[SueAndHerZoo]

#1180354

3 days post surgery – Friday night: I took a short excursion out of the house tonight. My sister lives about 5 miles from me and I had asked my husband to bring her something she wanted to borrow and then decided that I’d hop in the car with him… slippers and all. The ride was fine, the walk into the house was fine (except that it’s 95 degrees and the humidity is sickening) and the visit was fine. The toughest part was making it a SHORT visit because there’s usually no such thing as that at my sister’s house but my voice was cracking and I told her it hurt to talk so we left. We went back home and I still had some energy, did a few small chores, and joined my husband for dinner and a movie (at home). He just went up to bed and I THOUGHT I was still doing fine so I went to make some decaf and watch some tv and then something hit me. All of it sudden it felt like all my arm and shoulder muscles were clenching up, tightening up, almost spasming, and I thought I might faint or at the very least I needed to sit or lie down quickly. Once I got to the couch I recalled I had felt that same thing (muscle clenching and faint) once when I had the flu.

I’m not going to obsess or worry about it.. I’ll just assume it’s a sign of fatigue or unwellness that tells us we need to give in and lie down?

Other than that, no nauseau today, normal to high appetite, mood and mental attitude fine. Slight discomfort when swallowing and lots when coughing or sneezing but turning my head just about normally. Never took anything for pain except regular Tylenol twice the day after surgery.

Sue

[ChristinaDe]

#1180355

Hi Sue! Glad to hear that you got out for a little bit & that you’re feeling well overall.

About that muscle clenching/spasming thing…

That happened to me a few days post-op and it was because of a low calcium level. The parathyroid glands can get a little sleepy or fussy after surgery, which is what mine did. When they sleep, no one is available to handle your calcium system. I was already taking Tums at home “just in case” – except that in my case they didn’t work since I was also on Prilosec for my gastric reflux (which meant that I couldn’t fully absorb the calcium from the Tums). Once we figured that out, we changed my calcium delivery system to another OTC pill & increased my Calcitriol dose (high Vit D levels assist with better calcium absorption) which helped some but I was still a mess with sudden muscle clenching and feeling “weird”. Really weird, and sometimes downright painful. Retested my levels a few days after the med changes and my levels were still low…so I had to take calcium 5 or 6 times a day for a couple of weeks. From there I titrated down as tolerated. Eventually (as in a couple of months) I got down to where I didn’t need any – meaning my parathyroid glands had finished waking up or whatever. I tell you all that, because what you described sounds like what I felt. If it’s the same thing, it’s nothing to worry about in the long term – but something to stay on top of during recovery.

I’d suggest calling your doc sooner than later. Left unchecked, your levels can drop to a point where the clenching is downright scary – like a full blown seizure. Happened to me only once (thankfully I was in the dr’s office at the time). For me, that temporary little side effect was the only difficult part of my recovery. But I didn’t call anyone as soon as it started…and it was short lived.

You may be experiencing something entirely different, but it sure sounds familiar. Easily checked, easily fixed if it is the calcium level.

Hope you’re feeling better today!!
Christina

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1180356

Christina, you have no idea how much I appreciate your response. The little episode I had last night worried me all night and I was obsessing over it and was hoping beyond hope someone on here would know what I was describing and be able to tell me what it was. I was pretty certain no one would since I don’t remember reading much about it but as soon as my eyes opened this morning I jumped on here hoping. There you were, giving me validation and helping me find a possible (and probable) cause.

As I said, the only other time in my life that I’ve felt something like that was when I had the flu this past winter and of course I just chalked it up to fatigue and flu but when it happened last night it was so familiar, so now I wonder….. could having the flu cause the same thing? My vitamin D has been frighteningly low for quite a while (don’t know how long – just told about it during a February physical) and I just started taking high doses as of February so when I had the flu in winter, I was very low in D (and probably consequently calcium). Maybe the flu caused my parathyroids to be sluggish?

OK, I’m obsessing… I apologize to all those following this journal for the diversion.

