You’d think I’d have the hang of this by now.

So here I am, 5+ weeks post-op, and swallowing is still a problem at times.  It’s only with liquids and smoothies, but I still have to remember to take smaller sips than I used to, and to tuck my chin and turn my head before swallowing.  I don’t know why that tuck-and-turn trick works, but it does.

In other news, these temporary rashes, or “evanescent urticaria”, continue to plague me.  My dermatology appointment isn’t until the end of October but I’m on the waitlist in the event of a cancellation.  I plan to message my dermatologist, of course, but I’m really hoping and praying I can get in soon.

One med gone

Based on yesterday’s bloodwork, my endo tells me I can stop taking the medicine that filled in for my parathyroid while it was recovering from surgery.  Being able to retire one med is a good thing!  She wants me to go back for more bloodwork next week as we continue to monitor my progress.

5 weeks post-op

Because we’re still tweaking my synthroid, my day started with another visit to the lab for blood work.  I’m sure my endocrinologist will let me know if we’ll make any changes this week or “let it ride”.

The Chief and I followed that up with a trip to the toy store, aka Sur La Table, to look for a coffee maker to replace the one that died.  We’ve been making do with a little 4-cup pot, which has been sufficient (I haven’t been drinking coffee now that I have to wait 4 hours post-synthroid to have any calcium) but it doesn’t have an automatic shut-off.  He ended up treating himself to one that has a built-in bean grinder.  That’ll make the house smell wonderful every morning!

As luck would have it, there was a coffee shop across the street, where I had my first latte in ages, along with a very nice chocolate croissant (aka chocolatine, aka pain au chocolat).  And yes, we each got an extra pastry for tomorrow.  It was a beautiful day for it, too - cool enough that we actually needed jackets when we first left the house, and a near-cloudless sky.

I’m starting to regain some semblance of stamina at long last.  Yesterday I managed 15 minutes on the treadmill (variable incline) and today I opted for the stairs going back to the car after our retail adventures and wasn’t the least bit winded, though my thighs did notice the incline when we got into the parking garage.  Not that I haven’t been taking stairs, but this was the first time I didn’t notice them.

Weird post-op stuff

My system is definitely different since getting my thyroid yanked.  First of all, there’s all the weird breathing stuff because of that paralyzed vocal fold.  I have coughs that sound like sneezes, or occasionally like sobs, just for variety.  Then there are the little inhales that sometimes rumble in my chest and sound like snoring or growling.  And we can’t forget the gasping inhale, though those are becoming less common.  My speaking voice is still weird - high, in a cartoony way, or mid-range and glitchy.

In addition to the dizziness that just started today, I’ve been dealing with “evanescent urticaria” - the here-again-gone-again rashes I keep getting.  My energy level continues to be low, to the point that I told the director of my next show that I won’t be able to be part of the design team after all. 😢  I thought about that one long and hard, but in the end I just couldn’t justify staying on when I can’t guarantee whether I’ll be able to do good work.

On the other hand, my arthritis has been leaving me alone, even the arthritis in my neck, the MRI for which is what got me started on this adventure.

Dizzy

 Poor Chief.  I had a big dizzy hit so he had to drive me to the theater again today.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t a one-off;  I’ve had a few touches of dizziness, some while I was trying to wig someone.  Not enough that I fell over, but certainly enough to confirm that having him drive was the right decision.

Entering the next phase

Today was my first prednisone-free day in over a month, since the onset of that awful rash.  Hurray!

Today I also started my new, adjusted levothyroxine dose.  Not sure if it's the new med dosage or what, but I'm feeling a bit lightheaded again today.  The Chief and I are both hoping that fades, so that he doesn't have to drive me to the theater.  (Blithe Spirit has 4 performances this weekend.)

And I scheduled my Nuclear Medicine consult.  Don't know whether we'll schedule my radioactive iodine then, but at least things are moving along.

4 weeks post-op

The pace is slowing now that the rash is finally gone.  I still have a bit of itching, but it's nothing like as bad as when the rash was at its worst.  The incision is healing slowly but surely, though my surgeon recommends I get some silicone scar strips in 2 or 3 weeks and apply them over it.  Not that I care about a scar, but healing?  Yes, please.

Talked to my endocrinologist this morning.  We discussed adjusting my levothyroxine and calcium supplements as my body adjusts to its new normal.  I thought we'd schedule my radioactive iodine, but she's referring me to Nuclear Medicine for that.  She also told me they like to wait 3-6 months for that step, not the 6-8 weeks I'd seen somewhere.  There's a bit of prep for the iodine - 2 weeks of a low-iodine diet, a couple of injections, and a thyroid and whole-body scan.  Depending on what the NucMed folks tell me, I may opt for a November date to get it over with (as long as it doesn't run up against Thanksgiving), or wait until January, well after the holidays.  We're flying for both my sister's wedding and Christmas this year.  I wouldn't want TSA to turn me away at the gate because I'm still radioactive!

3 weeks post-op

Three weeks ago today the surgeon slit my throat and did his best to remove as much cancer as possible.  The incision is healing up nicely now that we have the rash under control, and as of today I no longer have a lift restriction.  The Chief still helped me load stuff into the car to take to a different theater.  (They're doing a semi-staged concert production and asked me to style wigs for 2 of the principals.)

My body still seems to be adjusting to its new need for synthroid, and I've got another 10 days of prednisone to get through, which may be why I still run out of gas so quickly.  That, and the fact that talking is gonna continue to be work until that left vocal fold heals.

I really appreciate how responsive my surgeon has been.  He's answered all my questions within 24 hours and sent me a message this morning checking up on me after yesterday's adventure.