# More experience questions



## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! I have more questions for all you ppl who have been there done that! Thanks for all your help so far! I am currently 8 days post op. I noticed that my voice is a little better today, as is my swallowing, but I am still having pain. Did anyone else experience this? I had my left thyroid out, and it still hurts mostly where the left lobe was. When I try to turn my head it hurts even more. It's also really hard in that spot (I dont press down hard, I just notice this when I put on my bacitracin). My insicion is also still pink in that spot. I dont have a fever, and I dont notice marked swelling or any drainage. I've just looked at pictures on the net of healing incisions and a lot of what I have seen at a week or more post op they arent that pink anymore. Anyone go thru this?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

animegeekmom said:


> I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! I have more questions for all you ppl who have been there done that! Thanks for all your help so far! I am currently 8 days post op. I noticed that my voice is a little better today, as is my swallowing, but I am still having pain. Did anyone else experience this? I had my left thyroid out, and it still hurts mostly where the left lobe was. When I try to turn my head it hurts even more. It's also really hard in that spot (I dont press down hard, I just notice this when I put on my bacitracin). My insicion is also still pink in that spot. I dont have a fever, and I dont notice marked swelling or any drainage. I've just looked at pictures on the net of healing incisions and a lot of what I have seen at a week or more post op they arent that pink anymore. Anyone go thru this?


Hang tight; it's the holiday weekend. Folks are busy but those who have had surgery will answer.










An when in doubt, come Monday, call your surgeon.


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

yah, i was beginning to figure it would take ppl a while to answer, i'll hang tight.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

animegeekmom said:


> yah, i was beginning to figure it would take ppl a while to answer, i'll hang tight.


ROLF!


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I don't know if my incision was pink or not (I had steri strips over the incision), but I will say that I did ache there for a while. I can't say it out and out hurt, but there were times when I felt the ache-y more than others...often when I was turning my head. So that and the weird "stretch-i-ness" I felt in my throat, mostly on the side where my thyroid was most irregular (left).


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

Yes, I feel the stretchiness a lot, esp when I turn my head. But that spot on the left does hurt. Esp when i move my head and swallow. More so when I am looking up (not all the way, just trying to hold my head straight instead of looking downward slightly). I guess I will keep an eye on it and call the on-call if I have to. I cannot go to the ER or anything since my mom is working today. So hopefully it isnt anything serious. It doesnt seem like an infection or anything that I can tell. Just that one side of my incision (the left where the thyroid was removed) is pinker than the other side and slightly more raised. I am putting bacitracin on it a few times a day, too.


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## sonnyjane (Oct 6, 2011)

Today is the start of my 5th day (surgery was Monday morning). I'm still quite sore and tight in my neck. I can't tell much about my incision because it's still covered in Steri-Strips, but all I can see is dark scabby color, not pink. I stopped taking my Percocet on Tuesday because it wasnt effective anyway, but I might try Tylenol or something lighter today because there is still discomfort, especially when I'm trying to sleep. Basically all I can contribute is "yup! Still hurts!" but obviously if you feel something is wrong, call in.


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

glad to at least hear a "yep it still hurts"


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## sonnyjane (Oct 6, 2011)

animegeekmom said:


> glad to at least hear a "yep it still hurts"


I'm so glad to have found these boards! It's so comforting to be able to speak with people that are going through this "real time" as well as those that have already been through the whole process.

I'm up and moving and have taken most of my morning meds and had a banana. I weighed myself this morning and I'm down 6 pounds since surgery 4 days ago (eek!) but I've plunked myself down on the couch with a huge bottle of water and I'm making sure to drink a lot. I'm finding that warm/hot water feels better to drink than cold.

Hope you start to feel better! I'm already thinking I'll be away from work for longer than anticipated. I told them I'd return December 5th but the way I feel right now, I can't see myself lifting 50 pounds or standing 8 hours anytime soon! My doctor's paperwork says January 2nd but I was hoping to be back before then.


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

im so happy i found these boards too!!! I'm going back to college Tuesday...no choice in that matter. Does your incision or any area around it feel hard underneath? I wonder if it is accumulated fluids or something. I didnt have a drain.


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## sonnyjane (Oct 6, 2011)

animegeekmom said:


> im so happy i found these boards too!!! I'm going back to college Tuesday...no choice in that matter. Does your incision or any area around it feel hard underneath? I wonder if it is accumulated fluids or something. I didnt have a drain.


Actually my incision looks and feels "great" relatively speaking. All the doctors were really impressed with the incision. My pain is more in the lower neck muscles when I swallow. I didn't have a drain either fortunately. It's one thing I was really hoping to avoid. I also have a bit of pain in my chest still where the breathing tube was placed.