Thank you Christina and EVERYONE who shares their experiences. No matter how weird or minor you might think it is, it may save another person’s sanity by sharing it.
Sue

[adenure]

#1180357

Are you taking the Tums everyday? They can’t hurt and it’s a good precaution. But, I would let your doctor know about the clenching. Has it happened again? I bet it was a combination of doing too much and possibly low calcium- just a guess from a non- medical person though- hee hee! It’s easy to do too much when you start to feel better- even the littlest bit- I’m very guilty of that. As soon as I feel a little better, I want to do it all! My body has to knock me off my feet sometimes so that I’ll sit my butt down and rest! Take it easy and relax as much as you can- you’re doing great!

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1180358

Hi Alexis.
Taking 8 extra-strength Tums a day, in addition to prescription D (Calcititrol?) twice a day.

Hasn’t happened again, and wasn’t really that bad, it just made me go “Hmmmmm… that’s a strange feeling, that happened to me once when I had the flu right before I almost fainted.”

I’m not sure if “feeling faint” is part of the calcium thing… I’m guessing it’s more of a adrenaline/fear response. I always feel faint when anxious.

I’m guessing it’s not worth bothering the surgeon on a weekend, but if it happens again in the next day or two I will definitely call Monday.
Sue

[ChristinaDe]

#1180359

Sue, my pleasure. I remember those early days. The second I read your post I thought to myself….sounds like my little calcium episode! Feeling flu-like in general WITH clenching, well, that’s a pretty specific memory. I was clenching at a level of 8 (which isn’t horrifically low, but tell my body that!). I might also mention that while we were trying to get my calcium up to a safer level I also began to feel like I had kidney pain or something in my lower back. Spent a full night on the internet trying to figure out which med was killing my kidneys! LOL (Although it wasn’t too funny then. Cried like a baby due to the fear.) A couple of months after the whole thing was over, I read that it’s just one more symptom one may see while working with calcium levels thru supplementation. I only mention that part as a “just in case”…I think most people with sleepy parathyroids don’t complain of it, I was just lucky that way. But if I can save you even one sleepless night later…

If your doc decides to test your calcium level and it turns out to be low, it comes up pretty quickly with the RIGHT form/amount of calcium for you. So PLEASE don’t worry! TUMS work for most people but did nothing for me. Also, while they give most of us TUMS post-op for a period of time to head off any issues – if your parathyroids are overly sluggish it may not be enough to take it just 2 or 3 times a day. Your doctor will advise you if you need to increase it based on labs. I would not suggest doing that on your own though. I’m sure overly high calcium isn’t good either. Labs, labs and more labs. Oh my!

In case this is your issue, I’ll also go ahead a mention a word about timing (so you can ask your doc about it if they tell you that your calcium is low). When they increased me to 5 or 6 times per day, I’d spread them out during my waking hours. And since it isn’t supposed to be taken within 4 hours of Synthroid, I was left with a large window without calcium. And man would I feel it. Something I had to really work with. I also think that because my calcium was out of whack that my magnesium fell out of whack too. Maybe contributing to the cramps and weakness. That’s just a guess based on reading that I’ve done after the fact.

Like I mentioned earlier, it’s easy to figure out with a blood test and a talk with your doc. It’s a known & not completely uncommon (temporary, want to stress that!) side effect of thyroid surgery for some of the population. Which is why they put the majority of patients on TUMS post-op. Sometimes your body just needs more to get you through these initial few weeks – if you have extra sleepy parathyroids like I did.

I also saw something about wanting to clear your throat and being a little shy about it, a little apprehensive. Remember those SSKI drops? Well, they really thin all secretions – so that coupled with having neck surgery and a breathing tube increased my activity in that regard but it doesn’t seem like it lasted more than a couple of weeks or so (and especially occurred w/ lying down). I just coughed carefully and sometimes propped a soft pillow against my neck just to make myself feel a little more secure (no science there!). Tell you this though…for months afterward I had the clearest sinuses ever!!! Those SSKI drops really cleared me out in a way that I have never been cleared before. And I mean way down deep in my sinuses and lungs. Still feels great actually. An additional POSITIVE side effect!!

