Today I got to see the Senior Registrar, and what a lovely, funny man he is!
We briefly chatted about my consultation with the ENT surgeon, and he made a few phone calls to see if he could do anything to put the 'hurry up' on my CT Scan appointment.
We discussed my weight, and the fact that I really do need to get it off, especially if I do decide to go for the thyroidectomy. He has referred me to a dietitian, to see if they can help...because as far as we can both see I'm doing all the right things, and getting all the wrong results. Of course my thyroid isn't helping, and so in order to find a way through the gloom we're both hoping that a dietitian might have a few more ideas.
He gave me some info leaflets on both the thyroidectomy, and the RAI, and then said that although the decision is still totally mine, he thought it important for me to consider a few things.
Radio-Actve Iodine Treatment (RAI)
We briefly chatted about my consultation with the ENT surgeon, and he made a few phone calls to see if he could do anything to put the 'hurry up' on my CT Scan appointment.
We discussed my weight, and the fact that I really do need to get it off, especially if I do decide to go for the thyroidectomy. He has referred me to a dietitian, to see if they can help...because as far as we can both see I'm doing all the right things, and getting all the wrong results. Of course my thyroid isn't helping, and so in order to find a way through the gloom we're both hoping that a dietitian might have a few more ideas.
He gave me some info leaflets on both the thyroidectomy, and the RAI, and then said that although the decision is still totally mine, he thought it important for me to consider a few things.
Radio-Actve Iodine Treatment (RAI)
- Obviously a lot less invasive, but....it doesn't always work first time and thus might need to be repeated.
- *might* reduce the size of my goitre, but this isn't guaranteed, and if it does reduce it, it won't completely get rid of it, so I may still have the breathing/snoring/swallowing problems.
- I'll have to stay isolated from *everyone*, including my husband, for up to 10 days afterwards. Stay away from young children for up to 2 months.
- We wouldn't be able to start a family for up to 2 years afterwards.
Surgery
- Will remove my goitre.
- Will remove my thyroid gland completely
- Will mean I'll have to take thyroid replacement medication for the rest of my life
- Will allow us to start planning a family as soon as my bloods level out after the op
- Carries risks, as any surgical procedure does, some of which may be short-term, some of which may be permanent, and include damage to the parathyroid glands (rendering the patient hypocalcaemic), voice box, laryngeal chords, damage to nerve endings causing loss of sensation, numbness etc etc.
- Not to mention they are digging about very close to some extremely important arteries there in your throat, namely your carotid.
Decisions, decisions, decisions....but I guess all this is academic until I've had my CT Scan, then we'll all know exactly what is where in there.
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