Saw my scar today...

[Liz94]

8 days post-op now and I finally took off the bandage this morning. Suprisingly, not what I thought it was gonna be. Not too bad I think. How do you all take care of your scars?  Should I maybe put vitamin E oil on it? It's kind of funky looking, not much to see on the outside but you can tell there's something under the skin, it's a bit raised.  

[choirgirl]

They said papillary, but I went in because of an abundance of hurthle cells.  So, I don't know if it was hurthle cell carcinoma (papillary type) or what, I am just so new to this!!  It came and went so fast I feel as if my head is spinning.  The reason I had it out was because of the aggressive hurthle cells and the "slight" possibility of cancer.  I decided not to play russian roulette with that possibility.  I really didn't think it would be cancer.  You're right, the diagnosis seems unreal right now.  What scares me is the thought that I seriously considered not doing the surgery, boy am I glad I did it now!!
Lori

P.S.  I am seriously "warm" now, could it be hypo setting in?

[ChitChatNine]

What bugs me is that I cannot have the Tg level as the other useless, deformed, non-working gland is in the other side ...................................I really would have liked that as a marker along with my 6 mos serial ultraounds.  Oh well ................. just wanted to [[[[[[[[[[[[ vent ]]]]]]]]]]]]]] a frustration.  I asked my endo about that at my last visit in Oct and she explained only good for those with TT.  I have no plans for that at all unless something changes .. so far the 3mm nodule on the other side is "stable" and exactly the same for the past year (good news).

Cheryl

[utahmomma]

Wow - good and bad news on the pathology.  Bad news it is cancer but very, very good news that it is GONE!  Hang in there - sometimes it can take a while for the "cancer" diagnosis to sink in and, when it does, it can hit you like a ton of bricks.  Make sure that they track your TSH and Tg levels (every six months or so).  My labs were stable for years then my Tg (cancer marker) and TSH started to rise - it was a recurrence of cancer.  I had to have RAI three years after getting the cancer removed.  What type of cancer was it???

My best to you!!!
Welcome to the very exclusive ThyCa club.  We're a very cool, if not slightly deformed and a little crazy, bunch!  :-)

[choirgirl]

I love it!  You guys are soooo funny!  I go back to school in the 2nd and I teach Junior High, I'll have to use some of them.  Liz, sounds like you and I had surgery one right after another - I hope you are feeling well.  I got the news on my path yesterday (28th) and it WAS cancer.  However, I don't have to do RAI because it was all contained.  I hope your results are positive too!!

Lori

[utahmomma]

Oh yeah . . . she also told her advanced placement students it is where she had her soul removed - part of the requirements for teaching them.

[utahmomma]

You two crack me up.  One of my sisters is a middle school teacher (pray for her) and she told her students it was a student who failed her class and his body is in the closet.  Shut them right up (especially the naive 7th graders).  Gotta have fun with this!  :-)

[mathriley]

I'm a high school teacher, too.  I haven't been back to class yet but here's the plan.  I'm going to tell the kids that I got in a fight over the holiday.  The guy may have sliced my throat a little but I have his testicals in a jar.  I have quite a "don't mess with her" reputation already but it can always use a little boost.  

If I couldn't find the humor in this situation, I'd be crying all the time.

[Liz94]

Well so far nobody has said anything other than my daughter. And her words were...."Ewe, you're going to cover that right?"  She's 16 and precious.  :)  So being that I'm a teacher at her high school I told her I was not allowed to cover it. Hey, I gotta have my fun too.  I do like the hanging attempt though, I might use that at school!  That'll shut her up when it gets around. HA!

My stitches are on the inside and will absorb is what I was told.  The outside looks pretty good. Just a little puffy.  It's workable, I can deal with this.  I'm very surprised at how much better I'm doing with all this than I thought.  I was a wreck for 2 straight weeks and I really should not have been.  Of course, I know that my journey may not be over since I've not seen the path results. But, I'm gonna think positive.

[utahmomma]

Aloe worked wonders for me (both times).  Chapstick (with sunscreen) works well too (I used it in the summer because of the sunscreen - it's also a lot easier to pack around than a bottle of Aloe gel).  

Many swear by Bio-oil which I'm going to buy for my mother if she ever gets off dead-center and decides to get her nasty, probably-cancerous thyroid out.

In case you want to look - my surgical scar (x2) is on my profile under my journal.  You can't see it unless the light hits it just right.

Oh, to add to Venora's comment - my daughter (who was in high school when she had her surgery) used to tell everyone that she got "jumped" by a bunch of crazed women and you should see how bad they look.  :-)

Now the entire family just asks those nosey people that we are human Pez dispensers - want some candy???  :-)

[ChitChatNine]

And you can tell them you had an unsuccessful attempt to hang yourself ... they will shut up fast!

all kidding aside it may be too soon to apply anything and you may find yourself stinging .... if so, back off for awhile until the skin is settled down.  I know with stitches they ask you to wait 10 more days after removal before using Maderma cream.

Mine was awful.  Infection/abscess, etc. and 1/2 of it is almost gone and the other half is following suit .. will be a year in January.  To think that with an infection it will disappear is really great news!

C~

[Venora Moonwind]

if people stare too much just tell them its a hysterectomy gone terribly worng.LOL
thats what utahmomma said.hahaha
Love Venora

[beckyf800]

Please don't worry about your scar, Iv'e had mine since 1982 and I am guessing they have improved since, mine is from one side to the other, my saying is "I'ts me, take me as I am or get ****".  You may get looks and people may ask questions, it's your choice, just tell them you had a surgery that corrected you life and SMILE BIG.  The vit/e works for some, but not for all and in time it will fade slowly, not completely tho.  Soon you will not even notice it youself.