Also saw something about steri strips and all that. I haven’t read through all your responses (glad to see that you’re getting so many!!!), so I may be repeating things already mentioned to you. My surgeon told me that I had internal sutures that were actually holding the whole thing together & that the steri strips were mostly there to take pressure off the sutures which decreases scarring & bumpiness & aids in healing. Told me to take showers & to do what others have mentioned…don’t direct the water stream directly onto them, but he said water rolling off of them from your face is fine. But he said if they fall off, nothing is going to open up! He wanted them to stay on for about 10 days to give the neck sutures time to do their thing. In the end it really sounded to me like the strips were there to speed up healing and to improve the cosmetic result – while providing a little extra support to the incision during the early days. It didn’t sound to me like they were actually what was holding me together. And despite getting them wet with indirect shower water every day, mine still hadn’t fallen off at the 10 day mark. Of course, all these surgeons are like artists (I’m another one w/ a barely visible scar that only I seem to be able to see) and all have their own way of putting us back together & getting us through recovery. Definitely listen to yours. Mine may have taken a different artistic approach!

I’m guessing that you’ve already resolved all your concerns on that front by now and that I’ve been redundant. If so, sorry…but hey, you’ve got a fair amount of free time this weekend, right?!?!

Seriously, it sounds like you’re doing really well & that your surgeon did a great job too!

Christina
(Sorry I got long-winded here. Yikes, huh!)

[ChristinaDe]

#1180360

Just saw your last post to Alexis…

Maybe your parathyroids are already waking up enough to make your current dosing on TUMS work? Maybe it was just a super short-term hiccough! I agree w/ you…if it hasn’t happened again, then your TUMS dose seems to be working. The only time there is a concern is if you clench up despite taking the TUMS.

Have a good day Sue!

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1180361

Regarding the SSKI, I found it a wonderful “perk” to all this! When I read about it thinning mucous and started feeling it work I thought “Hey, this could be a solution I’ve been looking for for decades!”

I’ve always had very thick mucous… just the way I’m made. My doc explained to me a long time ago that the reason I get dizzy a lot is because the fluid in my middle ear is thicker than most people’s. And when my endo surgeon put the scope up my nose and down my throat she had a hard time and kept commenting on the very thick mucous in my body.

When I finished taking my last dose of SSKI Monday I did NOT throw it away…. I may ask the doc about using it from time to time to thin my mucous in the future.

Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1180362

Holy Insomnia, Batman!!!!! What the hell was that???? I have never in my 56 years ever stayed up that many hours, non-stop, not even when I was a young party animal!

Yesterday morning (day 4) I woke up feeling a little antsy and anxious but it settled down after a few hours and I was able to have a GREAT day lounging in bed. I was waited on, I watched all kinds of crappy movies (good crappy) I had cravings that were tended to, I pigged out on some junk food, and generally was loving the hell out of recovery. I had a bout of nausea for about 2 hours but ginger ale pretty much knocked it out. Had a headache but Tylenol took care of that. All in all, a delightful day, and come night time I was full of good energy and started taking on a project (I always come to life at night). I stopped myself after an active 90 minutes so as not to overdo it and chilled on the couch with my husband. He headed up to bed but I was wide awake so watched more TV. I forced myself to head up at 3:00 a.m. but was still wide awake. Tried watching TV. Tried lying in silence and darkness. Tried left, right, back and stomach. Tried meditating. Tried TV again. Nothing. Never drifted or dozed at all. Watched the sun rise and listened to the birds chirp. Then low and behold, I must have dozed off at 6:00 a.m. because at 6:30 my alarm woke me (to tell me to take my first Levo pill). That was it…. wide awake again until I think 9:00. I dozed lightly and fretfully for about 2 hours and finally gave up and got up at 11:00.

What in hell was that? I so badly wanted to get up all night and work on the project I started but knew, intellectually, that was a bad idea. Now I almost wish I had. Not feeling as enthusiastic today. Can’t sleep, but not a ball of energy, either.

Is that part of the recovery process or have I just been lying around too much and my body refused to rest anymore? Even though I have been lying around resting a lot since I got home from the hospital Wednesday, I really haven’t “slept” much.

