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worried abour upcoming surgery

This is my first time on this board. I have a 1.7 cm nodule in my left lobe, i have had an ultrasound and i was referred to the ENT who is also a head and neck surgeon. I then  did the tryroid scan with uptake. I j ust saw the doc this morning and he said it was a cold nodule and suggests removal of it. I am scheduled to have it out this WEd.Dec. 6.. He said pathology will read it right there and if it is suspicious he will then remove the entire thyroid... Does this sound right?  Has anyone had this surgery and how was your recovery time? Thanks, Kim
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Avatar universal
I had two surgeries one week apart, and it honestly was not that bad. I am probably going back to work on Monday or Tuesday at the latest, which is 1 week after the second surgery. It depends on the individual, though, and some people take longer to recover than others. If you have an underlying heart condition, then maybe you will need a bit more time. I was really nervous for the first surgery, but not so much for the second one (just a bit disappointed that they didn't take the whole thing the first time.)  

Did they do a fine needle biopsy of your nodule? Mine was suspicious so that is why they decided on removal of at least half the thyroid. The frozen section came back benign, but the final report indicated cancer hence the second surgery. I tell you this because many times it is not until the nodule is removed and biopsied that they can make a definitive diagnosis. And of course, if cancer is present, it is best to treat it early.
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Avatar universal
I'm having my thyroid removed in 3 weeks.  My heart doc encouraged me to do this as I have a cold nodule and my mass is complex, plus a cousin that had thyroid cancer. I'm pretty nervous about all this. My surgeon said out of work 2-3 weeks............ don't know.
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11852 tn?1216841443
Suspicious means just that...suspcious but they can't definitely say it's cancer.  My FNA came back suspicious for papillary thyca. My pathology report mentioned something about the nuclei having grooves.  Did some on-line and found out that grooves in the nuclei is a pretty strong indication of thyca.  So I wasn't surprised two days after surgery that I was told it was definitely cancer.  Because of that I opted for RAI also even though I only had one nodule (8 mm) that was cancerous.  

Fear of the unknown is the worst kind of fear.  Just ask us questions about what you're concerned about.  We'll all help you thru this!!
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Avatar universal
My surgery story is similar to everyone else's on the board. It sounds like you have a GREAT doctor who is doing things the way I wish mine had. He's had to go in 3 times. The worst part for me was the sore throat but the anesthesiologist told me I was a tough intubation due to displacement of trachea and the nausea afterward but they were able to contol that pretty effectively. Also had surg on tues and back to work on mon without problems. Really the first day was the worst. I wasn't able to shower for 3 days after but your surgeon will give  you specific instructions on that. Good luck and hang in there! You are in good company!
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228015 tn?1223693378
I am not sure about the cancer thing I did not have a FNA or anything like that.  BUT I had surgery on 8/29 and I was terrified, I did have panic attacks for 2 weeks  prior to surgery.  But it is not that bad really, I had myself all worked up and it is uncomfortable and you are sore more than anything.  The only pain meds I have taken were the morphine pump right after surgery, I hit it 2 times and that was it.  I have not even taken tylenol, I am just not having alot of pain.  

Being put to sleep was not that bad either, ask them to give you something to help you relax, I did and they gave me something and I remember very few things about the OR until I was OUT...LOL...I remember take some deep breaths and then I was told Good Night and thats it.

YOU will be fine, theres ALOT of good people on here that really care and they will help more than me because they know alot more than me I am still new to all this.
Good Luck,
Dana
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Avatar universal
I am having thyroid surgery on  09/26. My fan came back suspitious for papillary cancer.  Does that mean I have cancer? I am petrifide to be put to sleep!!!! SO much so that I am on teh verge of a panic atack just thinking about it. can anyone give me so words of comfort. I am 45.
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Avatar universal
mj13,

why is your doctor worried the most about your 8mm thyroid nodule? What ultrasound features made the doctor so worried about such a small nodule? Also if I have to get my thyroid out,I want it done with local anesthesia and I have read several online article including some by doctors that say you can have it done this way and more surgons are doing it like this if you want. I am just too afraid to be put to sleep. I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed when I was 17 and I was put to sleep for that but I'm 41 and half now and I'm more scared to be put to sleep now.
Helpful - 0
158939 tn?1274915197
MJ13,

No kidding about not wanting to be #2!  Wow.

My nodule was small too (4mm) but was cancer.  You never really know until they take the darned things out.

I'm glad they will be looking at your lymph nodes too - that's important.

You are going to do great!  This really isn't a bad surgery (and, yes, you can have icecream).

Wish I could tell you more about the thyroid versus the tonsils but all I have to go off of is my daughter's experience.  For some stupid reason my parents never had my tonsils removed - even though I ALWAYS had a sore throat or strep as a kid.  I swear, someday I will have nothing left of me but a few bones, my skin, my tonsils, and a bad attitude!  Other than that, I'll be hollow.

