I had a total thyroidectomy

I had some swelling that made breathing and swallowing challenging. That resolved itself in a few days. I have noticed tho that I am feeling my allergies more intensely. My fall allergies seem to be worse right now.
Maybe its you allergies?

Thank you for the suggestion. I wish it was that.

I have difficulty swallowing. Small pieces often get stuck. Calcium pills get stuck but by pressing on side of neck and flooding it with water I can float it out. It isn’t down far enough and sometimes I cough it back up. My gastro says she sees nothing and where I’m talking about is in the ENT realm of practice. Also my gastro suggested a therapy they use for stroke pts but I have not wanted to start anything yet. My husband is going through his own medical battles and right now that is where my energy goes. I had 2 parathyroid glands removed, then a week later I had a thyroidectomy when they found cancer. So same neck incision used for both swalling problems only happened after thyroidectomy. It still interfers with talking and singing. My surgeries were in 2021.

Really , my doctor's did not want to remove mine. When it was removed it was 66 grams with nodules the size of ping pong balls, so I was having trouble before the removal, and now it's getting worse. I'm sorry about your situation, my new endocrinologist says he has never heard of anyone have problems with swallowing or there throat after having surgery, so I feel completely stuck. I know what is going on in my body and my doctor's either don't want to or can't believe what I am saying, basically it's all in my head. I am so frustrated, because I was under the impression that doctors were supposed to be helpful.

Is it possible to request an ultrasound or CTscan? Or "whatever " The correct tool is to understand what is effecting you?
I had total thyroidectomy Oct 2024. I can feel minor soreness when I swallow food, minor mucous.

That sounds like quite an uncomfortable situation. You might want to ask your doctor for a referral for a videoflouroscopy ….often called a barium swallow. By having your ability to swallow evaluated using different food and liquid consistencies, they might be able to see if there is a structural issue. The findings might suggest treatment from a speech and language pathologist who specializes in swallowing/strokes. Therapy can include simple exercises to strengthen the musculature to stretch and strengthen your neck. The exercises can be done on your own, however the therapy can be set up around your schedule. Since your issues revolve around the voice and swallowing, you would probably do best with a referral from your surgeon and and find a Speech and Language Pathologist through the hospital….the SLP field is broad so you would want someone who has most of their caseload focusing on this area. There are other avenues you might also need to explore, however the videoflouroscopy is like an X-ray….quick and the results are reported immediately; and therapy with an SLP to develop the muscles can really help. Good Luck!

I would be extremely concerned if my doctor said he never heard of anyone having problems with swallowing or their throat after surgery because the nerves and musculature in the area that can be impacted. Nodules can cause issues due to the size where they crush the surrounding areas so it would stand to reason that removing this obstacle could cause involvement from the associate nerves and muscles. If your lymph nodes are swelling (doing the job they are supposed to do…fight infection) they could be causing issues that you describe. The doctor might not have understood your question, because his answer seems extremely concerning. Keep following up on things and I hope you consider having a videoflouroscopy and an evaluation by a Speech and Language Pathologist to try to strengthen your musculature….it really does help! Keep looking for answers. Good luck!

Thank you

You may want a second opinion. Preferably from a doctor outside of your current clinic/system. Sometimes they'll offer a second opinion from a different doctor in the same clinic. It has been my experience that doctors are not inclined to disagree with others in their same system. Your insurance may be a barrier, however.