The Side-Effects of No Thyroid

It has been two months since my thyroid was removed, surgically, from my neck. It was a "working just fine" cancerous thyroid. It is now two weeks since I have been on a thyroid replacement pill. No one has told me how long it takes for the pill to really kick in and replace the "working just fine" but cancerous thyroid. I have been told it could take a year, or longer to get the dosage 'just right'.  A YEAR???? Does the correct dosage equal working just fine????

In the meantime, I have looked for and not really found a list of symptoms I might experience during this thyroid-less, waiting for the pill-to-pick-up-the-slack time frame. Discussions with others who have experienced similar thyroid issues did not touch on the changes I have noticed. One doctor told me the only symptom related to the thyroid would be lack of energy. I really haven't experienced that since early November. Another doctor said, when I shared some of the changes I had noticed, that all were related to the thyroid and lack thereof. I really didn't experience any of the possible side effects from the radioiodine treatment. So in the interest of baring my soul and educating the public, I am going to share the changes I have noticed, particularly those I have experienced in the last two to three weeks.

Dry Skin: Yes, this could be because I am residing in the northern part of the US in winter, but I don't think the alligator hide on my index fingers is due to cold temperatures. I am no longer washing my hands as often as I was during the quarantine period. I apply lotion several times a day. I have bought special healing lotions for my hands and feet, but they are not getting better. My lips are also super dry. The balms I have used in the past for dry, chapped lips are not proving any help right now. I am blaming the thyroid, or lack of thyroid for this issue which I noticed about two months ago.

Aching Joints: Again, not sure if this is due to the winter temps in SD or my age, but it seems to be worse than usual. One doc said to keep taking the Tums to replace the calcium. Another said the joint ache is a direct correlation to the missing thyroid. My GP questioned taking all the Tums AND calcium tablets. So I am still confused and will also blame the aching joints on the missing thyroid. This also started two months ago, but then so did the cold weather...

Voice Changes: This is one I expected, especially with two back-to-back surgeries in the same area and then the swallowing of the radioiodine pill. I find people have trouble understanding me when I am talking on my cell phone. I don't 'hear' my voice differently. I REALLY noticed the change when I tired to sing the Christmas carols at the Christmas Eve church service. I used to be a soprano, although not a very good one. Now???? A tenor and I am even worse at that! I am not sure if my voice will get back to 'normal'.  I KNOW this is a direct result of the thyroid surgeries and cancer treatment. (I did hear of a 21 year-old who lost her voice permanently after thyroid cancer. I won't complain about my tenor voice. I won't sing as loudly as I used to sing.)

Nose Bleeds: This is a recent issue. When and IF I have a sore and bleeding nose, it is because there is not enough humidity in the air. That is why we have a humidifier going in our bedroom in AZ from the day we arrive to the day we leave. That is also why we have a humidifier attached to the furnace here at home. The humidity is now set to almost 50% and I am still having issues with a sore, bleeding nose. Since I have NOT had this issue last this long before, I am also blaming this one on the lack of a thyroid. (Again, this is not a serious issue, just an irritation.)

Distasteful Taste: This is a very recent aggravating issue, also. One of the radioiodine side effects could have been a metallic taste and/or dry mouth. I have had the dry mouth issue for a couple of years and have tried different toothpastes and mouth washes. I have recently found a product that seems to be helping at night. (I wonder if the cancer might have been causing the dry mouth????) I didn't experience the metallic taste during or after the radioiodine treatment, but in the last few days I have a distasteful taste...before I eat, after I eat, when I drink water, after I brush, before I brush, before the mouth rinse, after the mouth rinse. Chewing gum doesn't make a difference, nor does lozenges. This one has me puzzled. I think I will blame the missing thyroid for this one, too.

Facial Hair: OK. This is baring my soul. I have been plucking, trimming, shaving facial hair for several years...maybe more than several. It isn't a topic of conversation with my book club or other gal pals...it is just something one does...behind closed doors...in the privacy of the bathroom. I try to "clean-up" before going out to eat with friends, or appointments, or hospital stays, or camping trips...you get the idea. I have installed stronger/brighter light bulbs in ALL the bathrooms. I have purchased stronger reading glasses for this grooming ritual.
          So near the end of my week in quarantine, preparing for the second body scan and my return to society, I took the stronger reading glasses into the basement bathroom to check my eye brows. But before I even looked at the top half of my face, my eyes widened in dismay to see not one or two but dozens of LONG, BLACK hairs growing from my cheeks, my chin, my neck! Where in the H*** did these come from?  I am so glad no one has seen me! OMG! These things of horror have grown in just four days! Black? The hair on my head is becoming gray! Is this what I have to look forward to now that I don't have a thyroid??????
          Rosie O'Donnell had an afternoon talk show (1996-2002) years ago. I happened to see the show when she addressed the issue of a rogue hair growing on her body. (I don't remember where exactly the hair was growing.) It was measured and discussed for several weeks. I remember thinking how weird. Rogue hair. Weird, because I didn't have that issue at that time and I didn't know if every woman had rogue hair or just Rosie? But looking at my face that Monday evening, Rosie's show flooded my brain as I plucked and tweezed my own long, rogue, facial hairs.
          Now that I have been on the thyroid replacement pill the long, black, rogue facial hairs have not reappeared. However, I continue to check...often. (And now, you will too, every time you see me!)


When I visited with my GP earlier this week, I asked to see the report from the first, 2006 thyroid ultrasound. It stated there were three nodules in the right lobe and one in the left. All were small in size, but should be watched and followed-up with ultrasounds in the future. Since I was not exhibiting any thyroid issues, nothing had been done. I praised my GP for noticing the lack of follow-up and thanked her for ordering the September ultrasound that found the cancer.  She smiled and said, "By the Grace of God."

There has been no report from the endocrinologist regarding the last body scan. I don't know if that is a "No News Is Good News" deal or if I won't hear anything until my appointment with him on January 20th. I do know he was on vacation during Christmas week. There was a holiday this past week and that may have affected a report or his schedule.

It is what it is...