Liz1967
Everyone is different, but for me, the total thyroidectomy was easy. I had no problems, I felt fine and my levothyroxine dose was quickly regulated. I am within 8 micrograms of my initial dose and it has been 7 years since surgery. I have never used anything except generic levothyroxine. It costs nothing with my insurance, but about $15 a month if you had to pay for it without insurance. Methimazole is a drug. It has side effects, some serious. Levothyroxine is a hormone, chemically identical to what your body makes. I feel exactly as I did prior to Graves (except my eyes, I had thyroid eye disease and multiple eye surgeries). My TSH is checked about every 9 months or so and my internist monitors it, no endocrinologist needed. I use the search engine on Pubmed to find the latest publications and research on Graves. If not for some residual eye issues, I mostly forget I have Graves. I am careful to take the levo first thing in the morning and not eat for an hour after, as well as avoiding some supplements for 4 hours. That is it. I had my thyroid removed 6 months after diagnosis, wish I had done it immediately.