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It’s on like Donkey Kong
Dear Thyroid:
Put your game face on because I’m coming out swinging! In a mere nine days you and I will battle to the death! Standing ready in my corner is a top-notched ENT surgeon and the best Endo in all of Indy! So, as I throw back another SSKI-laced orange juice, know that I am gearing up to evict you and your goiter girlfriend!
So, live it up, Dear Thyroid! The countdown has begun!
Written by: Betsy
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Tags: Dear Thyroid Letters, goiters, letters from patients undergoing thyroidectomies, letters from patients with goiters, thyroid blog, thyroid disease, thyroid forum, thyroid resources, thyroid support, Thyroidectomies
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12 Responses to “It’s on like Donkey Kong”
Leave a Reply to Elaine
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Great attitude! Best of luck to you! Everything will go beautifully 🙂 If you ever want to talk, let me know. xxxx
Congrats Betsy! Take care and heal quickly. 🙂
Dear Betsy, as a thyroid cancer survivor I feel compelled to say a few things before your upcoming thyroidectomy. Please be sure that your “top-notched” surgeon is really that. My “great” surgeon accidentally removed all 4 parathyroid glands leaving me with a rare blood calcium disorder that can be fatal & I had a close call from it. A great website that educates people on the dangers of thyroid removal is http://www.parathyroid.com, this should happen 0%. It’s tragic that it happens all the time & when surgeons are asked how many thyroid surgeries they have performed most lie about how many. Also, you thyroid is one of the most important glands you have & unless its cancer should never be removed. 3 days after my surgery I developed fibromyalgia & spent the next 8 years of my life in misery. I was healthier & happier with 6 malignant tumors & a completley malignant thyroid than when they removed it. The cancer was there for so long new cancer was growing out of the old cancer, pretty gross. Putting me on Synthroid for the next 8 years almost killed me as I wasn’t getting the much needed & very important T3. For the last 2 years my life has changed so much & I am grateful I took matters into my own hands & started researching, my fibro is gone from taking T3. Removing your thyroid will put you render you hypothyroid. Some assume removing their thyroids will make them better, I beg to differ. Also, you mentioned having a goiter which means you have Hashimoto’s that you will still have when your thyroid is gone & will have to managed for life. My best advice is to learn about thyroid & adrenal disease, know it back & forth & become your own advocate. I wish you the best!
I had mine slaughtered just over a year ago… the change in myself has been amazing! But it has been a hard battle re-learning to live, and not cling onto old habits. I do sometimes wonder if I did the right thing. However, I am now very glad I did it. Good luck!!!
Kay
Thanks for sharing this. It made me laugh. I am going in for my second surgery to remove the left and remaining side of my thyroid on Monday due to papillary cancer. Best wishes to you. Love your fighting spirit!
I, too, had cancer coming out of my original cancer and the surgeon took out the parathyroid bits, so, I have calcium issues, too, which can cause huge problems. I vacillate between hypo and hyper thyroid stages (so, a closet with clothes from an 8 to a 16), and did the synthyroid route, which was not so good.
Now, I’m on Armour, and I love it. I still get my levels checked every three months, I follow my doctors advice and I’m thrilled to not have cancer in my body. Sure, there are issues and problems and if you are well informed, you are well suited to carry on without the little gland that can.
Be prepared for major sweats after the operation. Make sure you are prepared to empty your home when you do the iodine treatment–no longer will insurance companies pay for you to stay in hospital while you are radioactive…they send you home. Put cheap ass sheets on an inflatable bed, buy cheap towels, shower 4-5 times a day, triple flush when you wee and throw away every piece of clothing that touches your body when you are still glowing. No family or friends or animals in the house with you.
Play it safe, read as much as you can, be prepared for your body to freak out in a few ways until it all settles down (which can be a good long time) and welcome to those of us who have scars from one side to the other.
I just tell people I didn’t pay Benny the Fish on time…stops the pushy questions.
Be safe. Be well.
I love this attitude, Betsy! Thank you for sharing this letter with us! Keep us posted on how you’re doing and let us know how surgery goes.
Betsy, best wishes to you. I grew up in Indy, but in LA now. I had my total thyroidectomy 15 months ago. I just wanted to weight in with my experience which I realize I am very fortunate with and just to let you know it might not be all doom and gloom. I had papillary cancer, which resulted in 28 lymph nodes also being removed in addition to my thyroid. I was back to work in 3 weeks and lost 25 lbs in the first year after surgery. I have had my synthroid adjusted 4 times so far. I am learning the signs of when it’s time (I get achey in my joints and tired and generally blah). When the dosage gets increased I do get sweaty and a little sleepless and feel like I’ve had extra coffee, but then within a few weeks things mellow out. For me, I feel much better than before surgery but definitely know I have to keep a close check on how I feel. It’s a long journey, but you are definitely not alone. And for me in retrospect, aside from anesthesia nausea, the biopsy was more scary and painful. Definitely expect shoulder and neck pain when you wake up (which surprised me) and ask the nurses for little heat packs. They totally helped me. As well as the dear thyroid community and all the great supportive info 🙂
Betsy, Congrats on your kick-a** attitude! It will help you through what lies ahead. I had a total thyroidectomy six months ago and I am so glad I did. Recovery has been slower than I would like, but I would do the surgery a thousand times over, it has already changed my life so much. Wishing you the best!
You go girl!!!!!
This Graves girl had her last SSKI cocktail on January 5th and total thyroidectomy on January 6th, 2011. Today I feel 300% better than pre-surgery. There are days I feel 500% better and days I only feel 150% better. I’m still in the “find the right dosage phase” but overall life is good 🙂 As Michelle mentioned, you’ll feel a bit of soreness in the neck and shoulders for a day or so and maybe a sore throat, but recovery is a breeze from there. Follow your wonderful doc’s orders and get some rest the first week.
Best wishes! Please let us know how you are doing post-op.
Thanks everyone for your words of encouragement. I am on my way to the hospital now. I will post again soon! Tootles!
Surgery was a success. I should have pathology reports in a few days. Thanks for everyones support!