It has been 2 years now since my thyroidectomy. I read through my blog post from a year ago and thought about the changes over the past year. This year has been easier than last year. I do still miss my thyroid (I always will) but as time passes, I adjust to my new normal. My doctor tells me that it will never be the same as having a thyroid, but with the right dosage of medication it can be close.

One of the small improvements this past year has been in my voice. For a long time after surgery it was hard to sing. I love to sing. After surgery my throat would feel tight and it would be uncomfortable to sing an entire song. I would feel an irritation in my throat and it would get sore. This lasted months and months. I am enjoying having my voice back to normal. I can turn up my music and sing as loud as I want! At Church on Sunday mornings I can make it through all the songs again. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference for me.

Last year I switched endocrinologists and I do think that my new doctor is much more in tune with how I feel. I have heard from others and also read that it can take a year to get the correct dosage for thyroid replacement medication. It is a slow process. Excruciatingly slow! I’ve still needed tweaks in my dosage even recently. When I started taking my medication, it was less than 2/3rds of the amount that I ended up needing. My doctor knew I would need it increased substantially after my first blood test. Medication is increased slowly over time to give the body time to adjust. In the first few months after surgery I gained 20-25 pounds. Overall, about 30- 35 pounds. I was tired… all … the….time! Eventually the doctor increased the dosage enough that I was okay for awhile. I do feel better for much longer stretches of time now.

Me versus the weight! Surgery is a major stress on the body. I have had a hard time with losing the extra weight. I tried during the 1st year from time to time and my body just wasn’t ready. At least, that’s my theory. This past five months has been the first time that I’ve had any success. Since January I have lost a little over 12 pounds and I have been able to keep it off so far. I’m hopeful that I will be able to feel good and be at a healthy weight long term. I’m not trying to fit into a certain size but I am trying to be as fit and healthy as I can be.

I try to run and I’ve been able to work back up to a 5k several times. I say run but it is a slow jog. It’s a little frustrating but I am happy that overall I’ve been able to make some progress. I’m not sure if I will ever get back up to a 10k or not. Again, I will try to be as fit and healthy as I can. I have found that I feel much better when I am running and making healthier food choices.

I don’t know what the next year will bring but I am thankful that I continue to feel better.