Straining on the toilet not only can rip the surgical site, it can cause you to stroke out. 30 Nov 2011 Official Retirement from Navy. I am not sure if TMJ or other dental problem vs the salivary glands. But the order of operations has gone like this and I wish I knew all this stuff before (FYI I am a 37yo American but in Manila Philippines so am very frustrated/worried about processes or lack there of): He also informed me that because my mother had a pheochromocytoma, I was at particular risk for MENS syndrome and medullary thyroid cancer and so were my children. Overall the pain wasn't terrible. I was also finally getting the follow-ups setup so they could deal with my loss of hearing (Stapendectomy) so I managed to get an appointment with the ENT Clinic. Before I could not work out as I was to Hypo and the headaches alone were so bad . but now after 2.5 weeks on the meds I have some energy back. I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer over the summer and received a total thyroidectomy and bilateral neck dissection two months ago. Emerging from my first anesthesia experience was quite honestly like waking up from a bad alcohol blackout where you have no idea what was going on for the last few minutes, hours, days?, weeks? My wife took my kids up to her parents in Wisconsin and my mom stayed with me in Chicago. Bilateral recurrent nerve paralysis resulting in adduction of the vocal cords is a rare life-threatening complication (occurring in less than 0.1% of cases that requires I keep reading about people getting like 8 lymphnodes removed at once and 5 ending up as cancerous. Sharp stabbing pain in the front of the neck? - Thyroid cancer Complications are much less common and can include neck bleeding, permanent hypoparathyroidism that requires ongoing calcium replacement, and damage to . He also said he was worried about my balance issue. We talked a bit before he left (he's a great guy and a better doctor). Epub 2021 Jun 1. I did the thyrogen shots instead of going off of my synthroid, so if you have that option, would 100% do it. If you have to, ask your doctor about using milk of magnesium (get some and keep it on hand). Horner's syndrome may be unexpected complication after - Healio The first time I had RAI I had absolutely no symptoms. When I told my endo 3 weeks ago that I feel cruddy, I had a blood panel done and everything is in the normal range. After hours emergency: A/Professor Miller's mobile - emergency only please. Chronic post-thyroidectomy pain: Incidence, typology, and risk factors Stabbing neck pains after RAI - Thyroid cancer - Inspire Everyone was extremely professional, everyone was very nice. The Annual International Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Conference and Regional Workshops, Front neck numbness post Total Thyroidectomy (TT). The aim of this study was to analyse the long-term musculoskeletal disorders in TC patients who had undergone thyroidectomy. Are you sure you want to block this member? I was diagnosed by chance, I was actually post op on back surgery and I mentioned to my neuro the pain in the back of my neck, he ordered a soft tissue MRI and this was discovered. On May 14th I went back to Madigan for follow-up CT scans. That said, I was in very little discomfort and did not even feel that much of a sore throat. July 26th Another mental health appointment, another good visit he is defiantly happy with how I am doing and we are figuring out that I probably dont need too many more appointments for now at least. On March 2nd I was told I had several small foci of papillary carcinoma in the tissue of the right thyroid that was removed and that the entire mass was being sent to another hospital for further research but it looks benign the doctors recommended removing the other side, we decided that was the best plan. Well low and behold, I am still very radioactive after 8 days to anyone closer than 4'. A few randomized trials, mostly using inadequately validated instruments, showed significantly reduced neck pain, neck stiffness, movement disability, and need for postoperative analgesics by applying neck and shoulder exercises after thyroidectomy [8, 21-23]. At the end of the first week, the NPDS scores (mean [SD] = 8.82 [12.23] vs. 30.28 [12.09]), neck sensitivity scores (median [IR] = 0 [.75] vs. 2.00 [4.0]) and pain levels with neck movements (median [IR] = 0 [2.0] vs. 3.5 [5.75]) of the stretching exercise group were significantly lower than those of the control group. Increase in pain at the incision that is not relieved by pain medication. I know my body and disagree. Hi! 2019 Aug 8;49(4):1185-1191. doi: 10.3906/sag-1812-55. Following Endocrine appt, doc said TSH was too low and decreased replacement (within first 3 months), fought it since it meant dropping below my preablation dose. Total or near-total thyroidectomy: This involves the removal of all or most of the thyroid gland.This surgery is often indicated for large thyroid cancers, large goiters, and Graves' disease. 