Thursday 24 June 2010

Farewell to my Surgeon

Went back to hospital today for my post-op follow-up with my surgeon (yes, I know I was only there on Tuesday, to see my Endo - but that's how these guys roll I guess)

I was called in to the consultation room by his registrar, but then Mr S himself came in to have a peer at my neck.

They both stated that they thought it looked good, and was healing very well.

Apparently its perfectly normal to have good days and bad days, with regards to stiffness, pain and the tight feeling...that its all part of the healing process, where its all healing internally at different rates. And it'll probably continue to feel like this for a good while yet.
The remaining swelling was minimal, and the scar site itself they both declared looked excellent.

They reiterated that I need to keep the site protected from the sun at all times. That it will take up to a year before the scar heals completely and becomes strong, but that within a couple of months it should be barely noticeable.

I was given the all clear to start lashing Bio Oil on it, and we all bid a fond farewell to each other as my surgeon declared that as far as he was concerned I was all finished with his ENT department. But, should there be a further complication down the road (highly unlikely), all my Endo had to do was pick up the phone and Mr S would put me straight back on his patient list.

I thanked him profusely for all he had done for me. The more I looked into the horrors others have experienced after Thyroid surgery, the more truly appreciative I had become of my surgeon and his skills. (I did a bit of Google stalking - and have to say he comes extremely well recommended and appears to be very highly respected in his speciality by his peers!).
Post-op I had no numbness, no tingling. No obvious deterioration in my voice or vocal chords (other than initial soreness form being tubed during the op). No problems with my parathyroids, or calcium levels, either temporarily or permanently. And none of the other awful things that are known risks of this type of surgery, which have happened to others, and which my Fuzzy Thyroid Brain won't allow me to recall right now...

Oh, and one more bit of good news...they send a sample of the goitre/thyroid gland for a histology report as standard during the op...and mine came back *BENIGN*. Thyroid Cancer is one of the most common reasons to do a total thyroidectomy, but was never in question in my case. My thyroidectomy was due to my toxic multi nodular goitre, which, in addition to raising merry hell with my thyroid levels, was closing on my windpipe and slowly strangling me....but even so, hearing the word *benign* will surely always give someone a little lift!

Justify FullFarewell Mr S, you're diamond!

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