Hi Lucie,

Thank you so much for answering me, I have this morning had my appointment for results

I've been so very nervous waiting almost a month from operation, but so happy to say that the results are Great, I was told I am cancer free!!! Yay!!

They did find a Cancer Tumour in my right Thyroid

They took out all of right side of my Thyroid, plus also the middle part across my throat (not sure what that is called?) So I now only have 40% of my Thyroid left.

There were 2 lumps, one was calcified, one was a cancer tumour, so I am so happy it has at last all gone after waiting so long due to Covid-19. 
 I have to have follow ups for regular bloods ect, to see if my much reduced Thyroid can cope, if not I will need medication, plus regular checks to make sure I don't get the cancer back I guess?

He said it was a good job they got it out when they did (he did say why but I was a bit mind blown to be honest) I think it was something like it was about to cause problems!!?? 
But Most importantly they got it all!!.......

So I don't need the 2nd operation to remove the remaining part of my Thyroid or  Radiation Treatment he said I may need afterwards.

The scar is healing well, but the right side of my scar is still very painful, plus I have some odeama that side too.

It's like an electric burning pain especially when I touch it, even gently, so I asked my surgeon in the appointment if this is normal? He then told me in the operation they accidentally cut a nerve on that side so he could understand the pain I am getting. (Not sure he would of told me if I hadn't asked hIm, but I am not worried, just glad it's all over with)

He then said it would take quite a while for the nerve to grow back, so I will get this burning pain, tingling and numbness until it regrows! I also have tightness on vocal cords, voice is ok but I get tired talking, it's like having slight laryngitis. But that is to be expected I guess.

I can't tell you how much I feel SO very blessed and  relieved!
But I have a couple of questions if I may please?

My main question is....can the cancer come back elsewhere later on or can I feel safe that I am forever free of it?

Next Question is......what do you think he meant by "it's a good job that they found it a got it out as it was changing"?

Also I forgot to ask what kind of Cancer it was, would you know by all I have told you please?

Why do some lumps calcify and is this also potentially a danger?

Last question is.....how long does it usually take to grow the damaged nerve back?
Many Thanks For Everything, and Hopefully answering my Questions

I am happily Healing now, with a Brand New Zest for Life

Best Wishes
Missymay 

Hi Missymay, glad to you hear that you are well and healthy! I am due for surgery in a few weeks to remove half of my thyroid following discovery of a 2-3cm nodule and biopsy results being unclear. I can see that it had affected your voice which they say is expected, but more of what I wanted to ask is as recovery and followup

- do you get regular blood tests to check thyroid levels, and if so are you taking thyroid medication?

- do you get your calcium levels checked regularly following surgery?

Just wanted to know what your/ or anybody elses experience has looked like in the long term and in terms of follow up with hospital/doctors appointments etc.

thank you

Hi. Hope you don't mind me jumping in here, as I have also had thyroid cancer. I am in Ireland though and our health service is rather different so not everything may be the same, appointment wise and so on. Covid also hit in two months after my operation so my appointments weren't totally normal

My voice was weak for a few weeks after the operation but that was all. Was a bit difficult on occasion as I am a teacher. Had students running around the yard with "Miss says you're to come in now," 'cause I couldn't make myself heard across the whole yard! Was one slightly funny moment. I got a cough when I talked too much for a month or two after the operation and like I said, covid was setting in around that time, so I was on the train home one day and started coughing as I'd been reading to a class. It was a weird sort of cough, different from any cough I've ever had before and I was thinking I probably freaked people on the train. At that point, you did not want to hear anybody coughing, let alone an unfamiliar cough!

I am taking thyroid medication. Absolutely fine. Noticed no change whatsoever on it. Might have lost a slight bit of weight, but that might be be coincidence/imagination.

Yeah, I get blood tests a few times a year. Not really sure because I had some follow up treatment - radioiodine treatment - and like I said, covid messed with my appointment schedule.

