Thy5 papillary thyroid carcinoma

Hey Char, 

I’ve actually had both surgeries, so I completely understand how worrying it can feel.

I had half of my thyroid removed in March. I only had to stay in hospital for one night afterwards and took around two weeks off work. Honestly, the tiredness was probably the biggest thing for me afterwards, but I think that’s quite normal after any surgery, and it did gradually get better.

Usually, they try to remove just half of the thyroid where possible, as this can mean you don’t need to be on thyroid medication afterwards, which is a really positive thing.

My scar was also really minimal, and you can barely see it now. I was really surprised at how well it healed.

Unfortunately, after my biopsy I did end up needing to have the other half removed too, but that isn’t always the case, so try not to worry that you’ll automatically need both sides done. Everyone’s situation is different, and they’ll only recommend what they feel is necessary for you.

I know it’s much easier said than done, but try to take it one step at a time. It’s completely understandable to feel anxious about it all, but you will get through it, and the surgery itself was honestly nowhere near as bad as I had imagined it would be. 

Hi Stephy, 

Thank you for replying to me, your insight is so helpful, I really appreciate it. They’ve offered that I can choose either partial or total, I think I should choose partial to try and save the other half if it is possible. 

Did it feel like you were asleep or a long time whilst you were in the surgery or did it pass quickly? I’ve not had a surgery since I was a baby so I really don’t know what to expect. 

Thank you️

Hi Char,

I had a Total thyroidectomy and level six neck dissection in Nov 2024.

They were able to confirm it was thy5 from my biopsy too.

They were going for a partial but it had spread to my neck muscle and they had discussed the possibility of a total Thyroidectomy should they need to once they were in there, it was something I personally pushed for as I preferred one surgery when a second a short while later was on the cards but it was also the year before my wedding!

Like Steph has said the tiredness is massive, I also had some issues with my calcium post surgery which is quite usual due to the location of your parathyroid glands and them being disturbed during the surgery.

The best thing I feel you can do is listen to your body and try not to compare your healing to other people’s, it isn’t linear. Write things down and note when you feel better/worse to relearn and reconnect with your body.

Hey Char,

Speak to your consultant, as they’ll be able to guide you in the right direction. I was exactly the same, it was my first ever surgery, so I was really nervous too.

The team in the surgical unit were absolutely brilliant. They just chatted away to me and made me feel really at ease until I fell asleep. The next thing I knew, they were waking me up and taking me through to the ward!

The operation itself was no more than a couple of hours, but it honestly didn’t feel like that at all. Afterwards, I just felt tired, but I managed to have a cup of tea and some toast. They then gave me some painkillers, so I was comfortable enough, and I had a wee snack later on too.

I ended up going home the next day. Honestly, I was so nervous beforehand, but the whole team were amazing and made the experience so much easier than I expected