Update and a few questions.......

[petmom1]

Hi all. I was supposed to have a hemithyroidectomy yesterday ( due to single nodule susp for pap)  but I cancelled as I was not comfortable with the surgeon. She only does about a dozen thyroid surgeries a year. I am now seeking treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital ( about 3hrs drive). I have several appts. set up for 4-22. I will be seeing an Endo who is very well published and a thyroid specialist (not diabetes), having a neck ultrasound and meeting with an endocrine surgeon. There is the possibily of another biopsy but I have not yet heard a decision on that.

I have learned so much from the good people on this site and I'm so very grateful to have the opportunity to be treated at such a well-respected facility as Johns Hopkins.

I have a few questions for those that have had a PT or TT in particular........
1st- for those that had a single nodule and then had PT, after PT did you get nodule(s) that later grew on the remaining thyroid?
2nd- How long did it take to get your levels to where you feel good /"normal" again?
3rd- How many biopsies did you have before agreeing to surgery?
4th- Do most people experience their hair falling out after PT / TT? At the worst, how bad was it.....did you need a wig?
5th- What do you wish you had known most prior to surgery about life after PT / TT?
6th- What helped you most during your recovery and getting back to normal?
7th- for the women, How many experienced a successful pregnancy post PT / TT?
8th- for those that had PT, did you become Hypo and now require meds?

Sorry for so many questions, but I sincerely appreciate any help that you all can offer.

Also, I just got these labs.....TPOab  result 13   ref range 0-34
                                          antithyroglobulin Ab   result less than 20        ref range 0-40
                            Thyroxine Binding globulin    result 20         ref range 13-39

I think that these labs mean I do not have an autoimmune issue. Is that correct?

Thank you in advance for your insight and bless you for your help!

[momwithcrappythyroid]

Did you put anything on the incision to get it to heal quicker and fade?  I am having TT soon and am kinda nervous.  GREAT questions petmom1,  Thanks!

[petmom1]

Thanks Emmy for sharing your experience.

[Emmy4337]

1st- I had 1 nodule and the 1/3 of my thyroid that is left has atrophied and has no nodules 4 years later.
2nd- Just now getting levels right because didn't know to get Frees checked, dealt w/ armour reformulation and tried synthroid. Now on nature Throid and feel great.
3rd- 1 ultra sound that was suspicous and 1 biopsy that was "suspicious" for cancer.  Younger sister was dying from breast cancer at the time so I didn't want anything in me that could possible be cancerous.
4th- Didn't lose much hair at all.  Was put on Armour thyroid medicine since has TSH of 12 and hashimotos.
5th- Part of me wishes I had taken all of my thryoid out since I has hashi and it fluctuates. TSH at 24 last August!
6th- Knowing it wasn't cancer after all and the power of the internet to find out what I need to know.
7th- No children after.  Was probably hypo when pregnant in 2004 (pre-clampsia and 36 week birth.)
8th- Yes but would have anyway since have hashi

Great questions, hope all of our answers help you.  Definitely get a surgeon who does lots and lots of thyroidectomies and hopefully not at a teaching hopsital since a resident might do the surgery not the dr. you thought would do it.  My scar faded greatly most people don't even notice it now.

[petmom1]

bump....just in case......

[petmom1]

Bump

[petmom1]

Thank you Smilerdeb and Redheadaussie for sharing your experiences.

[redheadaussie]

G'day, I had a hemithyroidectomy on the left side for nodules and suspected cancer. I had the other side out 5 months later.


1- I already had multi-nodular goitre on the right side.
2- I did not have any medication for the first surgery, but felt pretty lousy. But then again I was hypo and they wouldn't recognise that!
3- I had only one done on the left side, this came back as Indeterminate, meaning, we have no freaking idea if it is cancer or not so we better do something about it!
4- Hair falling out is often due to the bodies mechanism of coping after a major operation. Many who are hypo do have hair loss, (including myself, 3 years on!) but I have never known anyone to be bald enough to need a wig. If that was the case I would say they have other issues going on.
5- That doctors do not know everything about thyroid disease and I wished I had known more so I could have been in more control of my treatment.
6- No comment, coz it ain't happened yet!
7- Considering my age at the time, 44, if I had got pregnant I would have fainted! That's not to say I don't still ovulate!
8- I did become hypo but our stupid doctors kept telling me I was in 'normal' range...bwaaaah haaaa haaa.. yeah right!


The thing is, everyone here who will answer you will have had a different reason for having a PT. So some of the answers you seek may not be relevant to your own personal situation.

Personally I wish I had found this site alot earlier than I did!
Cheers!

[Smilerdeb]

I can answer some of your questions.....

2. I had thyroidectomy and RAI (2008)and felt good within 3-4 months but still keep an eye on my levels.

3. I had 2 biopsies and also uptake scan and ultrasound before RAI and TT.

4. I noticed hair strands in the bath after RAI (when I went hypo - short lived hair loss) but nothing major....no bald patches but hair did lose natural colour and di go a lot greyer (lol but to be honest...thyroid issues is enough to turn ANYONE grey lol.!

5.Nothing. I did all my homework prior to RAI and TT (dx Graves and Hyper and then Thyca). I learnt all I could about Graves, hyper, RAI, TT< Thyca THEN learned the other side of the fence (so to speak) HYPO.

6.Research and my Medhelp Family here.

Hope that helps :)