Armour Thyroid is not covered by my insurance and neither is the compounded t4 I used to take so I had to pay cash. Worth every penny I can't tolerate synthroid! I do know that my weight and pouch flares require constant dose monitoring and altering. Sometimes I don't absorb it well and levels fluctuate. A good endocrinologist checks labs frequently so I am lucky.it is another thing to be vigilant about.
CT, glad you are at home resting. Don't stress, your levels should straighten out. I assume they saved your parathyroids, thus the calcium checks -- and those little buggers will keep on working. Try to have patience while the synthroid is adjusted. The isotope therapy works really well, and you should be good as new in no time. (Assuming the most common type of thyroid CA.) One day at a time -- you will have to let us know if your preoperative prediction of being down for 3 days before you are back at the grind comes to fruition. 
katenet,
I appreciate your reply. I can see now another reason why my thyroid levels are all over the place. I have had many problems with my j-pouch and it has been particularly erratic of late as my pouchitis has progressed. It's not under control with antibiotics, soft diet and all. No wonder it was so high in February when I was at Mayo getting a balloon dilation of the efferent limb. The contrast x-ray also revealed that my entire pouch was inflamed. It tested at 19.8 and 3 days later back home at almost 12, an 8 point difference in 3 days. I trust Mayo's lab. It's a see saw. My GI says I need to get my thyroid under control and that will improve my pouch problems. It looks like my pouch is affecting my thyroid function.
Thanks for letting me post about my problems CTB. I'm very ill and scared.
My copay on my synthroid 137 mcg is $33.00 so I don't think it's the generic stuff!!! It's a small blue pill. I took it at 5:30 am this morning two hours before food and other meds as suggested by TE Marie. I slept great last night using percocets and my head elevated on two big pillows. The dressing on my neck and the two drains come out this morning. Thanks for all the posts especially on synthroid and all the other info and suggestions. You guys are the best!!!
Thumprhare, my understanding is I had a complete thyroidectomy which means the parathyroids came out and there is no thyroid tissue left, unless there are some cancerous thyroid cells still floating around in my lymph nodes which will hopefully get zapped when I take the radioactive isotope.
My endocrinologist told me the pathology on all my labs hasn't come back yet and he wants to see those before making any adjustments in the synthroid and the isotope treatment regimen which will be coming in around 6 weeks.
My endocrinologist told me the pathology on all my labs hasn't come back yet and he wants to see those before making any adjustments in the synthroid and the isotope treatment regimen which will be coming in around 6 weeks.
The parathyroids are not removed (at least not intentionally), even with a total thyroidectomy. They are separate glands. But, they can be traumatized during the dissection, so that is why they need to monitor your calcium levels (important for nerve conduction, muscle function and heart function).
Jan 
Thanks for that explanation Jan. they were waking me up every two hours to draw blood to check calcium levels and giving me 500 mg tums tablets. I looked at a pic of the parathyroids and I thought they were part of the thyroid, but glad to know they left them in there.
Yes. Much more difficult to live without parathyroids than the thyroid!
Jan
Afternoon CT
I do highly recommend you going to the thyroid cancer web site. I know in the Tri state area there are local group meetings.
In the next few weeks you will be more tired than before ,you will experience changes in the jpouch function along with nails,hair skin
As you suppress the Tsh you may notice voiding more or more Bms thru Jpouch.
Since the j pouch 4 years ago I have had major woes withe TSH.
You should ask your Md where he wants the tsh to be about .I can no longer suppress mine to low numbers due to a MI ( heart Attack)
foods such as walnuts can alter the tsh along with peaches, cauliflower .If you do eat them just note at least 4 hours from hormone replacement .I think you can find a full list of foods at www.allthyroid.org
Note medication can alter the Tsh also like probiotics all stomach meds , calcium, iron just again note they must be taken 4 to 6 hours from hormone replacement.
Be good to yourself rest as much as you can/
It will take time to feel good again/
I hope some of this helped you.
The pill we take today has no effect on the body .It takes time to build in our bodies
Rest up
Cassie
Cassie
Finally a plus to having to get up each night about 2:30 a.m. to empty my J-pouch.......I take my Synthroid medication at that time!
CeeeeCeeee::: Hysterical!! I'm still with the bag and I get up at 2 am to dump the bag.........and let the dog out to go potty!!!! 😎
2 Am guess we all have about the same time
Cassie
So I am going to have to get up early to take synthroid so I can eat breakfast at my normal time? If I eat breakfast at 7 am I need to be up at 5 am to take the synthroid?
Doesn't have to be two hours before you eat just on an empty stomach. So if your stomach is empty at midnight take it then.
It does need to be spaced 2-4 hours from any calcium or iron supplements. You got this. And yes, parathyroids are important and all attempts are made to not disrupt them during thyroidectomy....like Jan said.
2 hours before any other medications or food, per my new endocrinologist. Plus she said to take it at the same time daily. I think the 2 am suggested times are great ideas I have to take my PPI and wait a while before eating so I have a 3 hour before food issue. I have an alarm pillbox but sleep through the alarms. I have it set for the thyroid med, then GERD and the at 4 hours after the thyroid time to take vitamins and a 4th time for my mid afternoon medications.
I sleep through the alarms so now have my cell phone alarms going off too. I am a professional sick person and hate it!
Originally Posted by dew:Let me clarify what I meant. You don't have to eat in two hours.
Doesn't have to be two hours before you eat just on an empty stomach. So if your stomach is empty at midnight take it then.
Hey everyone I attached below a selfie of my sutures so you can see where they did the incision.
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It looks like someone tried to slash your throat! It will heal nicely and was probably just longer because they needed to insure they got it all out. It's just a little bit longer than what happened to a lady I know who had goiter surgery.
It looks good from here! Glad you are feeling up to selfies.