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Total Thyoidectomy for Substernal Goiter
My TT for substernal goiter is quickly approaching (next Tues, May 16th) and would appreciate any information from those who have gone through this surgery re length of surgery, pain, recuperation period, and any other general information to calm my "frazzled" nerves !!!
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much!
Hi - I feel much better today after taking the Armour! No nausea!!!!!!!
maccie - I hope you feel good today when you get home from work! Glad that after you rested yesterday, it helped. I thought I had a big dog, 95 lb. golden retriever! What kind are yours? I guess taking them to a chiropractor helps them stay active then? We have 1 chiropractor in town that treats animals. I always thought it was a good idea, I go to one myself. Thanks for the info on the armour!
bananie22 and countrycarole - hope you're both in a good place today in your minds! Try to have great weekends and get a lot of things done for yourselves so you can just rest after the surgery! Maccie answered the question about what to bring to the hospital. Hopefully your stay will be a short one, and you will be able to sleep through most of it!
Hope everyone had a good day today!
maccie - I hope you feel good today when you get home from work! Glad that after you rested yesterday, it helped. I thought I had a big dog, 95 lb. golden retriever! What kind are yours? I guess taking them to a chiropractor helps them stay active then? We have 1 chiropractor in town that treats animals. I always thought it was a good idea, I go to one myself. Thanks for the info on the armour!
bananie22 and countrycarole - hope you're both in a good place today in your minds! Try to have great weekends and get a lot of things done for yourselves so you can just rest after the surgery! Maccie answered the question about what to bring to the hospital. Hopefully your stay will be a short one, and you will be able to sleep through most of it!
Hope everyone had a good day today!
I was so, very tired after I went to work yesterday and my neck was sore, but I rested when I got home and I felt much better. It's good to know I recuperate after a rest now. This morning my neck wasn't sore and I feel good.
Karmike- I am so sorry about your friend. Such a shock. It is wonderful to have our animals for comfort. My 2 dogs slept on my bed with me and were happy I have been home. They both have strained ACL because they are big and very active. I am not nauseous anymore. I hope you feel better. It is a lousy feeling. People seem to be switching to Armour of late. It is from a pig so it is not synthetic.I sure hope it works for you.
countrycarole- you don't need much for the hospital. A small toilet bag..a hairbrush..they supply toothpaste ( and a toothbrush if you don't bring your own). You don't need a bathrobe or PJ'a, they give them to you . Slippes would be good.I sometimes bring some kind of headset with music if you are not in a single room it blocks out the noice of the hospital. I bring relaxation tapes but not if I was going to stay just one night. I personally bring my pillow, but that comes everywhere with me!
Babanie22- thanks for the kind works about my dogs!
It is amazing to watch the brain and the control we have over it.
Very useful for healing.
Karmike- I really hope your nauseousness goes away again.
I'm off to work. I hope it goes OK.
Karmike- I am so sorry about your friend. Such a shock. It is wonderful to have our animals for comfort. My 2 dogs slept on my bed with me and were happy I have been home. They both have strained ACL because they are big and very active. I am not nauseous anymore. I hope you feel better. It is a lousy feeling. People seem to be switching to Armour of late. It is from a pig so it is not synthetic.I sure hope it works for you.
countrycarole- you don't need much for the hospital. A small toilet bag..a hairbrush..they supply toothpaste ( and a toothbrush if you don't bring your own). You don't need a bathrobe or PJ'a, they give them to you . Slippes would be good.I sometimes bring some kind of headset with music if you are not in a single room it blocks out the noice of the hospital. I bring relaxation tapes but not if I was going to stay just one night. I personally bring my pillow, but that comes everywhere with me!
Babanie22- thanks for the kind works about my dogs!
It is amazing to watch the brain and the control we have over it.
Very useful for healing.
Karmike- I really hope your nauseousness goes away again.
I'm off to work. I hope it goes OK.
To Karmike: So sorry to hear the bad news about your friend. What a shock!
Bananine 22: Glad your pre-op was uneventful.I agree with you EEK - one week (actually less than that for me) until surgery.
Maccie: Hope your dog is doing better.
I am not currently on any thyroid meds because I am neither hypo or hyper. I am not sure how I will react to the thyroid replacement medication. My endo said he will be giving me Synthroid and the surgeon gives Percocet for pain. I am hoping to only need to take Extra Strength Tylenol when I get home for the pain but I'll just have to wait and see.
