TT 1 week from today

i am so nervous :(  i have had a few minor meltdowns the past few days...i am just so scared about everything- anesthesia, scar, pain, hoarse voice, and oh yeah..the fact that my neck is going to be sliced open!  is there anything i should do to prepare (besides follow all the preop stuff)? anything that you found helped recovery or anything?  

also, i am going on vacation a few weeks after surgery...what should i do to cover up the incision? is a bandaid good enough?

thanks for listening!

[KelDC]

I really empathize with you -I was a nervous wreck before my surgery, too. I am 3 weeks post-TT and doing great.  The sore throat from the breathing tube was the worst  part of recovery for me.  It was really sore! My incision is healing great, and I am now allowed to put lotion/oil/scar stuff on it to help it heal and fade. My surgeon told me not to allow it in direct sunlight for a couple of months, so I'd keep it covered while you are on vacation.

Drink a lot of water, get as much rest as you can, and just take deep breaths. You are going to do great. Have some Italian ices or popsicles or something around for after - they feel GREAT on that sore throat.  Broths were good for meals, too.  Have some shirts with V or scoop necklines so they don't bother the incision.  That's all I can think of right now, but I'll post again if I think of anything else.  Good luck!!!!!

[MKlacza]

I totally agree with Kel.. the worst for me was having that darn neck brace on. My throat was a little sore but I was able to talk away!!! My hubby was like, maybe you should rest your voice!! No such thing! I gotta say, the surgery was the easy part for me. Except coming out of anesthsia.. that stunk! I puked, but I always do after coming out of surgery.

You will be just fine!!

MK

[emmymm]

Hang in there Girl, you'll do just fine.  I had my TT 2 years ago.  I think waiting to get it over with is the hardest part!  Truly, the surgery was way easier than I expected.  I didn't have a lot of appetite so ate mostly soup, malts, jello. The gentle stretching exercises I was given post op helped my neck stiffness A LOT, do them when told!  There was very little pain for me. I had no trouble at all with low calcium levels or damage to the parathyroids.  I had a bit of hoarsness that lasted about a week.  It can last longer, but everyone I know of, even those who lost their voice DO GET IT BACK..just takes time.  Everyone swells differently.  My neck was quite swollen at the incision for several weeks.
I went on vacation a few weeks after my surgery too.  I covered up with a bandaid, but with sunscreen/sweat it wouldn't stay on very well.  Look for a good waterproof type bandaid. I ended up rolling a bandana and tying it loosely around my neck to cover the wound.  It's important to keep it out of the sun so the scar doesn't darken, according to my surgeon.I eneded up being allergic to the oils and maderma type stuff you can use on the scar to minimize it, so I couldn't use anything.  Even without those products my scar is barely noticable.  Nobody would ever see it on my neck unless I pointed it out to them!  I spent many worried hours needlessly thinking about a scar that barely exists!

Good luck.  Soon this will be behind you and you'll be enjoying vacation!
Emmy

[shannon828]

18 days post TT here and it really wasn't too bad.  The anesthesia was actually the best part.  Probably didn't hurt that my anaesthesiologist was completely HOT, but that's another story.  When I woke up I was so relaxed, compared to all the worrying I'd done beforehand about my diagnosis and my surgery I was just in heaven.  The swallowing really hurt.  It was bad, but it only lasted a few days.  As for the scar, well, it's there and eventually it will fade.  As for what to cover it with on vaca...hmmm...you might need to wear a scarf around your neck or a t-shirt or something, you don't want ANY sun getting on that thing.

Best of luck, it will be fine, you'll see!