Thyroidectomy post-op Day Two

I hope my Day One story is encouraging and I hope you have as good of an experience as I have. As I mentioned before, every situation is different, but for me, my experience has been that of a sore throat from the breathing tube. I am sure you have had a sore throat before and can easily relate to my experience.

I came into Day two with no post surgery pain medicine. I could have took something for the sore throat, but, I have had sore throats before. Sore throats hurt when you cough or hiccup. I heard sneezes were bad after a thyroidectomy, but my one sneeze was OK. So no pain meds as all, which really surprises me.

I treated myself as if I were very fragile. I had an IV in my hand, a blood oxygen sensor clipped to my finger, oxygen hose on my nose, and taped areas from blood draws. I didn't know how far I could turn my neck so I did my best to position my neck so it was comfortable and I felt nothing. As the day progressed and I was disconnected from IV, air, and sensor, I felt less fragile and more free to move. I was able to use the toilet instead of a bottle, and my wife was able to take me on walks. I sat in a chair and moved around my room and was feeling very good.

I was impressed with eating too. They encouraged solid food so I had an omelet for breakfast. I unnecessarily cut it tiny and ate it slowly. For lunch I had turkey and mashed potatoes. For dinner I stayed with the turkey and mashed potatoes but added stuffing and rice pilaf. I could really eat anything. And I know it is hard to believe but eating is painless. I kept the bites small and soft and all was good.

I got the first look of the incision in the bathroom mirror. I glanced at it by accident and quickly looked away. I wasn't ready to really look at it. As my wife and I walked around the hospital wing, hospital visitors looked at my oddly. Was it because you don't see a giant man in a gown everyday? Or was it the scar? I think I am a little self conscious about it, which is odd because I didn't think I would care at all.

The first doctor saw me at 5:30am followed by the surgeon at 7am. They looked at the incision and was available to answer all of our questions.

I napped occasionally throughout the day. Blood continued to be drawn to check my calcium levels. The levels were continually dropping. It needed to be at least 8.5 but by the end of the day it was down to 8.1. I can't be sent home until the calcium gets figured out because low calcium can create a critical situation.

The nurses were awesome. I try to be self sufficient and I realize there are probably others that need help. Some of the nurses are better at drawing blood than others, but I don't think I could draw blood at all, so, I appreciate all of their efforts. I find that a smile and good attitude (if you can muster it) go a long ways.

To pass the time, my wife and I watched TV, played cards, went for walks, and talked. Finally we agreed she needed to go home and take care of things, so, she left at 7:30pm. I went to bed early and slept well. At the end of the day the only complaint was a rapidly improving sore throat... and the ugly gown I had to wear.