# Have to have my whole thyroid removed



## Nana78 (Nov 13, 2015)

I found out last Thursday I have papillary thyroid cancer and yesterday I went and seen the surgeon who said I had to have the whole thyroid removed. I would say 2 years ago I was having bad neck pain that everytime my neck hurt it would give me a headache so the doctor sent me for an MRI on my neck which they seen I had nodules on my thyroid or around it. In May 2015 I had my first biopsy cells came back A-typical so on Oct 29th had a second biopsy done and it came back ask papillary cancer. So last Thursday I got a phone call saying I have papillary thyroid cancer and I needed to see the surgeon so yesterday I did. I really didn't ask much questions actually only up until last night was the first time I cried. I didn't cry because I have cancer I cried because I don't wanna do the surgery. I asked the doctor if I was born with this but she said no you weren't that she suspects it's been growing for 5-10 years now also when they checked my blood for thyroid problem it has always come back normal. I'm 37 no kids and right now I am thinking why not just live with it? I know eventually it will spread but it's better than surgery right? My surgery was for the 20th but I decided to go after Thanksgiving so it's the 30th now before I have the surgery I have to have some test done EKG, Chest X-Ray blood work, the surgeon said they needed to check to make sure it hasn't spread yet.

I forgot to ask how long the surgery would take does anyone know? I was told I would have to take 2 pills for the rest of my life. I also forgot to ask with having this surgery will I gain weight without having a thyroid? My thoughts are all over the place right now. I really don't talk about it with anyone I make little jokes trying to make others feel better because their all upset I got cancer. Also I have asked my endro about my hair being really thin I've always had thin hair but it's gotten worse and the top of my head you can see through it and you can tell I have lost hair there been losing alot of hair lately but my endro said that has nothing to do with my thyroid. I'm not sure how I'm suppose to feel :mellow:


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Welcome to the board!

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. Thyroid cancers are very slow spreading and have an excellent survival rate -

Taking 1-2 pills a day is not the end of the world.

The surgery time can vary due to the complexity of the thyroid - meaning , did it grow around any part of the throat or down into the sternum area. My surgery took 90 minutes.



> I'm 37 no kids and right now I am thinking why not just live with it? I know eventually it will spread but it's better than surgery right?


This is not the end of your life and having thyroid surgery is probably one of the easier surgeries. to have. Life after the surgery can be completely normal.

Get into the habit of asking for your lab results and we can help you dial in your replacement medications.

You have found a great place to get support and find alot of information regarding thyroid.

Hang in there!


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I remember waking up after surgery and thinking "Oh my god, I had two weeks of over the top anxiety for this? THIS WAS NOTHING!" I had virtually no pain, an easy recovery, and, despite a little bump with finding the right meds, am having a much improved quality of life after the thyroid was removed.

You might be surprised - thyroid problems sneak up on you. You might not realize, now, how this is impacting your quality of life.

I was 36 with no kids when I was diagnosed. My surgeon told me it was likely the cancer had been growing for about 10 years. I still never thought about not doing the surgery.

My surgery last about three hours. Because the cancer had been growing for a while and because I had autoimmune issues at the same time, my thyroid was kinda messy. They also needed to do a central neck dissection and that took some time.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

I liked thyroid surgery so much I did it twice! Just kidding, but yes, I've had a total thyroidectomy and a recent surgery to remove another mass in the same area.

My first surgery went horribly only because the anesthesiologist didn't believe me when I told her I get nauseous easily. The pain was nothing, I was just so sick from the drugs. I would recommend telling your anesthesiologist you want anti nausea meds asap if you tend to get car sick easily.

This second surgery was a breeze--new anes. and she gave me every anti nausea med she had. I woke up hungry and alert, with no pain.

It's a lot to deal with in a short time, but it's really not a terrible surgery and taking 1-2 pills a day is no big deal. Just make sure you stay ahead of your pain with medication, have a few v-neck shirts for after and a lot of soft foods (like ice cream or yogurt or scrambled eggs).


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## webster2 (May 19, 2011)

Welcome, sorry for what brings you. My life is so much better without my thyroid. I too, enjoyed it so much I went in twice.  Try not to worry too much, it is really not so bad. Let your medical team know you are nervous and if you are prone to nausea, let them know that too, and they will take good care of you.

I think my last surgery was just over 2 hours at a teaching hospital so maybe some lessons were going on.

I gained weight before the surgery even though I was hyperthyroid. I was 52 & postmenopausal at the time. I exercise everyday because I love it and fresh air. I eat reasonably well most of the time and have lost weight. I've always had thick curly hair; it got a bit ratty looking for awhile but looks much better now. I am 4 years out from the last surgery.

It took me longer than most to get the meds dialed in correctly. Several different types of meds were tried out. I am on 125 mcg of levo and 10 mcg of cytomel daily, three pills, no big deal.. My cellphone is set to go off for my afternoon one. The other 2, I leave on my bedside table and take about an hour or so before I get out of bed,

Don't worry too much if you don't get a warm fuzzy feeling from your endo. I read something once about endos really only caring about the lab results not the human attached to them. It took me 3 before I found one I really like. My ENT referred to him as "human". Silly me, I thought they all were.

Do get in the habit of getting copies of your lab results. I make notes on how I feel and at what levels I feel the best. We have to help those doctors help us. Thyroid ranges are so huge and "normal" is not a one size fits all.

Good luck to you!


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