that to disappear but it did.  It is a slow process and I hope yours heals given time and you can get some sensation back Skye, not easy I know and we seem to need a lot of patience going through this.  Best wishes x

Thankyou so much for sharing! I’m glad it is coming back even if it’s slowly, it’s so strange isn’t it. My Surgeon said my ear and neck is likely to be permanent, but shoulders and the rest may comeback gradually… I’m still only a few months out of surgery, so a reminder to be patient for sure ️

Hi Claire 

Thankyou so much! I can’t wait for it to be invisible one day, I still feel like it’s a necklace of some sort, I’m not entirely used to it yet but I’m getting much more confident in showing it and not feeling the need to cover the scar as I did get some strange looks 

that is amazing you have the majority of your sensation back! That does reassure me. I laughed when you mentioned the shocks, I feel them too!! Right under my chin sometimes! I would like to think that’s the nerves reconnecting! I only had my surgery a few months ago so I hope I feel some changes over the next year. I do feel my ear a little more, and the numbness has receded a little in my chest, but the majority is still senseless. I can burn myself straightening my hair and not even notice! 

I have just fishies my RAI, I’m currently isolating at home until the 9th then my life can resume. All went really smoothly, aprt from I have this awful burning sensation in my neck. I’ve been told it’s a similar pain to radiotherapy patients, did you experience any neck soreness, as we both had quite a lot of lymph nodes removed? May also sound strange, but I’d love to see your scar. I feel like I’m the only one with it then I see a huge community of people wth the same cancer and all with their own scars - makes me feel less alone! Im also curious to see how they heal x

best wishes 

Hi you lovely people...you are amazing and so positive and brave, it really amazes me, you should be so proud of yourselves. I was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago, but have been suffering so much with a strange pressure around my thyroid area as well as chest pressure. I hope you do t mind me asking how you were first diagnosed and your symptoms....keep being strong xxx

Hey! How lovely of you, we are all brave here, including you, so sorry for your diagnosis, my friend was also diagnosed with breast cancer and has just finished her radiotherapy, it takes a different kind of strength to fight cancer!

Have you had surgery yet? Could that explain the sensation in your chest at all? I’m sorry you’re now conscious of other cancers, I feel that’s the worst part of a cancer diagnosis- you feel you’re not longer free from it and at risk of another. Hopefully it’s not indicative of thyroid cancer, as I haven’t heard of the things you mentioned being a symptom before, I personally had no symptoms at all, just a lump above my collar bone. I was told I didn’t have cancer for 8 months, then investigative surgery came back I had stage 1 papillary thyroid cancer and it had spread to my lymph nodes. 

traditional symptoms include:

Throat hoarseness or soreness 

lump on the side of the neck around the thyroid area or on the throat 

Difficulty swallowing 

Feeling like something in the throat 

if in doubt, ask for a scan or ultrasound of the throat, best wishes x

Hey Skye Loren, thanks for the kind words..it really helps to talk to others in here. I have had a hoarse throat and difficulty swallowing too.. may ask for further investigation. It really helps knowing we have support from each other ...sending love and hugs xxx

It really does! It’s so isolating and only other people with cancer truly understand and empathise.. ah yes, in that case I’d advise getting it investigated, im sure it’s totally benign but we can never be too safe, keep me posted and best of luck with everything xx

Thanks lovely, you really are so amazing. You look so young to be going through this, but dealing with it so well....not that it is easy at any age, but hearing others such as yourself going through this and sharing their stories helps....be proud of your strength and know you are helping others, thank you xxx