[hyperm]

#1067277

Hi Michelle,

I had my thyroidectomy at the end of July. My voice took a long time to come back – and even now I can’t sing in tune or laugh or cry that I don’t sound like Marge Simpson’s sister. Its very early days you need to give yourself time. I did find it hard to eat solid foods initially and its a weird feeling isn’t it? Like something hollow going on in there. I did try to ensure I chewed my food properly, but you need to make sure you are eating solids rather than puree so your throat doesn’t relax.

I know what you mean about people thinking you should be better. I got a text from my best friend a week after surgery saying "Great you all fixed now? When we going out?" Ehm hello???? Like it was only the start of my road of going hypo. Everyone heals differently. You sound like me a couple of weeks after the op and some one very wise and caring on here told me its most likely hypo blues. I felt very low after having been aggitated with being hyper. With regards to diet I tried to eat healthy to try and get my strength back up.

So now they will monitor you to see how your body responds to going hypo. Some of my initial symptoms were – low mood, feeling the cold, sore limbs, hair loss (again after the hyper hair loss scenario) and yes the dreaded weight gain. However, I no longer had a thyroid that was making me feel so ill. So although I am now very hypo and they are keeping a close eye on my bloods – its a different (dare I say more managable) type of tiredness. Its very early days and you need to try and settle yourself and give your body time to adjust to having had major surgery, allowing it to recover from the aneasthetic and adjust to having no thyroid.

I know I would often panic that my thyroid wasn’t there. I know that sounds weird but it scared me. Then I would feel a kind of grief that it wasn’t there- bizarre I know!

Even with all my current battles (many people I know didn’t have any of this and hopefully you are a lucky one ” title=”Wink” /> ) I know it was the only decision as I was so ill and like you the meds weren’t doing anything for me. I have a nice steady heartbeat now.

With regards to your neck. Its not nice to look at a scar. But mine is coming along nicely now and when I see it I now think – wow you brave girl – well done you! It will settle – give it time.

I certainly don’t feel fixed either which you can see if you read my posts, but there is a marked improvement in other respects. My GP was great with me as she said you need to take everything seperately. 1) you are by the really dangerous hyper stage you were in, 2) you came through surgery 3) even if your voice doesn’t come back ( as said had probs) then you are here with your boys, which was your main concern 4) we can deal with hypo easier than hyper.

The thyroxine takes roughly 8 weeks to have an effect. You are just after major surgery and need to allow your body time to recover. Eat healthily and rest when possible.

Feel free to PM.

Well done you for being so brave! xxxx

[MichelleLorna]

#1018813

Hi,
Haven’t been on here in a quite a while due to my constant hospital visits…So I saw my Consultant 3 weeks ago and it was decided that the P.T.U wasn’t working and due to all the problems that I had been having surgery was strongly recommended. I was admitted on the 2nd November and have had a full thyroidectomy. I’m still finding talking a challenge and still choking on my food and drink..I’ve just started waking up in the night with terrible leg cramps. I also still seem to be eating constantly…I was told it could take up to 3months for my voice to come back.. I now wonder if I should have hung it out a bit longer despite what they said. I don’t really know what to expect after the thryoidectomy, is there a diet i should be following to help with it? or is it just down to the medication working? Should I be feeling on top of the world now or is this up and down the norm? I feel completely out of control, and can’t bear to see my neck currently…Everyone around me thinks that now that I have had the my thyroid removed I’m fixed.. Am I? I don’t feel fixed ” title=”Sad” />

Michellex

[MichelleLorna]

#1067278

Hi hyperm,

Thank you so much for your reply, you’ve explain how I’m feeling perfectly….I seem to be doing anything I can not to swallow as the sensation justs feels too weird. I keep feeling like I’m filling up with liquid too, and start gurgling, takes me ages to clear out what ever it is sitting in there…Why can’t they tell you this sort of thing before the Operation. The shock was that I was expecting a partial thyroidectomy and ended up with a full one…aparently it was too enlarged and was crushing all the other stuff so they decided to take the lot. So instead a little scar I have one the whole width of my neck…(sorry i’m moaning and I know I shouldn’t be, at least I’m here).