The calcium levels were a major example of that. I should have had my calcium levels checked about 8 weeks after the operation. Not regularly. It was just to see that they did return to normal - they dropped after the operation and I had to take calcium supplements for maybe 2 months. Once they were back to normal, they don't need to be checked any more, I don't think. However, that was JUST the start of the whole covid crisis and when I rang the doctor's, they were only taking urgent appointments which clearly, "my doctor thinks my calcium levels should be back to normal by now and I'm not having any symptoms as I was when they were low but I want them checked anyway just to be sure" kind of isn't. So it was about 5 or 6 months after the operation they were finally checked and pronounced fine.

Think they checked them daily in the hospital - I was there for nearly a week as I had lymph nodes removed as well as the thyroid - but after that, it was just "keep taking the tablets and you can start reducing them by one tablet each week. If you find yourself having problems, slow that down. And get your levels checked once you've stopped taking them to be sure they are OK."

Some people don't have problems with their calcium levels at all, so I guess they don't have to have them checked at all once they leave hospital. They are probably the majority.

Long term experience...has mostly been fine. It is stressful sometimes. There was a final whole body scan last March, 14 months after the original operation, to be sure everything was OK. It was, but it's a long wait.

Since then, I had a couple of appointments in April and now I have a scan in November, an appointment in December for results of that and stuff and an appointment next March about thyroid levels and so on. So a couple of times a year.

Also, I had the full thyroid removed.Half is a rather different thing. Sorry if some of this is not applicable. 

Hi. Hope you don't mind me jumping in here, as I have also had thyroid cancer. I am in Ireland though and our health service is rather different so not everything may be the same, appointment wise and so on. Covid also hit in two months after my operation so my appointments weren't totally normal

My voice was weak for a few weeks after the operation but that was all. Was a bit difficult on occasion as I am a teacher. Had students running around the yard with "Miss says you're to come in now," 'cause I couldn't make myself heard across the whole yard! Was one slightly funny moment. I got a cough when I talked too much for a month or two after the operation and like I said, covid was setting in around that time, so I was on the train home one day and started coughing as I'd been reading to a class. It was a weird sort of cough, different from any cough I've ever had before and I was thinking I probably freaked people on the train. At that point, you did not want to hear anybody coughing, let alone an unfamiliar cough!

I am taking thyroid medication. Absolutely fine. Noticed no change whatsoever on it. Might have lost a slight bit of weight, but that might be be coincidence/imagination.

Yeah, I get blood tests a few times a year. Not really sure because I had some follow up treatment - radioiodine treatment - and like I said, covid messed with my appointment schedule.

The calcium levels were a major example of that. I should have had my calcium levels checked about 8 weeks after the operation. Not regularly. It was just to see that they did return to normal - they dropped after the operation and I had to take calcium supplements for maybe 2 months. Once they were back to normal, they don't need to be checked any more, I don't think. However, that was JUST the start of the whole covid crisis and when I rang the doctor's, they were only taking urgent appointments which clearly, "my doctor thinks my calcium levels should be back to normal by now and I'm not having any symptoms as I was when they were low but I want them checked anyway just to be sure" kind of isn't. So it was about 5 or 6 months after the operation they were finally checked and pronounced fine.

Think they checked them daily in the hospital - I was there for nearly a week as I had lymph nodes removed as well as the thyroid - but after that, it was just "keep taking the tablets and you can start reducing them by one tablet each week. If you find yourself having problems, slow that down. And get your levels checked once you've stopped taking them to be sure they are OK."

Some people don't have problems with their calcium levels at all, so I guess they don't have to have them checked at all once they leave hospital. They are probably the majority.

Long term experience...has mostly been fine. It is stressful sometimes. There was a final whole body scan last March, 14 months after the original operation, to be sure everything was OK. It was, but it's a long wait.

Since then, I had a couple of appointments in April and now I have a scan in November, an appointment in December for results of that and stuff and an appointment next March about thyroid levels and so on. So a couple of times a year.

Also, I had the full thyroid removed.Half is a rather different thing. Sorry if some of this is not applicable. 

Hi MargaretMary,

Sorry to hear about your experience but highly positive to hear that you have recovered well and this gives me some hope too. It's a shame that everything had occured in between the pandemic and put delays on the appointments etc!

I am hopeful that my long term recovery will be just as great, and I am hoping to get good results following surgery but will keep 'going with the flow' and take it a step at a time... I now have some idea of what will happen post surgery so a big thank you