[jrusin70]

#1018161

HI, I just had my surgery 2 days ago and I’m doing pretty good. I have high anxiety and panic attacks with things around my neck so the stiches are driving me a little crazy but I feel really good otherwise. I don’t really need my pain meds anymore and hoping to start back on more solid food tomorrow. Thanks for everyone on this message borad for all the posts and support!

[heatherw]

#1063029

what all is involved with the surgery? i don’t know quite yet what is going to happen for me but i was curious to know what the procedure consist of and what kind of recovery time. all of this stuff kind of scares me so i want to get as much info as i can.

thanks
Heather

[snelsen]

#1063030

Heather,
if you type "surgery" or "thyroidectomy" in the search engine, you will find many great posts about having surgery. There are some very recent posts of recent surgeries, and how things went. In all cases, they went well. In some of those posts, there are detailed posts from myself and others, about every step of the experience, plus post op days. I will try to find some of my own posts, and send them to you. You will learn a lot for the experiences of others.
How long has it been since your diagnosis of Graves’?
Shirley

[heatherw]

#1063031

actually i was diagnosed with hypothyroidism around the age of 12 and dealt with that for a few years, taking a pill a day and it some how corrected itself. then 6 years ago i was having extreme anxiety problems and they discovered i had graves disease. so i took meds for a while and it seemed they could never get my levels straight so being young and immature i went off of the meds for a few years and now it has really become a problem within the last year as far as anxiety and my eyes and my heart. so i have been back on meds for the last year and was on ptu, inderol, and clonzapam for most of the year and now my endo has switched me to tapazole instead of ptu. i am still on the inderol and clonzapam (my spelling sucks) and i don’t know what is going to happen next but he was talking about surgery which is quite scary for me because i have never in my life had any form of surgery so i was just trying to find out what others have gone through.

thanks
heather

[snelsen]

#1063032

Hi again, Heather!
OF COURSE you are a bit scared and apprehensive of the idea of surgery! Everyone is! So, welcome to the world of being a normal human being! I do encourage you to explore the topics I mentioned in my last email. There are so many good and reassuring posts, addressing exactly the thoughts you are having. I think you would love to read them.

And the posts sent to you under the "weight gain" subject are great for you to think about. Ski’s latest post, is very wonderful, combined with the post before by Kimberly.

Everyone here is your friend, and her for support. We have all had some REALLY hard times, and things do get better, Really really, they do! So glad you wrote.
Shirley
Be sure to use the search engine to check some more posts!

[Loretta]

#1063033

I had my surgery back in Sept. I feel great best thing I ever did. I have had graves disease for about 2 years before myTT. I had no problems. I was only in the hospital overnight. The stiches were itchy after about a day. I was back to work withen 2 weeks. The doctor orgionally told me one week but I allowed 2 just to be safe. I never had a lot of pain after surgery. I had a bit of a stiff neck for a couple of days. a lot of black and blue. I had a 4 inc incision most people from what I hear have a 2 inch. You have to remember you heal from the inside out so you might be itchy around your incision. I use vitiam E someone else told me alo vara over the incision. Mine will be almost not noticable come summertime. I do have to be careful and use lots of sunscreen. Very little weight gain if any I lost 10 lbs after surgery all water weight. I am maintaing now. The doctor said I looked great I have to see the endro once a year and get bloodwork. right now I take one pill a day it may need adjusting now and then but that is ok with me.

[jrusin70]

#1063034

Heather, I hope you get this post. I was diagnosed with graves about 6 mths ago but was allegeric to ptu so I couldn’t take any of the drugs. My only option was to have surgery. I chose not to do the RAI because I read that there MIGHT have a higher cancer rate years from now There are many people on this board that have had it and had no issues- it just wasn’t an option for me. I had a bad experience in the hospital but I’m very phobic about things around my neck ( I can’t wear scarfs, turtle necks) so the first night I had a bad panic attack. But they gave me xanax to calm me and I was on it for a few days. I chose to stay 2 nights because of the drainage tube that some doctors put in. Mine keeps it in for 2 days. I stoped taking pain meds on the 3rd day and was driving 6 days later and returned to work for a few hours a day. I was fine. Now I feel like I crashed and feel hypo-which is normal. I just started synthryiod and it will probably take a few months to get me at the right dose. I would do the surgery again having the choice. I’m just very phobic about my neck. I caused myself allot of stress over nothing:)) If you chose to have surgery I wish you the best. And RELAX its not that bad!! ” title=”Smile” />

[lhc11]

#1063035

Hi Heather — I am one of the people that Shirley is probably referring to above; I had surgery last June after a lot of debating about what to do. If you search for my username — lhc11 — you will find a lot of posts by me from last May-June about it all. You’ll also find lots, as Shirley suggests, just by searching for the word "surgery." I hope it helps!

best,
lhc11

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