Around a year ago I was diagnosed on a biopsy that my thyroid nodule was suspicious for cancer. At the time, I was tired all the time and had puffiness along my throat. Due to these symptoms, I was referred to an endocrinologist. I got surgery around a month ago to have my entire thyroid removed. Going into surgery, I was pretty scared. I've had eye surgery in the past, buy thyroid surgery is completely different. However, I don't remember a thing about the surgery following anesthesia, which was probably a good thing.

Following surgery, they told me I would feel a small bump where my thyroid was, along with a little bit of pain. It was slightly painful right after surgery, but the pain subsided. I'm back for my 1 month checkup and I'm feeling great. If I could advise other patients looking into surgery, it's to not be afraid of surgery. Prior to the surgery, I had to undergo a lot of stress tests (due to previous health conditions) in order to ensure that the surgery ran smoothly. The preop appointments took a lot longer than the surgery itself, and it probably added to my fear. Looking back, there was nothing to fear.

Tags: anesthesia, Anesthesiology, biopsy, Endocrine, Endocrine Surgery, endocrinologist, Endocrinology, endocrinology, patient stories, Surgery, thyroid nodule, thyroid surgery surgery, UCLA Endocrine Center