# One Week Post Op



## CareBear3030 (Jun 9, 2010)

Update: I got my TT last Tuesday. Overall I have had a good experience. They said there was no parathyroid damage, and did not have to give me any calcium. They also said no damage to vocal cords, although I still cannot speak very well.... no one can hear me unless right next to me, and its very scratchy and strained. I had a drain in place which kept me in the hospital for 4 days. I was actually happy about that as I was afraid to go home not being able to lay down to sleep. By the time I came home Friday, I could for the most part lay down fine.

I guess my next step is RAI, although I have to wait on endo office to call me tomorrow with an appt that they squeeze in. One negative to having good docs... they are way booked up.

I have been very scared, and quite psycho, about this whole process!! I feel extremely better mentally now that I'm on my way to getting better. In all honesty - the surgery/recovery was not all that bad. While it was not as easy as recovering from a tubal ligation, it is still much less worse than you have imagined! Good luck to all of you faced with this.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

CareBear3030 said:


> Update: I got my TT last Tuesday. Overall I have had a good experience. They said there was no parathyroid damage, and did not have to give me any calcium. They also said no damage to vocal cords, although I still cannot speak very well.... no one can hear me unless right next to me, and its very scratchy and strained. I had a drain in place which kept me in the hospital for 4 days. I was actually happy about that as I was afraid to go home not being able to lay down to sleep. By the time I came home Friday, I could for the most part lay down fine.
> 
> I guess my next step is RAI, although I have to wait on endo office to call me tomorrow with an appt that they squeeze in. One negative to having good docs... they are way booked up.
> 
> I have been very scared, and quite psycho, about this whole process!! I feel extremely better mentally now that I'm on my way to getting better. In all honesty - the surgery/recovery was not all that bad. While it was not as easy as recovering from a tubal ligation, it is still much less worse than you have imagined! Good luck to all of you faced with this.


Why did they keep you in the hospital 4 days? A thyroidectomy is considered outpatient?

I imagine you surgeon got as much thyroid tissue from around your vocal cords as he could - be patient and rest your voice.

:hugs:


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## CareBear3030 (Jun 9, 2010)

I stayed in because of the drain tube. I would not have wanted to go home the same day no way to be outpatient!! Because of my 20 mo old son I was given the choice to stay or go home with the tube on day 2. I guess technically it was 3 full days. I went in Tuesday morning, left Friday afternoon.

Appt with Endo tomorrow to discuss RAI. I'm curious if he will have the pathology report, or will that have to wait for the surgeon next week?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

CareBear3030 said:


> I stayed in because of the drain tube. I would not have wanted to go home the same day no way to be outpatient!! Because of my 20 mo old son I was given the choice to stay or go home with the tube on day 2. I guess technically it was 3 full days. I went in Tuesday morning, left Friday afternoon.
> 
> Appt with Endo tomorrow to discuss RAI. I'm curious if he will have the pathology report, or will that have to wait for the surgeon next week?


Well, one would think the endo would have the path report but I also think that the surgeon would be more well versed in discussing it w/you.

What do you think?


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## hillaryedrn (Dec 14, 2009)

Sounds like you are doing good!! Your surgeon will be the one to get the path report and he/she will forward it to your endocrinologist. I'd call your surgeon now and see if they have the results!


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## carol9999 (Jul 5, 2010)

hi... i had my TT done in June 2010 and it was cancer... I didn't have my voice back for 6 weeks!! It's back now, so don't worry about that. Good luck.


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## CareBear3030 (Jun 9, 2010)

carol9999 said:


> hi... i had my TT done in June 2010 and it was cancer... I didn't have my voice back for 6 weeks!! It's back now, so don't worry about that. Good luck.


Thank you carol! I am now 2 weeks and I still sound like Marge Simpson's sister... no actually worse... more like a lion seal... but only a volume of 3!! Ha! Its horrible! I need to find a job so the lack of a voice is really concerning me! I need to hear lots of the ones that return!


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## CareBear3030 (Jun 9, 2010)

Oh yeah, endo did have pathology report.... they are all tied into the same network. Anywho... cancer was contained within the thyroid with none in any of the lymph nodes removed!!!!!


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

CareBear3030 said:


> Oh yeah, endo did have pathology report.... they are all tied into the same network. Anywho... cancer was contained within the thyroid with none in any of the lymph nodes removed!!!!!


Thank God! Now,are you scheduled for follow-up RAI? And of course you know that your TSH has to be kept suppressed?


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## CareBear3030 (Jun 9, 2010)

Yes, not very happy about the RAI.... but I'll take my little jail sentence and smile... LoL!

I've seen you say that about TSH. I assume they do that with a bit higher dose of synthroid... keep us as hyper as we can stand. And for the record, I'd MUCH rather be hyper than hypo... although not sure my heart would rather it that way... LoL! Through all of this I have never had even a trace amount of TSH due to my antibodies and Graves. I'm curious if that will stay the same because antibodies dont go away... right... or do they?


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

CareBear3030 said:


> Yes, not very happy about the RAI.... but I'll take my little jail sentence and smile... LoL!
> 
> I've seen you say that about TSH. I assume they do that with a bit higher dose of synthroid... keep us as hyper as we can stand. And for the record, I'd MUCH rather be hyper than hypo... although not sure my heart would rather it that way... LoL! Through all of this I have never had even a trace amount of TSH due to my antibodies and Graves. I'm curious if that will stay the same because antibodies dont go away... right... or do they?


Usually they receive a T4 dose large enough to suppress their blood level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) below the normal TSH range. This is called TSH suppression. The ATA and ETA guidelines suggest TSH suppression when a patient has active tumor or has a very aggressive tumor that has been treated with surgery and radioactive iodine (I 131).

http://www.thyca.org/tsh-suppression.htm

Some antibodies do go away if they don't have anything to attack. 
This is especially true w/ the thyroid.


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