3 weeks post TT After a thyroid lobectomy, you'll need to have your thyroid hormone levels checked and will be prescribed a thyroid hormone replacement, if needed. My surgeon wouldn't commit to either putting in or not putting in a JP drain prior to surgery, but he did say he doesn't use them as often as other surgeons. Post Operative Instruction | Thyroid Surgery Melbourne, VIC She reported left upper lid drooping and showed a recent picture with only the right side of her face flushed in a hot summer day (Figure 1, upper panel). On October 4th I had my first appointment with Su., the nutritionist, and she told me that looking at what lab results were in the system that my calcium, magnesium and potassium are all low. Although there are a limited number of studies showing effects of neck stretching exercises following a thyroidectomy in reducing neck discomfort symptoms, no study has specifically dealt with and examined the effect of neck stretching exercises on neck pain and disability. Hi to give you a little history, in Feb 2014 I found a nodule on my right side of my thyroid byopsies and scans done I was told it was fine nothing to worry about 1 month later I get a pain on my right side scan done I have a nodule on my right overy the advice given at the time wad to remove the right overy but it was my choice as to whether or not I would opt for both to be removed this was a tough choice as a radical meopause was to follow I was 48 at the time however this is where things get very interesting on the Tuesday before my overy removal I ruptured a ligament in my left ankle this was in June op put off until cast off and I was walking around log story short did op in late August and nodule was gone I was delighted and very relieved and thanked god for my lucky escape I'm self employed and I had never been incompassatated before off I went to take control of my life again my ankle never fully recovers I have a cronic pain in I'm neck with tingling down my right arm visited my GP regulary who's best advice was to have an anti depressent which I refused went to a chiropractor as a last resort she was excellent she saved my soul on the spot she told my I needed an mri and an appointment with a nurosurgen immediately 2 weeks later I meet my nourosurgen and I have a very serious condition since I had rip tured my ligament I had also injured my c5 c6 cervical spine and needed to be operated on straight away but my nourosurgen wanted to know who was looking after my thyroid no one was as they had said it was nothing to worry about saw another surguen mor scans mor byopsies the long and the short of it was I had neck surgery in june 2015 right thyroidectomy September 2015 I had micto papillary carcinoma because it was micro no treatment was deemed necessary I had put on alot of weight and thankfully I started to loose it fast forward six months to frebruary and my husband say that lump is growing again I hadn't even noticed myself more scans more byopsies more doctors I have a new nodule in my left side byopsie was incunclusive Doctor wanted to do surgery in may I refused he suggested July I refused again I couldn't face another Summer like the last 2 surgery done on the first of September no results yet as I'm not seeing my surguen until 5th of October I'm hoping this is a good sign so I had 3 ops in less then a year in the same neck area I'm in alot of pain that's from my disc fusion my thyroid area is just very tender I'm taking eltroxin 75mg calcichew and magnesium daily nows the thing I eat very healthy I'm still putting on weight I have very little energy I can cook a good dinner but that is about all I have no interest in work or am I even thinking of going back I have developed a pain in my back teeth very annoying I have a pain in my tight hip (where it all started) and now I'm afraid I may have another nodule on my overy I'm afraid to visit my GP my question is this they are fairly sure these nodules are estrogen fueled but they won't do anything to supress it and this has me worried are they going to do more treatment I don't know I think I would prefer if they did because knowing my luck I will get another nodule on the remaining tissue