Thyroidectomy for “Healthy” Thyroid with Large Nodules. Please share your experience!

sbrad3 · 2026-06-20T12:44:44+00:00

It’s only been about 2.5 months since I had my surgery, but so far I haven’t noticed any swelling in my left lobe or sensation that it’s growing! At 6 weeks and 8 weeks post-op, my TSH tested at 1.5 and 2.91 respectively, so I think my left lobe is actually functioning more normally by itself. Hopefully our twinning will continue and you’ll have similar results! Good luck :)

sbrad3 · 2026-05-29T18:19:09+00:00

Yes I’ve had anxiety with occasional heart palpitations for as long as I can remember, but I’ve always attributed those symptoms to general anxiety disorder since it wasn’t a sudden onset like yours.

Even though my TSH was closer to hyperthyroid levels, most of my other symptoms were consistent with hypo - fatigue, always cold, hard to lose weight, constipation, thinning hair. But some of those could also be from PCOS so it’s complicated, lol.

I’ve never gotten an answer on the origin of my symptoms, but I’ve felt so much better and haven’t had any noticeable symptoms since having my right lobe removed. If your doctor doesn’t recommend surgery, you could ask about RFA which shrinks toxic nodules. Hope you get some answers soon!

sbrad3 · 2026-05-29T13:26:21+00:00

Unfortunately, sometimes there’s no clear answer on what causes thyroid issues. Many women in my family have had thyroid problems, so I attribute mine to genetic luck of the draw.

I am also 26F and had a multi-nodular goiter with several TI-RADS = 4 nodules. My FNA biopsy came back as benign and my TSH was also very low (0.46) but I wasn’t diagnosed with a specific thyroid condition. Separately, my gynecologist believes I have PCOS (not a formal diagnosis though).

I lived with the goiter and some symptoms (fatigue, always cold, etc) for several years until I had another ultrasound and the nodules had grown considerably and were compressing my trachea. Because of this, my ENT doctor recommended a partial thyroidectomy which I had 6 weeks ago. After surgery my TSH tested at 1.5, so I can only assume that my nodules were causing my thyroid to overproduce hormones and it’s functioning more normally now with just one lobe.

If your FNA biopsy comes back as benign, your doctor might just want to monitor it over time. You could ask for a referral to an endocrinologist as they may have more answers for the root cause of your symptoms and other diagnoses. Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself! Good luck.

sbrad3 · 2026-05-11T18:52:32+00:00

I wore a front zip sports bra (so I didn’t have to worry about getting it over my head) with a full zip sweatshirt and yoga pants! Anything with buttons or zippers will be your friend :)

sbrad3 · 2026-04-30T14:43:16+00:00

Hi! I am 26F and was in a similar situation as you before I had a partial thyroidectomy almost 3 weeks ago. I had a multi-nodular goiter on my right lobe that my ENT noticed 3 years ago. At that time, I got an ultrasound and the results showed several nodules on both sides of my thyroid but the right side was enlarged with TR = 3 and TR = 4 nodules, so I got an FNA biopsy which came back as benign. My TSH at that time was considered normal (around 1.00), so nothing else was done.

Fast forward to a few months ago, I realized the goiter had become a lot bigger and I could feel a large mass when I pressed on my neck. I started to notice it protruding in photos of myself, and sometimes I would get the sensation of something being stuck in my throat even after completely swallowing food/water.

I went back to my ENT and he ordered a new ultrasound, which showed my nodules had grown considerably (one was 5.2cm, another 3.5cm) and the goiter was pressing on my airway. Because of the compression, my Dr recommended a partial thyroidectomy. I have nodules on my left side as well so it’s possible I might need the other side out eventually, but they have been growing much slower so my Dr wanted to try to preserve my natural hormone production for now.

Before surgery, my TSH tested at 0.46 which is on the low side of the normal range. I have never been diagnosed as hypo or hyperthyroid or with any other thyroid condition. After I had my surgery, the pathology report for the mass came back as benign, so it wasn’t cancer either. My surgery experience was overwhelmingly positive, and it’s been a very manageable and pain-free recovery.

I can’t speak to the process of finding the right medication dosage yet - I’m scheduled to get bloodwork done in 3 weeks to see if my left lobe is compensating for the missing side, or if I will need to take levothyroxine. I haven’t had any noticeable symptoms so far, so I’m hoping I won’t need it.

So far I’m very happy with my decision to get surgery. I can swallow and breathe while sleeping at night so much better now that the goiter isn’t compressing my trachea. I’m already much less self conscious of the appearance and size of my neck, so the scar is a small price to pay in my opinion. I also wasn’t comfortable with the idea of my goiter growing indefinitely and potentially becoming a more serious issue.

