Hi I'm due to have a hemithyroidectomy on 2nd Dec I have a 3.4cm nodule I've had a fna and a core biopsy I've been told everything looking towards benign.. I would be grateful for any advice for post surgery as in sleeping eating etc thankyou
I've had a look through the forum for you and found two members who have had this procedure; [@Joll_M] and [@Hoof1]. Once they've been notified I've mentioned them in this post I'm hoping they will pop by to offer their support and advice.
Our cancer nurses may be able to give you some tips for your post surgery recovery as well so if you'd like to talk to them about this you can give them a call on 0808 800 4040. Their lines are open Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m.
Wishing you all the best for the 2nd December Doll.
Post surgery advice...bring a neck pillow with you for travelling home, have soft foods such as rice, custard. I was able to eat normal foods the day after my op..just had to be careful swallowing as it was uncomfortable and i didn't want to have to cough as it could irritate my throat. As for sleeping thankfully I didn't have any discomfort or need any pain killers (apart from what they gave me post op) - get a good firm pillow as u will have to sleep on your back and won't be able to turn on your side. I didn't realise even when you go to sit up in the bed you use your neck muscles.
Hi, I had this done at the beginning of October. I have to say I had no pain. They gave me Co Codamol home with me but I didn't need it. I was more uncomfortable than in pain. I did do a bit of research before going in so wasn't surprised to have a drain in, and an oxygen mask when I came round. You may not ,but it is normal. Dont panic . The drain was more annoying than anything, when you went to the loo you have to carry it. I drank gallons of water in the first 24 hours. My neck was stiff and did find the first night home hard to get comfortable. I felt I walked with my shoulders up for awhile. So plenty of choice of pillows to get the right combination. As for food, I didn't have any problem but have softer food available, my appetite wasnt great to start with . Something I was not prepared for was feeling very low. I was tearful when I awoke after surgery. This continued for several days. but as far as I know when you are waiting for what's left of your thyroid to kick in, feeling low and tired is normal. Wish I had know this before I went in. Although I work part time ,it is an active job and on my feet all day and I needed 4 weeks to feel normal again.
Hope this helps. Look after yourself and take the time to recover.
I had my hemithyroidectomy around 9 weeks or so ago. My advice would be listen to your body & take it easy. I found sleeping a little difficult at night due to having to sleep on my back but got lots of rest & naps in the first couple of days. I only took paracetamol & ibuprofen as I can't take codeine so I started to build up a supply a few weeks before. I found keeping a note on my phone of what I'd taken & at what time helped me to keep track of my painkillers. I didn't use a neck cushion but always had plenty of cushions around me to rest my head on. My throat wasn't too bad & I ate fairly normally. I did have a bit of a cough at night, so had a bottle of cough mixture to hand which helped to sooth it. Allow your body to recover & don't rush back to doing things too soon. I was more tired than I thought I would be for the first week or so but soon got back to normal after that. Good luck & if you have any questions, just ask x
