I believe a good surgeon will tell you the negative things, and make sure you understand them. It is to protect both you and them. It is not what we always want to hear, though. I have much more confidence in physicians who are perfectly honest with me, instead of those who try to sugar coat everything or avoid telling you anything.
I had no choice. My thyroid was enlarged, and only continuing to swell. It grew upwards into my throat, and my voice was already altered. My surgeon actually wanted to wait awhile for surgery, until some of my levels and other health issues were more stable. However, my endocrinologist was worried about the rate at which the thyroid was enlarging, and the fact it was also beginning to harden in some areas.
My surgery was longer than many. The worst things I remember were the iodine drops prior to the surgery, and a terrible neck and head ache afterwards. My surgeon, an ENT, told me later that my thyroid was one of the larger and most bizarre he had ever seen. The neck pain and resulting headache were most likely due to the angle at which my head was placed, in order for him to reach and remove all of the thyroid. My scar is a little higher than we had initially hoped. However, three years later, it is not that noticeable and I normally forget all about it. There is no loss of feeling in that area.
I did lose my voice, and was very hoarse for awhile. My surgeon requested more follow-up visits than most of his patients, due to this. My voice returned, pretty much to normal, after 2-3 months. It probably took several more months before I could sing at church, and I really missed not being able to join in with Christmas carols that year. At the time, I owned a retail store and was still able to work and converse with customers in person and over the phone. I also developed a tightness in my throat when swallowing. I got to experience that lovely scope procedure, too. I agree it is not pleasant. More scar tissue formed than was expected post-surgery. My surgeon administered a series of steroid shots to the scar tissue, through my neck. Again, not very pleasant, but they helped tremendously. There is still a little tightness sometimes when I swallow, but in no way prevents me from eating or leading a normal life.
Even with a few setbacks, I am grateful for the better health I now have. I do not regret having surgery at all. Good luck sorting out the pros and cons. I wish you the best in the treatment finally selected.
jansm
Post count: 17adenure
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Post count: 333Kimberly wrote:Hi all – Just a quick note that TSI and TRAb are actually different antibody tests with different reference ranges.
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