I only got diagnosed with Graves in May this year, but I’ve been in and out of hospital constantly..due to collasping. my consultant said I was one of the unfortunate ones that everything was at the extreme end of the scale. So I suppose I’m expecting to much from myself maybe too soon.

I’m not normally one for self pity but boy do I feel sorry for myself right now! part of me keeps thinging I was better off with the thyroid at least I knew what I was dealing with, Now i’m thryoidless and people are wondering why i’m not back to the old me. I have comments made that I still seem quite hyper at work, my family thinks I should be up and cleaning at home by now, and I’m left feeling totaly useless….On top of that My husband has just been diagnosed with depression due to the stress of me being ill……So no money for xmas…another worry. OH god I’m whinning So Sorry…

I’m trying to hold on to the positives of all this, I can only think of one at the moment that’s i’m still here. I’m sure I will think of more as the days go on…..

Michelle

[ewmb]

#1067279

Michelle,
Just wanted to say that I am sorry that you are having so many troubles. I did not have TT but had RAI and have been going up and down too. It will get better. You can moan all you want to here no one will say that they haven’t had those same feelings of hopelessness etc.. here. Graves stinks and it is hard to get your mind around when you are feeling so ill. Hope that the sun shines down on you today. Did they say whether or not you could use some of that throat numbing spray for sore throats?

ewmb

[hyperm]

#1067280

Michelle,

Firstly, you are NOT moaning. You are however, human and still recovering from being unwell and a major op. I too have to keep reminding myself that I was very unwell before the op for a long time. My sister was great after her op and bringing my mum breakfast in bed etc. the day after her discharge. I couldn’t even straighten my neck etc.. never mind make breakfast. She hadn’t been ill before her surgery it was more to do with a large goiter.

I had a TT too, they don’t offer partial in the UK for hyper patients anymore. I am sorry that your scar is larger than expected. I have been lucky that mine is rather small about 3 incnes long – however my surgeon is known for neatness so I was lucky. However, just keep remembering the scar will fade..

You are not ungrateful at all. I often feel like that but its the reality of the situation on top of life going on as normal with all its stresses. Its great people are trying to be positive for you but there has to be an element of reality in there too or else you are setting yourself up for a large thud! ” title=”Smile” />

My mum said to me today – "you know today is the 1st day I have looked at you and not felt my stomach tighten with worry at how unwell you looked" she sees a change in me! YEAH!!! It has taken a long time for her to say that to me so it must be true. I am back at work but it took me 3 months to get back to work and even then I thought I had returned too soon. Like you say people are not really interested. So I think ok I am not going to say anything to them and just do what I can do. My dad a few weeks after the op made a comment about how my sister recovered quicker than me. My mum and hubby were great in saying diplomatically that my sis hadn’t had a thyroid storm and neither did she have 2 children – one a very young baby to cope with. Also her levels stablised very quickly intially.

We are all different and as ewmb stated GD really plays with the mind. We are in a similar situation as my husband was paid off his job so its so stressful and worrying BUT i need to stay focused at times or else my health will get effected again.

I would get so frustrated when people would tell me so gently and caring that it was early days and I need to give it time. They were 100% correct. Please try to keep posting and reading others stories it will give you strength. We all understand what this disease does to you and even though you don’t have a thyroid you still have GD so now I am at the extreme of hypo (which a lot of friends were like eh???).

With regards to the phlegm I had that too – it was like you needed to cough for a while, but you can’t. I had physio after the surgery (am also a chronic asthmatic) so I knew that i had to do some "huffs’ very gently to try and bring it up otherwise it had to stay there to the next time not nice I know. It did settle down after a few weeks. Try to keep eating though its most likely your throat is sore because of the scope they put down to keep your trachea open while they were operating – its very common you may even notice small traces of pink blood when you cough due to the scope going down and tearing at small vessels.

Sorry I have went on a tad – but I just want to reach you and tell you that someone really does understand and better times are ahead healthwise although be it for both of us a slower recovery than most.

Lots of love xxxx

[Author]

Posts