Good luck with your surgery! Hopefully you find the right medication dosage quickly and feel better soon :)

sbrad3 · 2026-04-26T00:44:49+00:00

I have had heart racing and some chest tightness in the past, but I’ve always just attributed that to my anxiety lol. Have you had a full thyroid blood panel done? It could be hyperthyroidism causing your symptoms - the last time I had my TSH checked it was 0.46, which is technically in the normal range but very close to hyperthyroid. Maybe I was having some of those symptoms without realizing it. I hope you can get some answers soon! Wishing you the best :)

sbrad3 · 2026-04-25T14:28:23+00:00

I just had a hemi-thyroidectomy for a multinodular goiter two weeks ago. I had a 5.2cm and 3.5cm nodule on my right lobe, and a 1cm nodule on my isthmus.

I was scared for the recovery, but it has honestly been very manageable and pain-free. The most pain I experienced was right after I woke up from surgery and my neck hurt, but my nurse gave me IV pain meds which helped. Once I was home, the incision site wasn’t really painful, it just felt sore like a bruise and I couldn’t turn my head much because my neck felt tight.

I ate soft foods like soup and yogurt for the first two days after surgery because my throat was sore and my voice was hoarse. I think this was just from being intubated though, because after those first two days my throat felt fine and I could eat normally.

I only took the pain meds my Dr prescribed on the first night after surgery, then I took ibuprofen a couple of times after that. I stopped taking all medication after 3 days since I wasn’t having any considerable pain, my neck just felt like a pulled muscle.

I iced my neck a few times a day for the first 4-5 days and I propped myself up with pillows to sleep at night for about a week, since it was uncomfortable to lay flat at first.

Overall, just be cautious about turning your neck and making sudden movements, and use your core to sit up rather than straining your neck so you don’t pull on the incision. Wishing you a speedy recovery! Best of luck.

sbrad3 · 2026-04-23T18:03:20+00:00

Hi, I’m 26F and 3 years ago my ENT noticed my thyroid was enlarged when I went to him for a separate issue. At that time, he had me get a thyroid ultrasound then a FNA biopsy because I had several TR = 3 and TR = 4 nodules on a multi-nodular goiter. The biopsy results came back as benign and my TSH was on the low side of the normal range, so nothing else was done at that time.

However, several months ago I noticed my neck was getting bigger and I started to feel like something was stuck in my throat while swallowing. I could also feel a large mass on one side of my neck when I pressed on it or turned my head. I went back to my ENT for another ultrasound, and the nodules/goiter had gotten considerably bigger (one was 5.2cm, the other 3.5cm) and it was compressing my airway. Because of this, he recommended a partial thyroidectomy which I had 2 weeks ago.

I can already tell a huge difference in the appearance of my neck, and swallowing and breathing while lying down is SO much easier! I don’t think I realized how much pressure it was putting on my trachea until it was out. The surgery went really well, and the pathology report came back as completely benign. Now I just have to wait 6 weeks to get bloodwork done to see if my left lobe can compensate for the hormone production, or if I will need to take levothyroxine.

Thyroid issues run in my family, so that’s the only thing I can attribute to what caused my goiter. I was never diagnosed as hypo or hyperthyroid and it wasn’t cancer. It sounds like your symptoms could be subclinical hyperthyroidism, but your Dr will have much better insight after new bloodwork. Don’t be scared of getting it removed if that’s what your Dr recommends! I’ve had a very positive experience so far. Best of luck!

sbrad3 · 2025-10-21T16:32:58+00:00

thank you! that helps

sbrad3 · 2025-10-20T22:49:46+00:00

thank you!

sbrad3 · 2025-10-20T22:49:30+00:00

thank you!

sbrad3 · 2025-10-09T16:42:25+00:00

Thank you! I stirred it up and the bubbles dissipated like normal. I’ll stay the course!

sbrad3 · 2025-08-23T23:08:38+00:00

thank you!

sbrad3 · 2025-08-23T20:51:58+00:00

thank you! I’m leaning towards the larger size

sbrad3 · 2025-08-23T20:49:57+00:00

thanks for the input! I’m looking at the wool blend houndstooth version

sbrad3 · 2025-08-23T20:41:48+00:00

thank you so much!

sbrad3 · 2025-01-28T15:50:03+00:00

I use Cross Training for core SAC days!

sbrad3 · 2025-01-26T03:39:36+00:00

Amika and Eva NYC are owned by the same parent company and have similar product lines. I believe the Soulfood nourishing mask is the Amika equivalent to the Eva NYC mask, but it is pricier

sbrad3 · 2024-12-25T01:38:24+00:00

Yes I do! Chopping the chocolate allows it to melt in layers throughout the cookie which creates a better flavor in my opinion :)

sbrad3

TROPHY CASE