Thyroidectomy & neck dissection: Wondering about recovery process

I only had a partial thyroidectomy, however I tend to think the recovery process might be similar. The night of surgery, the main pain was in my upper back due to the positioning! The incision really didn’t hurt at all!
The pain in my upper back/shoulder area lasted awhile; however a heating pad and Advil made it much better. The incision didn’t really hurt much unless I moved too much, however internally, I felt more pain if I was talking a lot, chewing harder foods, and moving my neck. I do not like taking medicines because they often cause other issues with me, so they just gave me Tylenol. The Tylenol did not help the pain in the back/shoulder at all, so I ended up taking Advil so I could rest and sleep. The pain was never excruciating it was “just there.” Speaking and eating caused more pain, however it was manageable.

I would definitively recommend using the scar-away dressing to help the scar heal…..they are expensive but you can leave it on for a few days and take it off for showering and then use it again. I heard about Scar Away when I had ankle reconstruction and neither my ankle, nor my thyroid, scars are noticeable.

I had thought I would be able to go right back to work, however the surgery definitely makes you very tired and all the moving causes pain. Although the doctor had said I could just go back to doing whatever I wanted a day or two after surgery, the nurses told me that the recovery was 4-6 weeks….the nurses were right! I stayed with my brother for about 5 days and then went home. Driving and lifting things caused some internal neck pain, probably due to moving my neck so much. I did not do very much the next week or two and slept a lot. After that, i took things very slowly because too much movement caused pain.

I still have pain in my neck when I tuck my chin, and for some movements…. It’s hard to know if it’s old whiplash injuries, scar tissue or related to things shifting after surgery. All and all, it was manageable. The pain might have subsided more quickly if I took prescriptions for pain, however the side effects from prescriptions are problematic to me. so I only took Advil the first week.
Good luck!

My advice is that you learn about lymphedema and work with an OT to learn about self massage and compression head gear to help you manage it.
I had two surgeries 7 months apart. One for tongue cancer that included removal of several lymph nodes and a second to remove my thyroid.
The swelling from the lymphedema was and still is my greatest challenge. You need to help the lymph move in your body. It can be done! But it takes time and is something I knew nothing about beforehand.
Just last week I started using a lymphedema pump device made by Tactile Medical. It works great.

I’ll tell you tonight
They’re slitting my throat in an hour

I love how insightful you are to your feelings over this. It's such a normal reaction to be anxious. This is a startling circumstance that you are walking through.
I had total removal, in two separate operations 90 days apart.
Heres my recovery
Pain was minimal and manageable with meds only a few days.
I was nauseous for a few days from anesthesia. Typical for me
I was released home after 2 or 3 days . I had drain tube's that were removed before I left.
I had a visiting nurse the first week just to check dressings etc. Bandage on about 2 weeks
I was off work for 4 weeks, 6 weeks the 2nd surgery. But that may not be typical, as I was a preschool director at the time and exposure to germs of 100 Littles was not recommended lol
I ate a soft diet first week , then normal.
Biggest effect was a lot of fatigue, first week or two.
So someone to help track meds , meals and hydration , the first week especially, would be helpful.
Don't plan on any lifting or heavy work for few weeks.
Hope that helps!

I’m glad you’re getting such helpful replies! Here’s the scoop 5 hours post-op: Of course it’s rugged immediately afterwards but the only uncomfortable (not painful) sensation is a ‘tight throat.’ It’s probably from the airway tube used under anasthesia. Some hot and cool stuff down the hatch does wonders. I was able to gulp two huge calcium pills, solved Wordle in two guesses, and responded to a dozen emails. Very manageable (but wish I were home.). My hope is to avoid I-131. Looks like the obit I wrote last night will go on ice a while.

Very best to you as you move ahead.

First off, I’m glad you’re doing okay after the surgery. Second, you’re hilarious. Thanks for the info and I wish you the best in your recovery.

Looks like you got some helpful replies. As others have mentioned it’s very individualized and likely depending on the type and extent of cancer. My experience is ongoing. June 16 marked a year since my total thyroidectomy and I’m still recovering. I’ve had vertigo of unknown etiology since about a year prior to diagnosis and surgery. It resolved some after surgery but then after the last increase in dosage of levothyroxine in January I started experiencing vertigo and dizziness again. However I’ve got other underlying issues including type 2 diabetes and decades of joint pain that can also include dizziness and balance issues so currently undergoing PT and evaluation for RA. I also have constant numbness under the neck and surgical site. I also experienced vocal cord damage right after surgery and couldn’t speak clearly or without pain for about 6 months. The throat soreness also occurs each time I get RAI which has been twice-once a couple months after surgery and then 6 months later after they saw some tissue regeneration so on a 6 months scan protocol. The best advice I can give is to advocate for yourself, ask lots of questions and seek out people and resources like this because I’ve learned that the general tendency is to tell you everything is routine and certain things are rare. Unfortunately I’ve found out first hand just how rare things are when you are affected. Also listen to your body and don’t try to just do whatever you used to do. The thyroid regulates virtually every activity in the body whether directly or indirectly and you know when something isn’t right so be sure to report every symptom even the smallest thing. It took a year to get on a dose that I didn’t feel tired all the time. Best wishes to you in your journey.

I am so sorry that you are going through all of this. I do agree, from past issues, doctors always tell you you will be fine and recover in a few days. Everyone heals differently. I was told I would be work after three days after knee surgery and I was out theee months. My thyroidectomy isn’t until August and I am getting more nervous as the days go on. Thank you for sharing your journey. I will you well. All the posts here have really been so helpful.