Post-Operative Followup (POD9)
A yellow folder with 3 tabs: 1) "Path 6/18/19" 2) "OP Note 6/18/19" 3) "OV Note 6/21/19" - This is what we left with from my surgeon's office today for my post-operative appointment and a "Literature Review for the Highest Clinical Evidence of Common Topical Products Used to Reduce Post Incisional Scars." He knew I'd want copies of all the reports - he knows me well 😁The first order of business, reveal the scar. My doc gloved up, and began peeling back the last piece of Steri-Strip remaining over the incision. No pain, just some slight pulling likely on the scabbing that was beneath. For the past 9 days, I had only seen the dark line beneath the white paper curious as to what would be left behind from my 4 hour neck dissection. Having kept it well protected during showering with some water proof bandages and plastic taped over the site the first few days, it was dry and stuck on pretty well.
He was pleased with the overall look of it, and rubbed some Vaseline over it for a bit then attempted to swab away the scabbing which he was able to do revealing my resultant war-wound, which all things considered wasn't too gruesome, at least compared to the mid-surgical freeze frame (WARNING: This is a full photo mid surgery of my open throat with partial removal of my thyroid and the mass removed from my upper chest-click at your own risk)
Intervention for wound care is paper tape applied at night and scar away during the day, which Emily found success with for her C-section scar.
He went through the Lab Report and discussed all the findings by the numbers if you care to read all the particulars. I later read through the Operational Procedure Report which is a dictated telling of the entire procedure. Riveting stuff, truly. I think I've read it 3 times today. There's something amazing to me about the whole process and just knowing what went on in my neck while I was asleep, brings that much more connectivity to what is going on and gives me some control back.
My neck still feels numb to the touch in some areas and has swelling on the right side, which he wasn't concerned with and if need be can be aspirated. In a month, I'll followup with him on the scar to make sure it doesn't turn to a keloid scar.
Friday, June 28th, we head to my new endocrinologist to find out next steps: Do I need Radioactive Iodine Therapy? Will I stay on this dosing and even the Levothyroxine that was prescribed post-op? Essentially, this new doctor is responsible for helping regulate the hormone replacement therapies and help me decide how aggressively we treat the cancer. My surgeon suggested, he may want to wait it out, and then see how it all goes and that I may not even need the radiation. We shall see...
My New Voice
As an aside, with regards to my voice. On my return to bring my sister to the airport Wednesday night, I was listening to the radio and thought I'd try to sing along. I turned to crying along as I couldn't vocalize more than 5 notes. Couldn't sing my highs or lows. My voice is different.Even speaking, I can't "raise" my voice to talk across a room or if Emily is upstairs, reply to an ask or send up a message. I get hoarse and feel my voice leave me at times. The otolaryngologist I saw some weeks back and speech therapist will be getting a call to schedule from me very soon...
Maybe it's a sign to rest and listen more to the world around me...
#CancerSucks #POD9 #PostOpPics #Mass #Mediastinum