I need to preface this by saying I'm in Ireland and our healthcare system is very different from ye'res. I was diagnosed in November 2019, when I was 39. I had my operation on the 6th of January, was in hospital for a week (if it had just been the thyroid removed, it would have been more like two days) and went back to work around the 6th of February.

I'd say make a written list of questions you want to ask your medical team. It's very easy to forget stuff.

And ask whatever you want.

Hello how are you keeping ? That's me been called again today from ENT in a Glasgow they have a female consultant for me and have booked me in for 9.30 tommorow told me to bring someone with me so it's been quicker than I thought so hoping to get my questions answered and what the plan forward is really impressed which how quick that was x 

Hello I like what you done with that Scottish ye'res we never think our accent sounds the way it does on the tv haha so that's me been called again today found me a consultant at ent a female must just be the previous one didn't specialise in this told me to bring my partner and be there for 9.30 tomoz so hoping find out what the plan is etc x 

In Ireland, "ye" (to rhyme with me) is the plural form of you. Do ye use it in Scotland too? I guess that makes sense, as we are very similar cultures and Irish and Scots Gaelic are pretty mutually intelligible.

Good luck tomorrow. Hopefully, you'll get a bit of information. 

Hello we updated so I met my consultant today and the care team all been a fast turn around , confirmed in my thyroid and also the neck lymph nodes so they will remove the whole thyroid and the nodes at the same time , is this what you had and how was your recovery ? Sorry hope you don't mind the questions they have requested a scan to check my body for any other lymph nodes hoping they are all fine , looks like as quick as start of may for surgery also said I would need iodeine radiation treatment also I forgot to ask if this was right after surgery sorry for so many questions I had thought I asked them all today x 

I don't mind in the least. And yup, that was basically the same situation I had. My recovery was...pretty uneventful, to be honest. The worst was that I was really sick from the anaesthetic for about 12 hours after surgery, but I was told to expect that because I get travel sick and apparently the two are caused by the same thing?

I felt pretty OK the day after the operation and was walking around and stuff, but then the day after that, I was completely exhausted and spent most of the day sitting on the bed. I was in hospital for a week because I had an annoying drain thing that had to be removed, but I felt pretty OK, apart from like the stitches being uncomfortable if my collar rubbed off them or anything by about day four or five.

If it's any indication, when I went back to the hospital to get my stitches out, I walked the 1.5km from the station to the hospital and went to do some shopping in the city centre afterwards.

I went back to work a month almost to the day after the operation. 

In my case at least, the radioiodine treatment was supposed to be about 2 months after the operation (it ended up being more than four, but that was because covid kicked in). Radioiodine treatment or iodine radiation treatment is less scary than it sounds. It's not scary at all, just annoying. The only thing that worried me about it was the possibility of having to come off my medication, but I think you mostly just get two injections before it instead of that now. So you get the two injections each of two days before, then you go in as an in-patient for a few days. The first day, you swallow a capsule and that...is basically that. It doesn't make you sick or anything. The only side effect I had from it was I got a nosebleed about ten days later!

The main thing about it is that you are radioactive, so you have to be isolation for a few days, which in effect means you have to stay in hospital. You will likely have to arrange some time off work for this.

Before the whole covid issue, I had planned to have it done during the Easter holidays and had a somewhat amusing/confusing for her conversation with my principal where I told her I was getting it done during the holidays but would need a day off beforehand for a preliminary appointment and might need a few days off afterwards, depending on what the medical team said. She said, "oh, is that to avoid infection?" and I replied "no, it's just 'cause I'll be radioactive and I'm not supposed to be around children and I'm not sure if that includes our 1st years." (1st years are 12/13 and some things I checked online said restrictions on being around under 14s.)

Aw yeah they said cause I have kids etc would need to stay in about being radioactive etc I have a big holiday for my 40th coming up end of June I'm not sure I will get she more or less said depending on calcium levels etc the same thing stupid me didn't take insurance at time of booking as thought would have plenty of time before this started happening . But this is important so comes first in seeing her on the 5th may she she had slots in may for surgery not sure date etc so it seems to be quick gettin organised x 

Unless the radioiodine treatment is immediately after the operation, your 40th should be fine. The worst case with calcium levels is that you will have to stay in hospital a few days while they get them regulated. I had a drop in calcium levels and was actually waiting hours for confirmation they were OK so I could go home my last day in hospital! It wouldn't take anything like two months.

I would have been fine to travel a few weeks after my operation.

The only thing would be the radioiodine. That could cause difficulty with travelling. They said they could arrange that to some extent at my convenience, which is why we agreed the Easter holidays, but of course, with covid and ye're system is more centralised and public, so not sure if that will make a difference.

Would be worth mentioning the holiday to them and seeing if they could accommodate it. My surgeon said it should be done within the year of the operation.

Hello how are you gettin on ? I am currently waiting on surgery planned for 27th of this month total thyroid removal and Left side neck dissection and also a central neck dissection just thought I would pop on and see how you are keeping  x