Hi Joanna-
Boy can I sympathize with you. I posted on here originally because my 20-year old daughter decided to have RAI. She did this five days ago and we are watching and waiting and hoping and praying for a good outcome.
Six days ago, my 72-year old healthy dad had surgery for a thyroid nodule. They removed the entire left side, which was huge, and had been interfering with his eating. Thankfully, the nodule was benign. After the 45 minute surgery, he was in recovery 5 hours. He had a strider–trouble breathing–and his heart rate went a little off. They sent him back to his room for 12 hours and then home which was a two hour drive.
He talked all the way home, ate (doc said eat whatever), and sat in his easy chair to nap. Four hours later mom heard a change in his breathing and he went into respiratory arrest. He has been in ICU in our local hospital since then. He was on a ventilator, then off, then back on. Local ENT scoped him and said his right vocal cord is paralyzed in the midline position and area was very inflamed. Today–four days later–they took him off the ventilator and inflammation was much better. He has to breathe through the opening created by the left vocal cord. He complained all afternoon that he felt like he couldn’t breathe even though his oxygen is perfect.
Everything is working great, except the vocal cord area. He hasn’t had solid food for a week, and hasn’t been on his feet for five days. He told the nurse today he just wanted to die. Tomorrow they might do a tracheostomy to give him some relief.
So, I can sure understand the horror you have been through and I pray your life improves.
