Okay, I am long winded today, so will do this in two posts.
I had Graves disease. I think I had it for long time, since I was a kid, before they actually decided what it was. The first doctor, an internist, thought that they could slow my thyroid down by giving me a smaller amount of radioactive iodine. Not enough to kill all of it, but just slow it down. That was the first mistake. It didnt work, I was still hyper. Then they thought they could take half of my thyroid by surgery, and that would make it so I wouldn't have to take medicine the rest of my life. I wouldn't recommend that route to anyone. First, find a doctor that really knows what they are doing and then just get the whole thing out! So much easier and you won't have to deal with more surgeries, etc... and taking the meds is not all that bad.
Fast forward 10 years, and I feel something weird one day when I swallow.. like something snagged. It turned out to bea fairly large cancerous thyroid tumor... follicular type. I had surgery to have the rest of my thyroid out (that should have been taken out the first time). Afterwards,I was given some rounds of I-131 radioactive Iodine to kill any remaining cells....which I had because the surgeon was concerned about my vocal chords, and I had thyroid tissue and scar tissue left from the first surgery. Then several scans over the next few years to make sure there was no spread. So far so good. Now my endocrinologist keeps me on the hyper-thyroid side, which keeps any thyroid cells (if any remain in the body) from growing. That is why they do the scans... they give you just a little low-level radioactive iodine which would be taken up by any thyroid cells in your body and will glow when you have your scans..that is how they tell if they have migrated any place else.
So... I am now 11 years out, and the doctor finally said "It looks like this is not going to shorten your life any". Great words to finally hear. I've pretty much been through it all... twice. Whatever you do, make sure you have a well respected surgeon and doctor, preferably an endocrinologist.....
So... I actually have two scars... the 2nd surgeon tried to go over the first...did a pretty good job. Now it is just a fine white line... maybe a little more noticable than others, but still pretty light. Use the Vitamin E oil, like someone else suggested.
And if anyone has to go on a low iodine diet, I have some good recipes!
Sorry to be so long winded, but you can tell, this is something that I am passionate about sharing with others who are facing surgery and treatments. Thanks for "listening"!