Hi, Since thyroid cancer is usually self contained, I don’t know why doctors recommend a full thyroidectomy when a possible issue has been identified in one lobe. I was told that nodules are very common and it’s only a problem if they start growing rapidly, so it does not make sense to remove the other lobe. By keeping one lobe you might not have to take Synthroid, which can be extremely challenging to get regulated on and can include a lot of side effects for some people (me). Although I had to start taking thyroid medicine after lobectomy, the dose seems to be lower since half of my thyroid still works. It seems to me that removing an entire organ for a problem in half is only appropriate if the cancer is the aggressive metastatic type….. otherwise it seems like overkill. In my opinion, keeping half of your thyroid will give you the possibility of not having to deal with taking thyroid medication and definitely worth it! I am curious if total thyroidectomy is the “ old way” of dealing with thyroid nodules that might be cancerous and often used as a default. ….it will take care of the potential for cancer but the patient has to deal with medication issues. It’s a tough decision for you but maybe you should consider what type of cancer you MIGHT have and how aggressive it is. Good luck!