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

Hmm maybe I will call on Monday then. I dont have a fever or swelling or redness really, so I guess I'm ok for a few days unless I get worse lol. I am having a little achiness in the chest from the breathing tube too. I'm just all over exhausted and uncomfortable. It is disheartening reading all these stories about how ppl felt great right away and here I am feeling like poop. Blah.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

animegeekmom said:


> Hmm maybe I will call on Monday then. I dont have a fever or swelling or redness really, so I guess I'm ok for a few days unless I get worse lol. I am having a little achiness in the chest from the breathing tube too. I'm just all over exhausted and uncomfortable. It is disheartening reading all these stories about how ppl felt great right away and here I am feeling like poop. Blah.


No 2 persons have the same situation. Take heart; you "will" be feeling better and soon.


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## sonnyjane (Oct 6, 2011)

animegeekmom said:


> It is disheartening reading all these stories about how ppl felt great right away and here I am feeling like poop. Blah.


I said the same thing in this post from the hospital: http://www.thyroidboards.com/showthread.php?t=4663

I've always been a tough cookie - never called in sick a day in my life, never complain about pain of any kind, etc. - but I think I really underestimated this surgery based on everyone else's positive accounts. Granted I'm still very early on, but this is quite miserable! Last night I was thinking "what would have happened if I left it alone? Would the cancer _really_ have eventually spread? And if so I probably could have waited much longer until a "better time".

My follow-up appointment is Thursday so until then I'm just going to hope that each day is better than the day before!


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## Vivian (Oct 6, 2011)

I had my right thyroid lobe out two weeks ago today. My incision is very hard and swollen, like a lump. It started out above my incision on day 8, then moved down under the incision itself. I had it checked by the surgeon on Wednesday and he said it was swelling of the tissues due to all the pulling, tugging and moving of muscles, ligaments, etc. to get to my thyroid during surgery. He said it may hang on several weeks to a month before eventually going away. It doesn't really bother me, it's just a little sore when I touch it. There is no infection. My incision is light brown, not pink but if it was pink, it wouldn't alarm me. I think you only need to worry if it's really red because of infection risk. I could not move my head upward for about 10 days, my husband had to come down to my level to get a kiss! lol It wasn't until yesterday that I started to feel more like my old self. Hang in there, it should get better real soon!


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

Vivian said:


> I had my right thyroid lobe out two weeks ago today. My incision is very hard and swollen, like a lump. It started out above my incision on day 8, then moved down under the incision itself. I had it checked by the surgeon on Wednesday and he said it was swelling of the tissues due to all the pulling, tugging and moving of muscles, ligaments, etc. to get to my thyroid during surgery. He said it may hang on several weeks to a month before eventually going away. It doesn't really bother me, it's just a little sore when I touch it. There is no infection. My incision is light brown, not pink but if it was pink, it wouldn't alarm me. I think you only need to worry if it's really red because of infection risk. I could not move my head upward for about 10 days, my husband had to come down to my level to get a kiss! lol It wasn't until yesterday that I started to feel more like my old self. Hang in there, it should get better real soon!


Ty Vivian. That's how mine feels, like there is a tender rock under it, if that makes sense. My incision is brown and pink and still hurts when I touch it. I guess I was just hoping to feel better quicker than I am. I am impatient. lol.


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

sonnyjane said:


> I said the same thing in this post from the hospital: http://www.thyroidboards.com/showthread.php?t=4663
> 
> I've always been a tough cookie - never called in sick a day in my life, never complain about pain of any kind, etc. - but I think I really underestimated this surgery based on everyone else's positive accounts. Granted I'm still very early on, but this is quite miserable! Last night I was thinking "what would have happened if I left it alone? Would the cancer _really_ have eventually spread? And if so I probably could have waited much longer until a "better time".
> 
> My follow-up appointment is Thursday so until then I'm just going to hope that each day is better than the day before!


I underestimated it, too ugh. But I am glad I got it done. I didnt want to live with the wondering if I have cancer or not...will find out Monday....


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## animegeekmom (Nov 14, 2011)

Andros said:


> No 2 persons have the same situation. Take heart; you "will" be feeling better and soon.


Ty, Andros. It has been wonderful to find these boards. Everyone is so welcoming and kind. I am feeling a little better every day, I just worry about things (being a nursing student, you always learn the "worst case senarios"). I was just expecting a quicker recovery, I guess. My dr made it seem like I would beback to normal in a week. Oh well...just a few days in the scheme of things.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

animegeekmom said:


> Ty, Andros. It has been wonderful to find these boards. Everyone is so welcoming and kind. I am feeling a little better every day, I just worry about things (being a nursing student, you always learn the "worst case senarios"). I was just expecting a quicker recovery, I guess. My dr made it seem like I would beback to normal in a week. Oh well...just a few days in the scheme of things.


We, like your doc, had hoped the same but do consider what you have been through here. We don't walk in your shoes so we don't know how you should feel.

Just be sure to call the doc Monday even though you go in on Thursday. It costs nothing and it is better to be safe than sorry.


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