anyone have any ideas That was pretty much the best thing I've ever eaten! I think my voice was the last thing to come back, but after 3 weeks that was fine as well. We had to travel to Cleveland Clinic for the surgery on Oct. 28th due to the surgeons here would not do it. An observational case-control study was carried out. I go back to my Drs office for results next week and am doing my best trying to stay away from my sweet family and dog. I don't remember exactly when he left. However, since my surgery, I've been hit with insomnia. Sorry I know this is long. When I arrived I caught up with my family who brought the things i needed (PLEASE buy a nice neck pillow, I got a memory foam one from Amazon and it was a comfort saver) and even laughed a bit. I didn't sleep even a minute. It's been just over two weeks since my thyroidectomy. Post Operative Expectations | American Thyroid Association A complete neurologic examination confirmed otherwise normal cranial nerves. He has a burning sensation on his upper chest, shoulder,neck, behind his ear, with sharp pains. I am not on the hormone replacement therapy pill yet and was told I will be given the radioactive iodine but I have no idea when!!?? Also, through the night I drank some more water using the chin to my chest trick to get the water down. It has become shrill and high-pitched. I have friends that "had a friend that went through this and they are just fine". But 100% the greatest advice I can give is to make sure you have the best doctor you can get. However, the location on the neck minimizes the likelihood of keloids. Surgery was over at about 8:15 and they decided to keep me overnight because my calcium levels wouldn't be back until way late. They gave me a pill and I drove to a cabin in the mts. Ylinen J, Kautiainen H, Wirn K, Hkkinen A. J Rehabil Med. Be careful. Your thyroid gland makes hormones that control your metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate. Jon. Furlan AD, Yazdi F, Tsertsvadze A, Gross A, Van Tulder M, Santaguida L, Cherkin D, Gagnier J, Ammendolia C, Ansari MT, Ostermann T, Dryden T, Doucette S, Skidmore B, Daniel R, Tsouros S, Weeks L, Galipeau J. Evid Rep Technol Assess (Full Rep). Could this be from the RAI even 3 weeks after? I got a copy of RAI film and right starburst is bigger than left . maybe this is why. Disclosures: Lee and Vodopivec report no relevant financial disclosures. I had a lot of other questions, but those two were, at the very least, on the top of my list. It took 26 minutes. PMC Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. In any event, we went to the store when I got home and stocked up on ice cream, yogurt and pudding. Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics Guideline Task Force, et al. This is upsetting to me because everyone said I was safe to have normal contact with my kids at 7 days ( hospital said 2). Horners syndrome was described in 1853 by French physiologist Claude Bernard and then by the Swiss ophthalmologist Johann Horner in 1869. In the weeks after your thyroid surgery, you may have neck pain, soreness of your vocal chords or a weak . Again, my surgeon only says it's normal with minimal to no explanation whatsoever. A postoperative neck ultrasound conducted in the clinic did not show any suspicious nodes, masses, hematoma or collection that could potentially compress the sympathetic trunk. Besides a surgical scar in her neck, a physical exam was notable for left upper lid ptosis and anisocoria with the left pupil having a smaller diameter than the right (Figure 1, lower panel). Keywords: On May 17th I went to Bangor clinic for a update with my primary care provider and we discussed things like my recovery plan and basically made sure that they had a full picture of my current health. 14 Months After Thyroidectomy Cancer Survivors Network I am defiantly feeling much more mentally stable after I was put on Synthroid. Twenty-eight patients who had undergone thyroidectomy and 28 healthy . Wednesday and Thursday I continued to improve. Every now and then my salivary glands hurt a bit massaging them helps. 2010 Oct;(194):1-764. Objective: The pain is in the natural curve of my neck, about 2-3 inches above the incision. No idea why this report was 2cm and ultrasound showed 3cm. My only regret at that point is that I didn't ask for ativan or xanax or something to calm my nerves it could have been given IV. You may need a thyroidectomy if you have thyroid cancer or a growth on your . 