Feeling Great Post-Thyroidectomy: Positive Thyroidectomy Story

I thought that it was time for an update of this blog.  I have been very busy and life is moving on even as I write. 

I just wanted everyone to know that I am still very glad that I made the decision to have my large goiter removed.  I feel better than I have in years.  I have more energy, I am sleeping better, I am finding it easier to control my weight and I am much more stable.  I used to have lots of mood swings as well as shifts in my energy level but for the past few months all of that has stabilized.  I feel happier and more stable. 

I am no longer coughing.  I can breathe and I no longer have a large lump in my throat.  I now have a small scar which is getting smaller each day.  I am doing my best to protect it from the sun but it is summer here and sometimes I forget.  I am also losing more hair than I had in the past but I've read that this can be a temporary symptom of the Synthroid. 

Still, I won't begrudge a small scar on my neck for all the health and happiness that this journey has afforded me. 

Since my surgery, I have continued to be active and even went on a camping and hiking adventure where I was able to keep up with most of the others.  It was sternuous physically and emotionally but was a perfect compliment to this journey. 

This week I see my endocrinologist to discuss my current thyroid levels.  I am hoping that my levels are within the normal ranges because I really do feel good.  I am a little concerned that she will decrease the levels and my energy levels will slip again.  I only think this because I have never felt so good, but I don't feel that I have any symptoms of hyperthyroid (besides potentially the hair loss) and so I hope that I am among the lucky few who are stabilzed already.  I will be sure to update this blog with the results of that appointment. 

When I started this journey I looked for blogs of people who had a thyroidectomy due to benign thyroid disease and I couldn't find any.  I was told that thryoidectomy was the treatment of choice for a large multinodular goiter and that the procedure was routine.  I was told that most people didn't experience too many problems post-op, however when I searched the internet I could only find message boards where people were still suffering.  Because of this I almost didn't have this surgery. Where were the people who had this "routine" procedure and moved on?   I was looking for their point of view.  I wanted to know that it was possible to have this procedure and not end up with all of the problems I had read about.  I don't discount those stories and I am glad that I have read them.  I know that I am lucky and that I could have had so many more complications or even cancer, but I didn't.   I know that a wide range of peolpe will read this blog but my hope is that I can help one person with benign disease know that there can be a happy ending.  I hope that others who require a thyroidectomy for benign thyroid disease will read this blog to find a more positive outcome.  I know that everyone's experience is different but please know that sometimes a thyroidectomy really is the right decision and can move you forward in a positive direction.