[obnursenh]

#1060700

Hey all!

My thyroid has been, to quote my endo, a “tricky one.” I call it stubborn. After getting my methimazole down to a lowest dose of 5mg/day about 14 months ago, I have since had to steadily increase my dose over the last year or so and am back up to the 20mg/day dose I was on when first diagnosed 2 years ago! I started with eye involvement a year ago, eliminating the RAI option. And finally just had it with fighting this stupid gland. I did some research and found a surgeon I was impressed by, at the highest volume thyroid surgical center in the US. My endo endorsed my choice and referred me without hesitation. My eye specialist also had great things to say about her.

I am on the books for 2/16. I am excited, but nervous. If anyone wants to share their experience, tips, tricks, hints to healing I am open. I know regulating hypo will be a new challenge but hopefully it will be less difficult than fighting the gland has been. I hope, too, that my eyes will settle down some once that thing is out.

I hope this is the first step of me getting back to me!

[Liz1967]

#1184205

Congratulations! You will love getting your life back. My eye disease stopped about six months after surgery, a year after my diagnosis. I had been on methimazole six months and decided it was not for me! The surgery was easy, lasting 45 minutes, I was home a couple hours later. Recovery was about three days, mainly from the general anesthesia. My labs were normal two weeks after starting levothyroxine. It took awhile to get my dose perfect, but it was never out of normal range. I am two years post op now and feel normal. I am winding up on the reconstructive eye surgeries now. Only tip I can offer is just to be consistent as far as taking your levothyroxine. If you normally have coffee an hour after taking your pill, if you suddenly give it up, it might affect absorption (coffee decreases absorption a bit). Proton pump inhibitors can do that also – no big deal, might have to increase dose a bit. Other than that, you take your pill once a day and get labs once a year when you are stable and your surgeon will know pretty much where to start your dose so that becomes a matter of fine tuning. The choice of surgeon is most important thing and sounds like you have made a good choice. You want every bit of the beleaguered thyroid gone! Good luck! You will do fine.

[Kimberly]

#1184206

Wishing you all the best – please keep us posted!

[Sarahlee87]

#1184207

I just had my TT for Graves on 01/14/16 so 3 weeks tomorrow. I feel a little tired, but other than that I can already tell my heart rate is much lower.

I was a nervous wreck about the surgery, but they give you some meds to calm down if you ask for them. I honestly don’t remember anything once I was wheeled into the O.R. I stayed overnight in the hospital and my calcium levels dropped because they had to transplant one of my parathyroid glands. They still let me go home though with calcium pills.

I didn’t want to eat anything for a couple days because my throat was sore. By day 3 I felt a lot better, but take it easy. I stayed out of work for a week, but with the weekends it ended up being 10 days.

I get winded from time to time, but overall I am so glad it is over. My thyroid was really large and nasty and they even found a small bit of cancer in the right lobe.

My scar looks amazing after just a few weeks. Still have a hoarse voice, but it gets better each day.

Good luck and I am sure you will do fine!

[Liz1967]

#1184208

sarahlee87, so glad you had the thyroidectomy and they caught the cancer. That was a factor in my decision too as Graves patients have a slightly increased risk of thyroid cancer, which is so treatable if caught early as it is slow growing. Sounds like you are recovering well.

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