Thyroid Removal

So, on Aug 3rd, I found out I had several nodules on my thyroid. They did a nuclear scan that said they were probably benign, but after your mother has died from thyroid cancer, probably isn't good enough. My mother had a benign goiter for years, that suddenly turned into a very fast growing, deadly cancer. I decided to have my thyroid removed, so I wouldn't have to live with the constant worry that mine would turn into something else. It did turn out to be benign, but I wouldn't have known for sure if I hadn't had it removed. Here's what my incision looks like a week later. It is stitched, super glued, and steri stripped. It's not going anywhere. The spots on my shoulders on either side are from the heart monitor. I have a dozen places like that all over my chest and abdomen. Keep in mind, it has been a week, and they still look like this. I also had an allergic reaction to the betadyne stuff they paint all over you. It covered me from my mouth down to where the bottom of my bra goes. Luckily, they didn't get it on my back, but it was from one side to the other. I knew that's what I was having a reaction to because the rash was exactly where that stuff had been. It looked like I had on a red shirt. The redness and the itching are better, but the raised rash is still there. I finish the steroid pack tomorrow, I just hope it's enough to clear it up.

My blood pressure was going crazy the day of my surgery, so they put in an arterial line. It let's them know what your blood pressure is everytime your heart beats instead of having to wait for a machine to measure it. This picture isn't very clear, but you can get an idea of how bad it looks a week later. Luckily, the hospital I went to believes in numbing shots. They put five numbing shots in this area, and I still felt them digging around in there. After sticking me twice, the nurse finally gave up and let the anesthesiologist do it. I don't even have a bruise where my IV was. They gave me a numbing shot, and I didn't feel a thing.
Well, my recovery is going pretty good. Because of where the incision is, I have some limits in my arm and head movement. I can drive, so long as I don't need to turn around and look behind me. I'm still sleeping on the couch. Laying too flat makes me feel like I'm choking, and I can't lay on my stomach yet. That's what I miss the most. I'm a stomach sleeper. I go back to see the surgeon tomorrow for a recheck. I'm hoping to go back to work Wednesday at least part-time. I tend to be really tired in the mornings, but after about 3:00 p.m. I'm okay. I need to figure out a way to switch that around. It would be better if I could stay up in the mornings and sleep in the evenings.