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Life has been so hectic at the moment that the one year anniversary of my thyroidectomy flew by without me even registering!
I wanted to do a post to mark a year since my operation, for those of you reading ahead and worrying before you undergo surgery of your own.
A year ago today I was in hospital, desperate to get home, a surgical drip attached to me and feeling rather uncomfortable.
But now, a year on, that feels like a lifetime ago!
My thyroid levels are pretty much normal now, controlled by thyroxin tablets that I take every day.
This is a vast improvement from the 6 carbimazole I was taken whilst my thyroid was overactive – one pill is definitely more easy to control!
Plus, through some wierd warp in the NHS that I don’t (and probably never will) understand, prescription medicine for underactive thyroids is free, yet for overactive it’s not…odd.
My scar has also improved more than I ever hoped it would!
A year ago my scar looked like this…….
Now, it looks like this….
The ends of the scar are healing amazingly – and every time I see my friends they comment on how much it is fading.
A few of you have commented on the length of my scar, and I wanted to just clarify a few things for those who are worried.
My scar is considerably longer than most people’s I have seen.
I don’t particularly know why, but my doctor always told me it would be this long, so if yours is telling you yours will be shorter than mine, then please do not worry when you see my pictures.
Also, due to what I believe to be the nurse taking my staples out to early, my scar opened slightly in the middle whilst it was healing and that is why, annoyingly, I have been left with a wider, more pronounced scar in the middle.
That being said, I am hoping that in time this will fade, and I am still using my bio oil daily!
My scar is now a lot less raised than it was, and although it is still sensitive, this sensitivity is going down gradually.
If anyone has any questions they would like to ask me about my thyroidectomy, then please feel free to comment below or email me at: [email protected]
I know it is also encouraging to hear other people’s stories, so if you would like to share yours, then please also comment below.
To see the rest of my thyroidectomy-related posts, as well as a timeline of photos of the healing of my scar, then please click here.
Been there…seen it, done it…have the tee shirt ..and the scar ..from a parathyroidectomy….
Must say mine has done a lot better….in this, the second year…dont know why…but it has…
I do use a lot of moisturiser on it….
Keep up the good work…
Congratulations for your action to provide us with your story! My boyfriend had a scar like yours long and he feels like a monster…but i love him!I hope that it will heal like yours…
Hi! I am visiting for the first time, and I am having flashbacks as I read your post. My 2 year anniversary is in May, and a lot has changed. Having become hypothyroid, issues of another nature have become crazy. I see that this is a gluten-free blog. How has this helped for you? I am having a big issue controling my weight and my doctor recommended a gluten-free diet. Looks forward to reading more.
Thankyou everyone who has commented on here!
Janet – I must say now I am in the second year it seems to be changing more quickly, which is a little odd isn’t it?
Lia – Your boyfriend shouldn’t feel like a monster! And he is very lucky to have such an understanding girlfriend. I have been lucky too in that my boyfriend doesn’t seem to care about my scar! I’m sure his will heal extremely well – it always seems a bit daunting when the bandages first come off and you think “what have I done??” but in a few years I’m sure it will be barely visible!
Maria – I shall have to take a look at your blog, it looks very interesting, I shall add it to my blogroll! My boyfriend is currently training to be a personal trainer and is VERY interested in cutting out gluten for weight loss – he is doing a lot of research into it and I hope he will be doing some guest posts for me in the near future so please keep checking back!
Oh boy. I am in a different boat. I am almost 1 year out from a total thyroidectomy and the last year has been a nightmare for me. I have been left with a permanent condition called hypoparathyroidism as a result of the surgery. It is very rare and it was caused by an error by my surgeon but it a is horrible condition to live with. I now belong to a hypoparathyroidism support group but the life changing medical issues resulting from this, the siezures, and the difficulty of finding a doctor who has any knowledge of this condition has made me really wish I had never had the surgery. 🙁 I am glad you had a good experience though and I know that is usually the outcome. Just also remind people to look at the worst case scenario and consider it before making the decision to have surgery.
Hi Shaunna, thanks for commenting. So sorry to hear that your experience was so bad, I guess it shows that some of the horror stories aren’t so far fetched! I do hope that things are getting better for you now though, it sounds tough. Thankyou for sharing your experience – it is definitely good for people considering surgery to consider every single outcome. Sarah x
Thanks so much for posting. I’ve decided to opt for surgery after 4 years of hyperthyroidism. Can’t wait to get this organ out!!! Although must admit am very hesitant about the long road of recovery that I know is ahead. Also just discovered the link between autoimmune graves and gluten. Not happy as am a big cake fan!!! So am about to embark on some gluten free diet changes. Urk!!! Just think it May prevent some of the goitre flare ups I get. But Will I still be gluten intolerant after the thyroidectomy? Chicken or egg scenario? A question for the consultant perhaps 🙂 thanks for being here everyone. Its been good to know I’m not alone. X
This image is so powerful. Wow. I am humbled that I am only battling Hashimoto’s, and have not yet faced surgery. Please check out this new website. http://www.thyroidchange.org It is an advocacy site trying to unite the thyroid community to improve the future of thyroid care. I hope to welcome you as a Member soon 🙂
Gentle skin emollients such as Vitamin E, aloe vera or other moisturizers can help the scar to heal better and faster. However, you can start to use it only two weeks after the thyroid surgery. This will help keep the skin of the incision site hydrated and supple and help prevent serious scarring.