I have not written a blog in some time. I have been preparing for a total knee revision surgery, which I had on March third. For those people not familiar with a knee revision surgery, it is a sort of " last ditch surgery" one has after a failed knee replacement surgery. I had my knee replaced a couple of years ago, and since then, I have not enjoyed the benefits that most people seem to have after this surgery. My knee had only gotten worse- limiting my mobility, increasing the pain and swelling in my leg, and requiring the use of my cane. Worst of all, it limited my interactions with my grandchildren.
My surgeon ( a new one!) had to remove the old joint and cement , realign the ligaments, as well as removing what he called " a ton of scar tissue." At this point I started to wonder, could my joint failure have anything to do with me being hypothyroid due to being "thyroid-less" after having had thyroid cancer? Is there a possible link between being hypothyroid and delayed wound healing? Here is what I found out...
According to a statement issued by Pubmed.Nih.Gov., " in the state of hypothyroidism, a decrease was observed in type IV collagen and hydroxproline during the proliferative phase of wound healing. This indicated that the state of hypothyroidism constitutes an important factor in delaying wound healing."
Without making this blog too dry and technical, I will now include a few key word definitions which will hopefully help explain why we thyroid cancer and hypothyroid patients have trouble with wound healing.
COLLAGEN: the main structural protein found in the body's connective tissues. Along with being added to almost every OTC beauty cream, ointment, treatment, etc, collagen has many other important functions, such as providing our skin with structure and strengthening our bones. As a person ages, the body produces less and lower quality collagen. Interestingly enough, collagen requires ascorbic acid ( Vitamin C) for some of it's stability.
HYDROXPROLINE: an amino acid that is one of the major components of collagen. It is a diagnostic marker of bone turnover. As an interesting side note, in France, it is being used experimentally in a topical gel called Cicactive for small, superficial wounds. I am not aware of any studies citing the efficacy or success of this treatment. What is known, though, is that collagen is one of the building blocks of connective tissue such as skin, bone and cartilage. ( Cartilage also weakens with age.) When these tissues are damaged, hydroxproline is necessary to repair the damage.
To summarize, say a person is hypothyroid or has no thyroid due to cancer. That same person has major surgery or unfortunately has an accident - but either way, ends up with a major wound to deal with. Being hypothyroid or thyroid-less makes it more difficult to heal this person's wound. Now what? Is there anything this person can do to aid in the process of wound healing?
YES! We can increase collagen and hydroxproline levels through diet. I am a big fan of using dietary measures to obtain the necessary vitamins and minerals that one needs. I am certainly not against using vitamin and mineral supplements in tablet/capsule forms, but IMHO, if possible, dietary measures are best.
According to several articles that I have read, including one in the website, Healthline, protein production in the body can be increased by making sure one eats foods rich in:
* Vitamin C- citrus fruits, strawberries and bell peppers contain large amounts
* Proline- egg whites, dairy products, cabbage, asparagus, and mushrooms are good sources
* Glycine- chicken skin, gelatin, and other protein containing foods
* Copper- organ meats ( yuck), sesame seeds, cocoa powder ( I am on board here!), cashews and lentils
These are four of the nutrients that are helpful in producing collagen. Of course, eating high quality protein will provide the body with the amino acids that it needs.
To summarize, we hypothyroid and thyroid-less patients are sort of in the hole when it comes to wound healing. Eating a healthy diet that contains the above mentioned nutrients can help. Right after my surgery, I craved certain foods that I later learned were good choices for wound healing. I think that it is important to " listen to one's body" for signals as to what foods might help. Of course, I am not sure that my desire for chocolate was entirely driven by my body's need for more protein production. But that is my explanation, and I am sticking to it!