I’ve always been a night owl and not much of a morning person, but this was ridiculous. Are my days and nights messed up from surgery, anesthesia, recovery?

Glad I don’t have to go to work tomorrow…. I’m going to need to get some real “sleep” one of these days.
Sue

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1180363

TT was one week ago (well, technically surgery hadn’t even begun for another hour but close enough).

I feel fabulous. I finally got some sleep last night (not solid, but more than I’ve gotten in the past week) and I am full of energy. Trying to force myself to stop and take breaks but there is so much I’m enjoying doing around the house that I want to keep going. But don’t worry, I’m not a morning person so I take my sweet-ass time getting motivated and don’t start till afternoon. I haven’t driven yet but I went to a store with my husband last night and felt better shopping than I have in years. No dizziness, no heat-intolerance, no anxiety, no weak muscles, no agitation. Felt like a “normal” person!

I’m not naïve enough to hope that I’m going to stay like this forever – I’m sure there are going to be ups and downs, crashes and surges, but I am in SUCH a good mood and feeling so good – soaking up every minute of it.

Not sure why, but food tastes so much better, too! Haven’t weighed myself…. don’t want to yet. It wouldn’t be realistic one week TT anyway.

Today I drop from 8 extra strength Tums to 6, and tomorrow is the last day of the prescription D. (Calcit….something).

Hope everyone else is having a good day, too.
Sue

[Kimberly]

#1180364

Thanks for the positive report – here’s to more and more GREAT days!

[Gabe]

#1180365

Hi Sue. That’s great news. Love your attitude…positive with a sprinkling of reality! I hope this good feeling continues for you…

Karen

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1180366

Day 9 Update:
OK, today I woke up feeling “weird”. First I have to preface that by saying that the fact that I woke up from a deep sleep is weird in itself because since surgery I’ve had more insomnia than sleep. But I think I may have gotten almost a solid 8 hours last night and that can’t be a bad thing.

I noticed a slight tingling in my fingers so I staggered right over to the Tums bottle and took two (yesterday was the day I reduced from 4x day to 3x a day). I took my daily medications and made coffee but all I wanted was to go back to bed. Took my coffee and went back up to watch TV from there.

As I was becoming coherent I noticed that my incision area seems to be “pulling” today…… feels tight, like I can’t turn my head as freely as yesterday. I got up and looked in the mirror and I’m not sure but I think it might be slightly puffy. I can definitely see a “bump” if I look at my profile but honestly don’t know if it’s been that way since Day 1 or not… hadn’t looked. The area isn’t red or hot to the touch, but it seems more “tender” than before. I find that kinda strange.

I’m also feeling somewhat anxious and antsy, something I’ve been delighted to be free of for the past 9 days. I’m tired, but my mind is racing.

Let the roller-coaster ride begin?
Sue

[Talley]

#1180367

I think I felt something similar with the incision – think it was the internal healing going on. My incision was raised on top and bottom. My ENT said it was a plastic surgery “thing” they do – leave it slightly upraised on either side so when it heals it lays flat rather than concave…think I am explaining this right.

At my 4 week appointment, he said could begin to massage the incision – my felt quite “lumpy” at that point. almost two weeks later and it feels much smoother – just one small lump on one side that is getting smaller each day.

As far as the incision goes, relax – unless you start oozing puss or something – it will take awhile for it to feel “better” – mine was sore to the touch for a few weeks.

The anxious feeling – could it just be from being “house-bound” for nine days? or do you think it is similar to the hyper feeling? I am assuming you don’t have lab work for a few more weeks…four weeks post-TT or 6? If it continues or gets worse, maybe call the doctor…

[SueAndHerZoo]

#1180368

OK, now I feel better about the “raised look” of the incision area and you explained it perfectly – thank you.

The anxiety is very minor – so much less than I’ve lived with for decades, but I don’t think it’s from being housebound… I have gone out and I have been doing a lot around the house and I LOVE being home. I think it’s part of the fluctuating levels and maybe some of the synthetic hormone in addition to still having old stores of natural hormone. I’m sure this is only the beginning and I will try to stay calm if the anxiety continues or increases…… it’s STILL much better than before surgery!

Sue

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