# Surgery Done, Home!



## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

Went in yesterday at 5 am after not being able to sleep at all the night before. They wheeled me into surgery at 7 am. Not sure how long the surgery lasted since I was unfortunately sick from the anesthesia for quite some time despite the drugs they gave me before, during and after. Seems like it gets worse with each surgery I've had, so I'll definitely not be planning any electives!

Still really tired so I'll update more later. Just wanted to let you all know that I'm alive and kicking.


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Glad to hear it's over and done with! How are you feeling?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Glad to hear you are home and it's all over. Get some sleep - it'll be better in the morning.


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## I DClaire (Jul 31, 2011)

That was my exact same schedule only I ended-up not going home for several days because of parathyroid damage. I'm so old I remember when surgery patients were admitted the day before surgery, usually somewhat sedated the night before and weren't out driving all the way across town at 4:00 A.M. having had no rest, anxious about an early morning surgery.

My husband had to be at a hospital at 4:00 A.M. for open heart surgery.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Glad to get an update.

Be sure and insist on FT-4 and FT-3 tests every time for every lab going forward and we will have you feeling like your old self in no time.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

StormFinch said:


> Went in yesterday at 5 am after not being able to sleep at all the night before. They wheeled me into surgery at 7 am. Not sure how long the surgery lasted since I was unfortunately sick from the anesthesia for quite some time despite the drugs they gave me before, during and after. Seems like it gets worse with each surgery I've had, so I'll definitely not be planning any electives!
> 
> Still really tired so I'll update more later. Just wanted to let you all know that I'm alive and kicking.


It is just terrific to hear from you and that general anesthetic takes it's toll big time because our metabolisms are so botched up. We don't process well...................

So, you just take it easy and "if" you can, get those kidneys working to flush out the toxins. Plenty of water.


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

Thanks everyone! 

How do I feel? Hmmm... not exactly sure yet. lol

The sleep I've gotten since I got home has actually felt like sleep for a change. I really can't remember the last time that happened. Somewhere underneath the after effects of the surgery there's kind of a "light at the end of the tunnel" feeling. That's just cool. lol The heart palps are almost completely gone as well, which I don't miss in the slightest.

The surgical site itself doesn't really hurt. On the other hand my neck and chest ache, which is to be expected when you think about the position they have to use on you to do the surgery. I also feel like they left part of the intubation tube in my throat somewhere. Swallowing can be fun as everything I eat feels like marbles going down. I get the feeling that's more from the anesthesia than the surgery though.

I'm having some trouble with junk in either my chest or throat, not sure which. I'm doing a lot of work with the spirometer and coughing VERY carefully.

Andros, I don't think it's just the anesthesia that doesn't process well. I ate a late dinner, but nothing even close to midnight, the night before the surgery to guard against getting too hungry throughout the night. The insomnia was typically keeping me awake long past the time I was scheduled for the next morning, and I didn't want to end up feeling like crap going in. Sure enough, I didn't sleep before, but I think that even my gastric motility was being effected, as I had plenty to "get rid of" in recovery. They said they threw the whole pharmacy at me, short of Phenergan which I can't take.

I know what you mean about hospital times Claire. I do believe insurance has bungled up our hospital care beyond all hope.

Well it took me what seems like forever to compose this message so I think I need to hop back off for a while. Thanks again to everyone for the well wishes. I'll check back in when I can.


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

Oh, two other things. Yes Andros, I've currently got a brand new hospital provided travel mug with 32 oz of water and a 24 oz glass of decaf iced tea here in front of me. The kidneys are happily processing as we speak. lol

Lovlkn, question; When the doc took a look at my pre-discharge labs (no clue what they were as they were more worried about other paperwork) he told me under no circumstances should I take my replacement meds until Tuesday. I'm guessing my thyroid dumped during surgery. Would you still suggest starting them this early? He put me on 75 twice per day.


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

Hi again!

Gotta say, love, love, LOVE my endo surgeon! My voice was back by the 4th day, no hoarseness whatsoever. There's still a small amount of pressure and swelling at the surgical site, but I was even off ibuprofen by day 5. I was allowed to take of the clear plastic adhesive they covered the surgical site with off yesterday. My soon to be scar looks good, lower than what I've seen from other surgeries though. It's like he played connect the dots between my collar bones. lol

As to how I feel? Pretty darn good! I'm still taking it kind of easy, preparing dinner or loading the dishwasher tires me out so I'm spacing things out, resting in between and prioritizing a lot. If it doesn't NEED to be done, I don't do it!  I've still got some strange sleep patterns as well, but I think that's starting to slowly change.

Although the doc told me not to start my meds until Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, I started noticing some vague hypo symptoms on Sunday, so I took a half dose that day through Tuesday. Wednesday I upped my dose to the full 150mcgs. We'll see how that goes.

The only real problem I've had was a backlash from the narcotics. (inserting TMI warning here) I ended up constipated even though the doc prescribed collace twice a day for me from the moment I left the hospital. Because my stomach was still sensitive, I had also been forgoing my olive oil routine... bad mistake! Needless to say, drastic home care measures were taken, I double dosed on olive oil for a couple of days, and life is good again.

