# Upcoming Thyroid Lobectomy



## SoCalGal (Sep 27, 2015)

I am scheduled for a lobectomy in three weeks. I am euthyroid but have a solid nodule that has yielded 3 benign biopsies and a recent AUS on biopsy #4 (All in a 9-year period). The nodule has grown 50% in volumne in the last two years and there are microcalcifications and blood flow has gone from the periphery of the nodule to the core (hypervascular). At this point the surgeon is planning a lobectomy but I understand that I may wake up with no thyroid. This board has prepared me for that but I would like to hear some experiences form those who just had a lobectomy. Both the endo and surgeon have told me that I have a 50-70% chance of not needing any medication. I am not sure that I buy this! Some of you have experienced both a lobectomy and then a complete TT. I am deathly afraid of being severly tired after either one of these surgeries. Any advice and words of encouragement are greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

SoCalGal


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## KeepOnGoing (Jan 2, 2013)

It definitely sounds like time to get rid of that nodule.

I had a lobectomy and then TT due to PTC. I have to say, the worse I have ever felt was in the 7 or 8 weeks in which I only had half a thyroid, so I'd be somewhat suspicious of the "no need for medication" theory too. My numbers were still in range, but I felt dreadful.

Frankly, the second surgery was, for me, worse than the first - largely because I woke up from the second surgery with very little voice (I'm a teacher, so this was a major issue!). But neither surgery was awful - with me, it's more the effect of the anaesthetic. That made me extremely tired and not terribly "with it" for about a week - I famously washed my husband's wallet whilst trying to get back to normal and deal with the bulging washing basket!

I would much rather they had taken the whole thing out in one go - but in the UK they didn't do frozen sections for my thyroid so I wasn't given a choice. Also, I'd never had a biopsy which actually confirmed the cancer, so they were only ever going to take out the half with the nodule to start with. Two operations was a pain, but not impossible.

The most difficult part is getting the medication right after TT - I'd better leave others to comment on that, as I've had a particularly difficult journey on that front. But still, I've never missed a day's work, nor failed to do something I've wanted to do, in the 3 years since surgery.

PS the voice came back after 3 or 4 months...


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