2) Got results July 26th and they showed nearly 3cm mass on ultrasound in right lobe of thyroid, all blood work was normal. My wife went home to take care of our kids and my mom came in for a couple hours. I really looked into doing the surgery using the daVinci robot with the incision in the arm pit not on the neck. I felt bad the first two days but that was it. I also felt extremely nauseous (although I did not vomit). As my health slowly improves I am starting out my workout regimen again and slowly building my strength back. Every step of the way I've made sure to get the best of the best, and so many times I've gone to new specialist who have said "you're so lucky you had the surgeon that you did, because he's the best of the best and did a fantastic job". In the morning they brought me what I asked for for breakfast (Cherios, yogurt, and apple juice). An 84-year-old woman presented with chronic neck pain one year after thyroidectomy. I am currently taking 275! That was a Tuesday. I know the levels that I'm supposed to maintain at are different from those of normal people with a thyroid and no cancer history. As soon as you can turn your head without pain or difficulty (within about a week . and his team (same group who did the right one). I didnt get to see the Drs who did the surgery the Dr I did see told me to hold off on the CT scan and to go back to it if the vestibular training doesnt work. 2 Mar 2011 1 year from being told I have cancer. Second time with the larger dose was a little worse, but nothing terrible. For the first 14 days I showered from the armpits down and washed my face and hair in the sink to keep the stitches and steri-strip dry. The transfer team asked me to put the bair paws gown back on and I said no it was too hot. Some of it still doesn't make sense to me (in that the sequence of logic fails me), but then again I was on strong pain killers for part of the time and I didn't go to medical school. Clipboard, Search History, and several other advanced features are temporarily unavailable. Patients who undergo thyroid surgery frequently suffer from unpleasant symptoms such as a stretching, choking, or pressing feeling or discomfort in the neck for a long time. At about 6:45pm the anesthesiologist came in, asked a few questions and said he was hoping for my surgery to start at around 7pm. All internal stitches and only steri-strip on the outside. Also we will have to delay the sleep Apnea testing till after I get my vestibular training done and I can sleep on my back and side. Turk J Med Sci. Through the night I got up to use the bathroom. That seems crazy low, is there any benefit at < 0.1 vs < 1.0? Musculoskeletal neck disorders in thyroid cancer patients after Neck swelling after thyroidectomy: not always a haematoma I had to use the urinal, but it is just easier to use it in the bathroom than in the bed for me. Over the course of 2 years or more I've been from Doctor to Doctor including my family doc, allergist, gastronologist and orthopedic specialist. Stay alone in a separate house if you are able for RAI(it really is hard to keep your distance). I was immediately put on levothyroxin and sent home. Results. The .gov means its official. To analyze the effect of neck stretching exercises, following a total thyroidectomy, on reducing neck pain and disability. The only problem I had with the surgery was hiccups that lasted about 10 days, I was told this was due to the tube they put down your throat during anesthesia. September 17th took S. to Madigan for her weight loss surgery; J. came with me to help me through the waiting. Ear surgery went well on the 19th I started getting my hiccups and those lasted 7 days I did manage to get an ear infection on Friday Aug 20 and by Sunday evening I was at max allowed pain meds and it wasnt helping. As his caregiver I am feeling so helpless. After getting checked into the radiation isolation room #625, they brought me my dose of radiation 175 mCi of I-131 t1/2= 8 days. Went to Bremerton naval emergency and they put me on oxycoton and told me to go to Madigan on Monday I received a lot of encouraging feedback from many people on this site and would like to thank them all again. 