The reason I am having my surgery is due to a very large substernal goiter which is definitely visible on my neck. It has moved my trachea over to the other side and even though I do not have any symptoms now such as breathing or swallowing difficulties, that could change and then it would become an emergency surgery which I wouldn't want to do.
Thanks everyone for the great support. I am looking forward to posting again after my surgery saying that "it wasn't so bad" after all. I have one more question if you don't mine (even though it might sound silly) but since I've never been in a hospital before, exactly what does one need to take to the hospital? (such as bathrobe, slippers, etc?)Thanks.
Carole
Bananine 22: Glad your pre-op was uneventful.I agree with you EEK - one week (actually less than that for me) until surgery.
Maccie: Hope your dog is doing better.
I am not currently on any thyroid meds because I am neither hypo or hyper. I am not sure how I will react to the thyroid replacement medication. My endo said he will be giving me Synthroid and the surgeon gives Percocet for pain. I am hoping to only need to take Extra Strength Tylenol when I get home for the pain but I'll just have to wait and see.
The reason I am having my surgery is due to a very large substernal goiter which is definitely visible on my neck. It has moved my trachea over to the other side and even though I do not have any symptoms now such as breathing or swallowing difficulties, that could change and then it would become an emergency surgery which I wouldn't want to do.
Thanks everyone for the great support. I am looking forward to posting again after my surgery saying that "it wasn't so bad" after all. I have one more question if you don't mine (even though it might sound silly) but since I've never been in a hospital before, exactly what does one need to take to the hospital? (such as bathrobe, slippers, etc?)Thanks.
Carole
Hey bananie22 - glad you feel more comfortable with your surgery after hearing good things about your surgeon. I was real comfortable with mine too - he's known as the "best" in my town for this procedure, that is a huge comfort knowing other people think so too. Hope you are still in a good place! It is a crazy thing how we can drive ourselves crazy with anxiety one minute and then be calm the next, but being able to find that peace, is a wonderful thing in itself!
I took the Synthroid 2 hours after breakfast today and I was more nauseous than ever today! My endo is switching me to Armour Thyroid. Have any of you heard of this? He said some people do better on one than the other so tomorrow will be a new day with the new meds.
I got real bad news about a friend of mine today - she died of a brain aneurysm very suddenly. Her boyfriend of many years is in so much pain. The only good that came out of this for me today was that I didn't feel so bad for myself when I felt so bad (nauseous) - it puts things in perspective a little bit anyways! So I hope y'all have a good night and enjoy your loved ones, people and pets. I know how y'all feel about loving your pets, I have 1 dog and 5 cats, and I have enjoyed being home with my babies all week! They are such a comfort!!!!!
I took the Synthroid 2 hours after breakfast today and I was more nauseous than ever today! My endo is switching me to Armour Thyroid. Have any of you heard of this? He said some people do better on one than the other so tomorrow will be a new day with the new meds.
I got real bad news about a friend of mine today - she died of a brain aneurysm very suddenly. Her boyfriend of many years is in so much pain. The only good that came out of this for me today was that I didn't feel so bad for myself when I felt so bad (nauseous) - it puts things in perspective a little bit anyways! So I hope y'all have a good night and enjoy your loved ones, people and pets. I know how y'all feel about loving your pets, I have 1 dog and 5 cats, and I have enjoyed being home with my babies all week! They are such a comfort!!!!!
Went for the pre op stuff, it was pretty basic...only thing is now it feels so real! I'm in a better place today than I was yesterday...there really is no accounting for why our minds panic one minute and you find peace the next...for now I'm enjoying a good mental moment. =)
I heard so many good things about my surgeon today from different nurses and even a couple of patients. He's a cosmetic surgeon as well as an ENT (maybe I should have some "work" done while I'm out?) and he got rave reviews for his surgical skills, that alone can make you feel better.
Maccie...I thought torn ACL's were for football players only! How in the world did your dog manage that? Poor guy...I have two dogs so I sure know how helpless you feel when they are hurt. I just got home from vacation and I think I missed them more than anything (or anyone!). I'm sure you're providing him the best care...a chiropractor? I thought I was bad when I got mine accupuncture. ;)
Thanks again for the support you two have given. One week! Yikes!
I heard so many good things about my surgeon today from different nurses and even a couple of patients. He's a cosmetic surgeon as well as an ENT (maybe I should have some "work" done while I'm out?) and he got rave reviews for his surgical skills, that alone can make you feel better.