Hang in there and ask away!!



I'm adding GravesLady to the comments line so she can help answer some of your labs.  That is definitely her realm!!
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11852 tn?1216841443
utahmamma,

I laughed about what you daughter said about the tonsilectomy.  I just told my surgeon this afternoon that the only time I had been and anesthesia was when I had my tonsils out at age 8.  He to me that was a lot mor painful than thyroid surgery.  I'm like thinking "Can I eat ice cream like I did with my tonsilectomy!!!"  BTW...I asked the size of my one nodule he is most concerned with and he said it was about 7-8 mm.  So it's pretty small.  My latest blood work showed my TSH was low at .006 (.350 - 5.5 range), my thryotropin receptor AB, Serum was high at 1.6 (>1.5 is considered positive)(I don't know what this means yet),  my T4 and T3 are within normal ranges because I'm on PTU, but both was very high before meds.  The surgeon said they will test the thyroid while I'm still asleep, and will check to see if any lymph nodes need to be taken out.  I told him to do what he had to do to get the job done!! He also told me he's only had one patient who died on him in over 3500 surgeries.  I told him that I didn't want to be #2!!!!!!
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158939 tn?1274915197
Good luck on your surgery too!

Let us know the results as there are A LOT of us on there with papillary carcinoma (remember to ask for the staging and size).  They are taking the ENTIRE thing, right?  Have you discussed RAI with them following surgery?

Another December TT - Wow, what a big reunion you all are going to have next year!!!  (And think how much better you all will be feeling)
Helpful - 0
158939 tn?1274915197
I'm so glad you are having the entire thing out!  Going through the surgery twice is no fun and if you get the entire thing out there is nothing to worry about anymore!

Okay, short answers to some of your questions:

Shower - should be fine the next day.  Check with your surgeon.  Mine used steri strips and I just had to pat-dry the incision site then dry it well with a cool hair dryer.

Fly a week after - shouldn't be a problem at all but check with your surgeon.  Mine liked to see all of us (she did the entire family's surgeries) a week after so see what your surgeon's preference is.

Drive after - depends on how long you will be on pain meds.  You SHOULDN'T drive on the pain meds.  Other than that you should be fine.  Just know that it will be difficult to turn your head for a few months so if you are a good driver who checks her blind-spots just realize you will need to turn your entire upper body, not just your head.

Exercising - if you are feeling up to it, the day you are discharged.  I know Curves isn't overly strenuous (no heavy weights or excessive aerobics) so it shouldn't be a problem.  I wouldn't do sit ups for a while without your hands behind your neck though (your neck muscles will be weak in the front).  Hey, if you are feeling that ambitious right after surgery - work out for me too, okay?  :-)

I asked my daughter - she had tonsil surgery and thyroid surgery within about a year and a half of each other.  She said she'd take 100 thyroid surgeries over the tonsillectomy!

Ask away.  You're going to get through this fine!
Helpful - 0
11852 tn?1216841443

Yes my surgeon is taking the whole thing out. I told my endo from the start whatever was the problem, I wanted to treat it aggressively.  My biopsy came back suspicious, so they will do a pathology thingybobber on it and if it comes back cancerous then I get to go through the joys of RAI to kill any cells left behind I was told.  I go for my preop appt tomorrow.  I've started a list of questions to ask my surgeon.  Alot has been answered just reading this website.  This site is by far the most practical and helpful info I've heard. I've only had two surgeries in my 46 years...a tonsilectomy at 8 yrs and cryosurgery in my early 30's for an abnornal pap that showed pre-cancerous cells (been clear ever since!!) So I have lots a questions still....like how soon can I shower after surgery?  Can I fly home a week after the surgery?  How soon can I drive after surgery.  How soon can I go back to exercising at Curves afterwards?  The list goes on...I'm sure I'll come up with a million more before tomorrow afternoon.  































Helpful - 0
11852 tn?1216841443
It must be the season for thryroidectomies.  I am scheduled to have a total thyroid removal on December 13th because of a suspicious FNA result.  I have 4 cold nodules with 3 on the right side and one on the left side.  I am also a rare case because I also have Graves disease.  Usually a person with Graves has hot nodules.  My endo also said the pathologist doing the FNA said there were nuclear grooves on the nodules which is indicative of papillary thyroid cancer. Has anyone been told they had grooves on their nodules?  I told my surgeon's nurse just to call me Stella, cause I just found my groove!! HaHa!!!  I just found out in mid-September that I had a problem with my thyroid.  After reading many stories on this website about people going years before receiving an accurate diagnosis and treatment, I after extremely grateful my process has been relatively short.  Though the waiting, depression, and tiredness has made me feel like I was going crazy at times.  I recently found the book "The Thyroid Solution" which gives wonderful incite into thyroid disorders and all the hell people go through.  I highly recommend it to all fellow thyroid disorder sufferers!!!  
Helpful - 0
158939 tn?1274915197
Two nights!  Wow, that's almost like getting part of your thyroid removed and a luxury vacation at the same time!  :-)

Everyone I've known has their thyroids out as a "same day" surgery (which means 23 hours or less).  All but one of my family members (including both surgeries for me) we spent one night at the hospital and were released the next morning.  