If this continues to be life without a thyroid, I'd almost wish I had had the surgery a year and a half ago when I was in my last Graves cycle. BUT, I don't know that I would have had such a great surgeon, so I guess it worked out for the best.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Glad you are doing so well. Yes, narcotics are mean, mean drugs. I took one leaving the hospital and after that, no thanks. 

It's hard to wrap your head around how much better life is without a thyroid, isn't it??


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

Glad you are doing so well! Could I ask what your olive oil routine is? I get Hashi's constipation so I know how icky that can be.


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

jenny v said:


> Glad you are doing so well! Could I ask what your olive oil routine is? I get Hashi's constipation so I know how icky that can be.


Thanks jenny. 

I know what you're talking about, I used to stay that way constantly, even through the Graves cycles, so I hear you.

Because I'm not gluten intolerant, I eat a slice of really heavy whole grain bread, my favorite is a slightly sweet 15 grain, slathered in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil every night for a snack. If you're intolerant you can just take the oil with a spoon, and cut it with a little lemon juice, or even garlic, if the taste bothers you.

As long as I don't slack off I no longer get constipated. I can really tell if I forget it though!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

StormFinch said:


> Thanks everyone!
> 
> How do I feel? Hmmm... not exactly sure yet. lol
> 
> ...


Oh, yes...........................any organ that requires normal motility is "gravely" affected by either a slow or fast metabolism.

Many many of us have had bowel impaction or the opposite, GB stones, kidney stones, salivary gland stones, tonsil stones................you just name it.

Glad they had Phenegan on hand for "you!"

LHM!!!


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## jenny v (May 6, 2012)

> Because I'm not gluten intolerant, I eat a slice of really heavy whole grain bread, my favorite is a slightly sweet 15 grain, slathered in 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil every night for a snack. If you're intolerant you can just take the oil with a spoon, and cut it with a little lemon juice, or even garlic, if the taste bothers you.
> 
> As long as I don't slack off I no longer get constipated. I can really tell if I forget it though!


Interesting! I may try that--I'm not gluten intolerant and I love, love olive oil, so this would be an easy and yummy thing to try. I have success with Miralax but I like to try more natural approaches, too.


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

joplin1975 said:


> Glad you are doing so well. Yes, narcotics are mean, mean drugs. I took one leaving the hospital and after that, no thanks.
> 
> It's hard to wrap your head around how much better life is without a thyroid, isn't it??


I apologize joplin, somehow I missed your post!

I do occasionally take a single tab of percocet or vicodin to stop the pain cycle once in awhile, but yeah, no, a steady diet of them would soooo not do my system any good. I wanted rid of them for the way they made me feel anyway, the regularity thing was just the little extra kick that said to put them away.

I don't know why, but it really is hard to believe that one little gland could cause so much havoc! Now that I'm trying to adjust to being without one there are different challenges, but at least my bad days are now equal to my good days pre-thyroid. That's a very good thing! Now if I can just get a new handle on my emotions... I sort of felt deadened before and I react now, sometimes more than I should... or maybe I'm just worse at hiding it. :tongue0015: lolol


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

Alright, I've talked about this in another thread but I thought I'd update this one. Probably the last update since the surgery has gone so swimmingly and I've come through to the other side. I will try to post a pic of my incision though if I get a chance.

Saw my endo surgeon late this morning. After telling him how good I felt and quickly I recovered, he jokingly asked if I'd come back and tell his other Graves patients my experiences. He took the steri strips off and checked my incision. He found a small pocket of fluid that I hadn't re-absorbed yet so he drained that off with a butterfly needle and syringe. He also explained that the reason he made the incision so low (across the gap between my collar bones) is cosmetic. He's found that they hide better there.

He didn't run labs this time around because I messed up reading my medication bottle. I could have sworn that it said 1 tab twice daily but it didn't. I must have mixed it up with the collace. It said 1 tab once daily which would have put me on 75 mcgs per day, so I was taking 150 mcgs for about 5 days. Yeah, I was a little hyper, but after living so long with Graves, not really a big deal! lol I dropped down to 75s about 4 days ago and was feeling a little tired yesterday. I asked him about the standard dosing and he said he normally starts his patients out at .8 per kg, BUT that since I felt pretty darn good at 150, he'd write me a scrip for 125s and we'd test in a month. Yay, a doctor who listens!

Soooo looks like there's nothing left but for the skin to heal and to make sure I'm titered correctly. Truthfully, I'm a happy camper right now, best darn medical decision I've made so far. That's saying something too, since up until now that spot was filled with getting my hysterectomy.


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## Kelley (Sep 15, 2012)

Surgery is scary. Going under is scarier. For me anyway. I hate being put to sleep. I worry needlessly though. Sometimes too much. I had my surgery last Wednesday and I was happy to wake up. That makes two this year. The prior was a hyster removal. 

Glad to hear that you're home and feeling better. In Jan, I didn't wake up well from the anesthia. Which I knew I wouldn't and I forgot to tell them from past experience. Like 23 years ago.  This time around, I told them and they were ready for it. Seems like it was a different anethesia though. I didn't get sick until I ate a popsicle. Dumb idea! But then I was going home by 11 a.m. Admitted at 6:15 and surgery was at 7. Took an hour I guess. 

Happy New Year! Hoping your recovery and everyone's recovery is speedy!


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