How long does it take to recuperate from a thyroid lobectomy?

Posted by hellmansmayo @hellmansmayo, Jul 8, 2023

I had a Lobectomy. 7/30, how long does it typically take to get your voice back, and I am always tired and weak, I am 64 yrs.

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@hellmansmayo …. It takes awhile for the swelling to go down so it takes awhile. Although the scar can be quite small on the outside having a lobe removed is major surgery and it takes the body time to recover. I was tired and my voice sounded strained for several weeks….it also hurt to speak for long periods. Things improved as the body healed but it took a few months, My tiredness was also related to my hormone levels being off ( I had other symptoms too) and needing Synthroid. Sometimes your remaining lobe will pick up the work of the whole thyroid and you don’t need to take Synthroid, however if fatigue continues it might be due to the need to take medicine. Getting regulated on Synthroid is tricky so hopefully you won’t need it. Give yourself time to heal; things will improve. Good luck!

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@koh

@hellmansmayo …. It takes awhile for the swelling to go down so it takes awhile. Although the scar can be quite small on the outside having a lobe removed is major surgery and it takes the body time to recover. I was tired and my voice sounded strained for several weeks….it also hurt to speak for long periods. Things improved as the body healed but it took a few months, My tiredness was also related to my hormone levels being off ( I had other symptoms too) and needing Synthroid. Sometimes your remaining lobe will pick up the work of the whole thyroid and you don’t need to take Synthroid, however if fatigue continues it might be due to the need to take medicine. Getting regulated on Synthroid is tricky so hopefully you won’t need it. Give yourself time to heal; things will improve. Good luck!

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Thank you so much for your helpful advise! I also have Lupus and read that the combination of Lobectomy and Lupus can cause flare ups.

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My 66 year old wife had her Lobectomy and a couple of parathyroid removed on 7/14 at the Mayo. She is doing great, feeling good , working in her gardens, making lunch everyday, playing with the grandkids. She is eating Tums and waiting for the tape to fall off her neck.

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I had my surgery 4-20 & had to have whole thyroid removed due to a cancerous nodule but that was my second removal of a cancerous nodule too. I am 50 yrs old. Plus I have CHCK2+ gene mutation so it was an easier decision for me to get it removed due to that high risk of reoccurring.
My voice was very scratchy & hoarse afterwards. I'm just now somewhat getting my voice back. Swallowing was a huge issue for me for months. Dr told me that if it continues to be a problem he'd get me in to see an ENT Dr to scope my throat & check on vocal cords. But it was a few months of eating soft foods, drinking protein shakes & trying to get my TSH level back to where it should be due to medicine. Good luck to you!

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I had my entire thyroid removed and 3 parathyroids removed in Feb 2014. Medical people hung radiation around my neck because of swollen glands 55 years earlier.
For swelling, I used ice packs for the outside of my neck and ate ice cream, popsicles and drank cold drinks which got the Dr to commented on how little swelling I had.

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