The only family exception was one sister was there for 36 hours because she had a difficult time with the anesthetic.

The prep for surgeries took a couple of hours.  Mostly hurry up and wait while they have you get in a hospital gown, take your vitals, start an IV, etc.  My hospital has all the surgery patients show up early in the morning (sometimes as early as 5 a.m.) so we are prepped and ready to go by 8:00 a.m.   Anyway, I was wide awake all the way into the OR which was great because I was able to talk to my surgeon and the anesthesiologist before being put out.  I moved from the stretcher to the OR table, asked any last questions, then went to sleep.  I woke up in the recovery room what felt like seconds later (really 1 1/2 - 2 hours later) and kind of dozed on and off before they wheeled me to my room.

Like we've all posted before, you'll have pain meds and an IV but make sure you let someone know ASAP if you get numbness/tingling of your legs or lips or any deep cramping.  It's pretty common and it's because the parathyroids get angry when their thyroid friend is removed.  You simply need calcium and they can give you some right in your IV.

My throat was a little sore after the surgeries (externally - where the incision was).  If your throat is sore internally it may be from being intubated - ask for ice chips, sorbet, etc.  

All in all it was a very easy recovery for my family and me.

You'll do great and ENJOY THAT EXTRA DAY (you've made many of us jealous)  :-)
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Avatar universal
Thanks so much for all of the info. It is a scary thing to do. I guess it seems to be standard to only take 1/2 the lobe unless there is cancer involved. That is what my doc is doing too. I will be in the hospital for 2 nights. How long will the surgery take and how did you feel after you woke up in recovery? I have never been put to sleep for any kind of procedure, that'w why I am extra nervous.. Kim
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158939 tn?1274915197
My two surgeries were very similar to bizwiz's experience.  I too had the surgeries on Thursdays and was back to work the next Mondays.  

I said two surgeries because, like Venora, I ended up with two separate lobectomies (they found the cancer *after* I was in recovery after the first surgery - the second surgery was preventative).

Lots of people on this forum are having their thyroids out in December ('tis the season!).  It's funny, I had 1/2 of mine out for Thanksgiving in '03 and the other half for Christmas in '04.  Maybe good health is our holiday gifts to ourselves.  :-)

Read through a lot of these posts.  Some others going through surgery now have had lots of great advice posted to their threads (including watching for parathyroid problems).  Good luck and keep us posted and welcome to the thyroid scar club - you're in good company!
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168348 tn?1379357075
Are we twins?  Mine is 1.7cm's also but my surgery cannot be done until 1/9 with the surgeon I selected . But all 3 opinions said it is fine to wait until January.  Mine is atypical follicular cells that were found on the needle biopsy about a month ago.  My growth is solid with a 30% chance of a tumor and very low % it is cancerous as per my pathologist but 1/2 of the thyroid must be removed to prevent this from becoming cancerous if, indeed, it is benign upon biopsy.  They will do a pathological study while I'm on the table and if it shows any cancer the gameplan is to remove the entire thyroid.  

I have 2 nodules on the rt. lobe:  1.7cm and the other is .5cm  On the left lobe I have a tiny one that is 2mm but they will monitor that one and not remove it if the other ones are okay.

Please keep us posted ... Cheryl
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Avatar universal
Sounds right to me. You're lucky that they are willing to check for everything in the OR as opposed to having a second surgery. The surgery, itself, was not as bad as what I expected. My recovery was very quick. I was out of the hospital in less than 24hrs and back to work that Monday (the surgeries were on Tuesday both times). You are achey and need a lot of rest afterwards. If there is no cancer then you will have medication prescribed within a week of discharge and if there is cancer involved then it takes a while longer. The stabilization of the hormone replacement medicine is lengthy and frustrating but certainly not the end of the world (although sometimes it does seem like it). If they just take out the left lobe and the other side is in tact then you might not even have to go through all that. No worries, it's not the worse surgery in the world. Good luck and keep us posted.
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Avatar universal
Good job they can do pathology too.That way you dont have 2 separate surgeries like I did.Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Love Venora
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Avatar universal
thanks for any and all input!!!
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Avatar universal
Sounds right to me.

On this forum there are people who have already gone through the surgery and a few who are waiting for their surgery to be done. I am sure they will be along shortly to give their input, experiences and support.

Hang in there girl!
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