Post-op: What should I expect?

[emel2229]

I just underwent a right lobectomy.  I had a 2.36 cm follicular adenoma/lesion.  Half of my doctors said cancer and half said not.  The surgery went well and I am at home now (3 days post op).  I started low-dose Synthroid the day after the surgery.  Right now I feel worn out and have just a slight difficulty swallowing.  I feel a little "on edge" and sometimes my pulse races.  The doctor said that everything looks good (read:benign) but I am still waiting on tests from the Mayo clinic.  I really just want to know what to expect.  It is a little discouraging reading some of these posts to think I will spend so many years trying to feel normal.  What will I really be facing?  Also, is the generic form of Synthroid okay to take?  Will I continue to feel the lump in my throat when I swallow?  The tumor is gone but I still feel something.  As I said, I am only a few days post-op and still have some healing to do, but I like to be prepared.  Any information would be greatly appreciated.  I have already learned alot from this site.  Thanks to all!

Happy Holidays!

[Barb135]

Have you been put on medication to replace the hormones?  Insomnia is a symptom of being hypo.  Have your thyroid hormone levels been tested?  You should be getting TSH, Free T3 and Free T4, every 5-6 weeks until your levels stabilize and symptoms are gone.

If you have recent thyroid labs, please post them, with reference ranges, since ranges vary lab to lab and must come from your own report.

[yindee]

I had the right side of my thyroid removed because of a nodule four weeks ago.  Op went well, no obvious side effects.  Could eat, drink, swallow, talk etc straight after op. Scar minimal.
Everything ok for the first three weeks.  Went back to work a week ago and haven't had a decent night's sleep since.  Feel tired but if I sleep at all, I am awake in about two hours and either don't sleep or cat nap for the remainder of the night.  Have put on a few pounds and skin/hair seems drier than normal.  Can cope with that, it is the insomnia that is getting me down.  But don't know if this could be related to the op or not.

[peppertea]

I think sometimes I'm ok with the fact I had the right side of my thyroid took out but now 6 months later I wish they had never touched me. I had a follicular tumor that was 4.8 cm removed along with 9 lymph nodes. The tumor was benign but now I feel like absolute CRAP. They didn't give me any meds and they said I'd be fine because I still have my left side. Since the surgery I've had nothing but trouble my blood sugar is haywire, my heart skips beats, my heart rate is racing all the time, my blood pressure is low, I have constant infections, flu like symptoms, sinus problems,  dry skin, white hard bumps that itch like hell, acne that seems to pop up everywhere,  I'm tired and feel beat down all the time, my memory *****, my ears ring, I have red blotchy places all over, I feel like I'm losing my mind, I choke a lot at night and during the day, I've went from having an 8 day period to a 1 day with agonizing cramps, my feet and hands feel like I have millions of needles sticking through them, and then comes not sleeping. I go to sleep just to wake up in 2 hours and then not able to go back to sleep.  I've seen my primary care doctor 7 times since my surgery about all of this and she says I'm fine. I have choice words for her. My endocrine surgeon retired right after my recheck visit so I had to wait until they found a replacement doctor for his practice at the cancer center. I saw her and told her of all these things. She thinks I have menopause because even though my blood levels are high on my T3 T4 and my TSH they're still considered normal. I just love how doctors pass the bucks and use us as lab rats. So now I'm being sent to a regular endocrinoligist for supposedly menopause which I just got screened for 3 weeks ago and I was FINE! I'm getting tired of the typical BS I'm receiving from all these doctors. I never had any problems before my surgery and now I feel like a damn train wreck.

[frutipebs]

I have been reading all of those posts and would like to post my story.  I am a 30 year old female with the following symptoms that finally drove me to see an ENT:  hoarseness lasting six weeks, right neck and ear pain, feeling of fullness in my throat.  The ENT diagnosed me with a paralyzed right vocal cord and ordered some CT scans...neck CT showed thyromegaly.  Ultrasound was ordered which showed a 1.5cm hypoechoic nodule (this nodule is not palpable).  Long story short after several docs, I am having a right thyroidectomy with a frozen section in 4 weeks (although my doc does not feel it is cancer)...however my doctor does not feel this is the cause of my vocal cord paralysis.  Anyone with similar symptoms??  If so, did you vocal cord return to normal function after surgery.  Any input appreciated.

[Kell125]

I started the day after my total thyroidectomy (exactly 6 weeks ago) on 100mcg.  It was removed due to a suspicious FNA, but the final path report was benign.

[Barbara336]

I am 6 days post-op and I'm still a little sore. Stiff neck and hard to stretch.  I had a total thyroidectomy and will see my doctor 6/11 to find out if the nodules were cancerous. I have not been started on replacement until I get these results. How soon did anyone start replacement and at what dosage?