Hi everyone,

I have a partial thyroidectomy this Tuesday morning and I'm not sure how to feel about it. However, let me back up and share my story.

I had gone for a massage on April 20 where there was a lot of work around my right shoulder, then on April 21 a lump suddenly appeared on my neck near the base of my throat. It was so sudden, but I asked my friend and the RMT if this was normal to which they said that if it didn't subside in a couple of days to see a doctor. Fast forward past the ultrasound and biopsy, I was told that there were suspicions of malignancy with the nodule with it suggesting papillary thyroid carcinoma. My otolaryngologist said that the change of it being confirmed cancerous would be 70%, so he would prefer that it be removed in a partial thyroidectomy. He said that it would take 4-6 weeks to get a surgical date, but I got the call for a date 3.5 weeks since diagnosis-- 2 weeks after completing my consent/pre-op forms.

Since then, I've been up and down in emotions and I went on leave from work much sooner than expected because the emotions about having the diagnosis started setting in. Now, I'm still on a rollercoaster, but I'm also planning for what's to come.

Can someone give me an idea of what their experience with a thyroidectomy was like? Partial or not? I'm mostly curious about the pain side of things since I didn't do well with the biopsy, and how long it took before going back to solid foods. I hope this isn't considered asking for medical advice, I'm hoping to plan out my time at home for the next couple of weeks.

Thanks!

UPDATE: Completed my surgery and recovering fairly well at home! Thanks for the well wishes and your experiences!