2022 Sep;46(9):2212-2222. doi: 10.1007/s00268-022-06610-0. She explained, again, that the surgery before me had become unusually complicated and apologized for the wait. The biopsy of the left thyroid nodule was rated as Bethesda category IV (follicular neoplasm), and the lymph node was consistent with metastatic papillary thyroid cancer. On Sept 7th did follow up scan and 1 definite lymphnode lit up in an obscure location, so then was ordered for AG, AGant, and full neck ultrasound (WISH THEY HAD DONE ALL THAT EARLIER). So, I feel like I'm ending on a negative note but this is my reality right now. From the time I knew I would be "going under the knife" I started experiencing panic attacks, thoughts of extreme terror, and general malaise. Sent us home & said if it happens again that we need to see the ent in cleveland. The first four days or so were the worst. Within 2 hours I got up to use the restroom and asked if I could take a couple laps around the ICU, which the nurse allowed me to do by attaching a portable monitor to a wheelchair that I pushed. I had quit my job to start graduate school last fall and then had to defer my graduate program to next year because I couldn't continue during the winter quarter. That was attributed the nodules and the cancer. Would you like email updates of new search results? With that in mind, here are 5 things that I think you should know if you've had your thyroid removed based on THIS experience. Increased swelling, redness, or drainage from the incision. I had some really entertaining PACU nurses who I conversed with for the better part of two hours until my room in the ICU was ready. I've read posts on this board from people who say they've met with doctors who were evasive about answering certain questions. A full Thyroidectomy was done 6 days ago. They have removed most of the mole on my eyebrow and sent it to be checked for cancer. The other doctor did about 45 thyroidectomies per year. Although, I highly recommend going somewhere where you can be alone (not a hotel). Waiting on that was probably the worst part, as I felt like I had been released from a jail sentence (I've never been in jail but I assume it's like this) but not being unlocked from the cage. Typically thyroidectomies take about 3hours and you come out with a cute little 3in scar. . In January I was beginning to have a hypersensitive gag reflex. I know that there is nothing I could have done to control the anxiety, I guess I'm just poorly wired that way or it is a defense mechanism. I was having subtle symptoms like a little hoarseness, choking when drinking and tiredness. On the 21st while I was in class J. was up at Madigan for some of her medical appointments and while there she picked up S. who got released from the hospital that day and took her to Sylvias house. My family members tried to reassure me that everything would be ok, but I just couldn't stop thinking thoughts of "what if I don't wake up," "what if I do wake up," "what if they find something incredibly bad inside." Numb feeling on the front side of my neck between my chin and incision. They did look at the CT scan report and told me that all the radiation was in the neck and that was a good thing and the scan looked clean but I will have to wait for the official follow-up with my endocrinologist on the 18th of June for the Official results. Although, some people swear they can't hear it, I can hear it all the time. Source: Images courtesy of Stephanie L. Lee, MD, PhD, ECNU. What Are Side Effects of Thyroidectomy and Complications? Thyroid Surgery Process - Penn Medicine For starters I only discovered what an endocrinologist or Thyroid even was like 8 weeks ago. We got to know each other, and exchanged some friendly banter on a variety of topics including football and hockey. On April 19th I started on the low iodine diet and stopped taking Cytomel in preparation for Radioactive Iodine treatment. 2011 Jan;34(1):62-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2010.11.005. Sounded perfectly reasonable to me. What to Expect After Thyroidectomy: 5 Things You Should Know Because I had such an intense spread, my surgical experience was a bit different than others. The result of the biopsy concluded Papillary Carcinoma. What to Expect After Thyroid Surgery | University of Maryland Medical A literature review shows a variable postoperative onset of Horners syndrome between 2 days and 1 week. Accessibility I quickly ordered mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. Soon after the diagnosis, I underwent total thyroidectomy with right lateral compartment and central compartment dissection on December 28, 2020. It's a mild annoyance to have to take it every morning, but I feel exactly how I did pre-surgery, and was able to go back to college and get through my hardest semester ever with no feelings of fatigue or anything. I went to bed and slept until 445 am when I took some Tylenol and went back to sleep until 730am. My thyroid was removed due to papillary cancer in April 2008. Thyroidectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of your thyroid gland.