Hypothyroidism Support Group

Hypothyroidism is the disease state caused by insufficient production of thyrohormone by the thyroid gland. There are several distinct causes for chronic hypothyroidism, the most common being Hashimoto's thyroiditis and hypothyroidism following radioiodine therapy for hyperthyroidism. Advanced hypothyroidism may cause severe complications, the most serious one of which is...

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Endocrine System
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removal of thyroid

vannillabear
vannillabear
My follow up on labs and thyroid ultrasound is on monday. I want to discuss with my endo about what needs to be done about removing my thyroid. I just want to make sure before I go, is the endo the right person to discuss this with or would I need to see my pcp? My thyroid has become so swollen, you can see it swollen on my neck, it looks like a huge adams apple and I'm female. Also, I'm having a hard time swallowing and my voice is soooo hoarse. I'm currently not on meds because they were causing hyperthyroid. I'm just nervous if she puts me back on my med if it will send my into toxosis again. I'm so frusterated and just want to get this thing out so it will stop fluctuating. My nodule has grown so I know that is not a good sign. Any advise would be appreciated. Oh, and if she doesn't try helping me or is not open to another therapy I'm switching docs.
cd3764
cd3764
I wish you the best with this big decision.

Based upon the comments made by people who have had a TT, it seems that partnering with an excellent surgeon is vital.

I think you know that you will need to take thyroid hormone replacement after the surgery so you will need to make sure your doctor knows what he/she is doing.

I'm guessing you think that removing an erratic thyroid will correct things. However, I caution you to the extent that you will still have to adjust to new levels of thyroid hormone so, if there is an underlying reason as to why you had trouble adjusting (adrenals, etc.) that will need to be addressed.

You'll also want to talk to the surgeon about your parathyroids. I am aware of the fact that they can sometimes get damaged during surgery and I am aware of people struggling with parathyroid issues after surgery.

Surgery is a big step. I understand what motivates someone to do it. However, I advise getting as much info as possible and this includes researching extensively.

Best of luck to you moving forward!
vannillabear
vannillabear
Thanks, I appreciate the concern. I really am hoping they can do something other than surgery. I just don't know of any other options, I am hopeful that my endo will suggest a new treatment plan so we can avoid surgery. I've just tried looking up other options and can't find any other good alternatives. I know it won't be easy, and I'll feel like crap in the begining and it will be extremely hard to get through. I do need to be more educated about the surgery process. It's just hard, I found so many people in my area that has had surgery and feel great now and it turned out to be the best decision for them and they say it wasn't too bad. So we'll see. I just wasn't sure if my endo was the right doctor to talk about this stuff or if I needed to see my pcp for this decision. We'll see what the endo says first. I'm strongly thinking of going to this mayo clinic we have here, it's supposed to be really good.