Is there foods I should avoid eating or ones I should be eating?

[Aldora]

Hi,
I had my thyroid removed due to cancer, I am scheduled for more surgery this week to remove lymph nodes I believe were missed the first time for thyroid cancer as well.  Nervous about surgery, anyway, I have been trying to find any information if there is foods i should be avoiding or should be eating to help my body adjust.  I am taking meds.  .

[shannon828]

Any chance your doctor would do a Thyrogen stimulated ablation?  This means you would be administered two shots of Thyrogen to raise your TSH in advance of your Radioactive Iodine treatment.  I and many others have done Thyrogen for our RAI treatments and didn't have to go off our meds even for one day.  Ask your doctor about it.  My Endo is a associate professor at a teaching hospital for Harvard Medical School and is a very mainstream endocrinologist and he agreed to do Thyrogen for me.  My insurance even covered it.  Doesn't hurt to ask...

[Aldora]

Dear Balboni

Thanks for the info.....surgery went well and I am just waiting for my radioactive iodine treatment.  I know I have to go off my meds two weeks before treatment.  Bit worried if i am going to experience any effects from not taking my thyroid meds.  I am still not feeling my best and I am afraid i will feel worse when i am off my meds.

[balboni]

Dear Aldora:
There are no specific foods that I know of that you need to eat, unless, if you are going
to get radioactive iodine treatments and then the doctor's office most definitely will advise you to eat a no/low iodine diet which means refraining from shellfish and any foods that have iodized salt in them. You usually take the radioactive iodine 1 month after thyroidectomy. I had to stay in the hospital overnite with visiting restrictions and avoidance of medical staff in my room and it was not bad at all. I got to relax and watch TV. I forgot how long before you avoid iodine foods, I think a week or two.
Bye