Maccie...I thought torn ACL's were for football players only! How in the world did your dog manage that? Poor guy...I have two dogs so I sure know how helpless you feel when they are hurt. I just got home from vacation and I think I missed them more than anything (or anyone!). I'm sure you're providing him the best care...a chiropractor? I thought I was bad when I got mine accupuncture. ;)
Thanks again for the support you two have given. One week! Yikes!
Good morning evryone! To answer the question about the draining tube, no I didn't have to have one after the surgery. When I stayed overnight in the hospital, I still had an IV in and also a catheter, that was it.
My Dr. didn't give me the prescriptions until he came to see me the next morning to release me. You may be able to get samples of the Synthroid from your endo before the surgery. My endo gave me samples on Monday when I went to see him, although I'd already filled the prescrip. Unfortunately, you will probably need to stop at pharmacy for pain killers. The good thing about is that you might not need one right away because they will be giving you pain killers at the hospital. What they wrote out my prescription for was Vicodin and I'd already had a prescription for it, so that made it easier for me. But I stopped taking it completely on the 3rd day out of surgery.
I wish the biopsies they do can be 100% proof, but the way they described it to me is that they can only get such a small percentage of the nodules in the needle for the biopsy, that if it comes back benign, there isn't any guarantee that there isn't any malignancy in the rest of the nodule. My mother has multiple nodules and goes to a different endocrinologist than I do. He tested her for hot or cold nodules. I forget which ones are ok, but she has that. Anways she's been monitored for years and hers haven't grown. My endo doesn't believe in the hot/cold method anymore.
Oh - they did put something in my IV to take away my nausea after I complained about it so definitely mention Zofran before the surgery.
bananie22 - you will be so glad to get this "unhealthy part" of your body removed! The fact that you're already on the medicine too, I think you'll do better than those of us who've never been on it before.
countrycarole - you're going do just fine! This was my first stay in the hospital myself. I was upset to break my perfet record of never having to spend a night in the hospital. I was treated so well though. The day of my surgery was probably the least nervewracking(?) to me. Once I was admitted in the hospital, the nurses made me feel so much better! I hope it goes as smooth for you as it did for me, that goes for you too, bananie22!
maccie - Thanks for the info. on the Sythroid again, I ate breakfast at 8:15 am today and will take the pill at 10:15, I'm not nauseous yet today so far! I hope your dog is ok!!!!!! Glad your feeling better - right now I feel so good, I want to clean my house, but since it's been exactly a week since surgery, I will only do a little bit at a time, no vaccumming yet, although I'm going crazy from my dog's hair all over the place.
Have a great day everyone! I'm sure we'll be chatting later!
My Dr. didn't give me the prescriptions until he came to see me the next morning to release me. You may be able to get samples of the Synthroid from your endo before the surgery. My endo gave me samples on Monday when I went to see him, although I'd already filled the prescrip. Unfortunately, you will probably need to stop at pharmacy for pain killers. The good thing about is that you might not need one right away because they will be giving you pain killers at the hospital. What they wrote out my prescription for was Vicodin and I'd already had a prescription for it, so that made it easier for me. But I stopped taking it completely on the 3rd day out of surgery.
I wish the biopsies they do can be 100% proof, but the way they described it to me is that they can only get such a small percentage of the nodules in the needle for the biopsy, that if it comes back benign, there isn't any guarantee that there isn't any malignancy in the rest of the nodule. My mother has multiple nodules and goes to a different endocrinologist than I do. He tested her for hot or cold nodules. I forget which ones are ok, but she has that. Anways she's been monitored for years and hers haven't grown. My endo doesn't believe in the hot/cold method anymore.
Oh - they did put something in my IV to take away my nausea after I complained about it so definitely mention Zofran before the surgery.
bananie22 - you will be so glad to get this "unhealthy part" of your body removed! The fact that you're already on the medicine too, I think you'll do better than those of us who've never been on it before.
countrycarole - you're going do just fine! This was my first stay in the hospital myself. I was upset to break my perfet record of never having to spend a night in the hospital. I was treated so well though. The day of my surgery was probably the least nervewracking(?) to me. Once I was admitted in the hospital, the nurses made me feel so much better! I hope it goes as smooth for you as it did for me, that goes for you too, bananie22!
maccie - Thanks for the info. on the Sythroid again, I ate breakfast at 8:15 am today and will take the pill at 10:15, I'm not nauseous yet today so far! I hope your dog is ok!!!!!! Glad your feeling better - right now I feel so good, I want to clean my house, but since it's been exactly a week since surgery, I will only do a little bit at a time, no vaccumming yet, although I'm going crazy from my dog's hair all over the place.
Have a great day everyone! I'm sure we'll be chatting later!
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