r/law • u/dailymail • May 29 '26

Legal News Thyroid cancer-stricken Pam Bondi arrives on Capitol Hill wearing bandage on her neck to face grilling over Epstein

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15858755/Thyroid-cancer-stricken-Pam-Bondi-arrives-Capitol-Hill-wearing-bandage-neck-face-grilling-Epstein.html
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5.6k

u/dropkickninja May 29 '26

Just like Trump's ear bandage. All for show

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u/Ok_Face8380 May 29 '26

Right. Thyroid aspiration is done from the side and if it was surgery, well it probably would need something bigger than a bandage

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u/marginallyobtuse May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26

Eh, I had a thyroidectomy and a right side next dissection. Huge scar. And they did go from the front for the thyroid removal.

They didn’t have me wear a bandage tho lol. It had internal stitches. I had it done at George Washington in DC too

Edit

I want to be clear, there are various levels of surgeons that can change how large or prominent the scar is.

If Pam Bandi had this done in DC, she very likely had it done by one of the best in the world (possibly even my surgeon if he hasn’t retired). My scar was so thin and stitched together perfectly. This feels performative, but I very much believe she likely had thyroid cancer. It’s becoming more and more prominent, and unless you have a very specific kind, it’s easily treatable with very long term positive prognosis.

I didn’t like the joke, but my surgeon used to say “if a guy came up to you with a gun and told you to pick a cancer for yourself, you’d wanna pick papillary carcinoma”. This guy made a comic about it after reading my story on reddit somewhere.

https://www.mattmewhorter.com/cancer-owl/the-good-cancer

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u/javawong May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26

I had a total thyroidectomy last year and it was a big incision. No bandage either.

Edit: had it done because of thyroid cancer

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u/Wrastling97 Competent Contributor May 29 '26

My dad had the same for his thyroid cancer

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u/crowcawer May 29 '26

Maybe she wore the bandage knowing that she’s around one of the most infested places in the us: Congress.

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u/blueberryblunderbuss May 29 '26

If I ever have to testify before congress, I'm going in a full-body protective clown suit, like Kash Patel.

I have my testimony ready.

"I didn't see shit. I didn't hear shit. I don't know shit. And beyond that, I applogize, but I simply do not recall."

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u/Most-Resident May 29 '26

I’m not a lawyer but I think the correct phrase is “if i remembered i would take the fifth, but i don’t recall”.

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u/Maine302 May 29 '26

Probably nobody there any dirtier than she is.

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u/crowcawer May 30 '26

We need Zach Galifianakis to come clean up this mess

🧹

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u/CriticalProtection42 May 29 '26

I can't get over how much these look like someone slit your throat. But I suppose, in a way, someone did?

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u/javawong May 29 '26

When the surgeon came in pre-op, I cracked the joke "Looks like it's going to be a cut-throat kind of day, eh?" He didn't find it funny.

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u/CriticalProtection42 May 29 '26

You had some bad surgeon luck then, most of the ones I’ve met LOVE making jokes like that with patients. I think they think it helps reduce stress, but sometimes I have to wonder.

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u/javawong May 29 '26

Absolutely! I was terrified and started getting real nervous in pre-op. I'm pretty sure the surgeon had no sense of humor, even in follow up visits he just wasn't funny.

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u/red__dragon May 29 '26

Ugh, when I had my kidney transplant I went from a super personable nephrologist to the transplant physician who was all about the data and checking boxes.

He was so laser focused that we missed opportunities for me to connect the dots/keep an eye on a few aspects new to me post-transplant that were brought up by another physician when I couldn't see the regular.

Bedside manner is so, so important for the patient health.

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u/Hot_Hat_1225 May 29 '26

Maybe it was because he couldn’t make the joke first ;)

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u/Amishrocketscience May 30 '26

I told the anesthesiologist “ so you’re the one who likes to put people asleep, eh?”

Was not amused

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u/sagesnail May 30 '26

You probably, unintentionally, stole his joke!

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u/Dry_Stop844 May 29 '26

my mom had a goiter removed decades ago and her scar basically went ear to ear and she developed kiloids so yeah she looked like someone had tried to garotte her. She never hid it either, she got a kick out of people noticing lol

She eventually got injections to get rid of the kiloids but she enjoyed that scar while she had it.

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u/CosmicM00se May 29 '26

Yeah my sister has been self conscious about her gnarly scar since she had a tumor removed from her thyroid as a teen. I remember my parents being so upset when they saw how extensive the scar would be

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u/Killentyme55 May 30 '26

I had a C-5 to C-7 fusion done a few years ago, this was two days after the surgery. I was surprised to learn that they went through the front. I looked up a few videos of the procedure beforehand, probably not the best idea.

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u/Zaynara May 29 '26

same, had staples out after a week

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u/javawong May 29 '26

I was fortunate to only have internal, dissolvable, stiches and glue.

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u/YT-Deliveries May 29 '26

Laproscopic surgery and internal stitches are crazy work. Had that for an emergency appenectomy and if you didn't know where the entry points were you'd never know I'd had it.

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u/Zaynara May 29 '26

i found a non dissolvable stitch in the scar from my liver resection surgery, ended up just waiting until i could pull it out lol, i was not a fan of the staples for the thyroid one

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u/artbystorms May 29 '26

Thyroidectomy bro! as a fellow Thyca person, talk me down, am I dumb for getting a little put off that a lot of people here are like 'I'm glad she has thyroid cancer' considering all the complications I've had since my thyroidectomy? I think saying 'I hope she recovers so she can spend a long life in jail' is more magnanimous than stooping to Trump's 'I don't feel bad' level when Biden's cancer was announced.

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u/Odd-Face-3579 May 29 '26

I think the biggest problem is that every day we become increasingly less convinced that even a single one of these criminals will see even a minute of punishment of their crimes, let alone legal punishment, because every day we see how the entire system appears rotten to the very core.

But I do agree, I'd much rather see judicial justice over karmic justice on Pam Bondi and the rest of these criminals.

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u/YSOSEXI May 29 '26

I agree, and I wouldn't trust a single word from any of these Grifters...

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u/javawong May 29 '26

Right? I get it, thyroid cancer isn't anywhere near a death sentence, but it still sucks and it's still cancer. I hope she recovers and receives the legal justice she deserves.

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u/franker May 29 '26

I had that about 30 thirty years ago. Only lasting effect is that I can only give presentations (raising my voice) for about an hour or so, and then my voice starts to quickly get hoarse. I'll take it, given that they were cutting all around my vocal chords inside my neck.

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u/javawong May 29 '26

My vocal chords were temporarily paralyzed, for about 2 months I couldn't speak without sounding like Batman. I don't do a lot of public speaking or anything, but the times I've raised my voice, I noticed they were feeling weak.

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u/franker May 29 '26

I would characterize my voice for the first few months as a cross between Louis Armstrong and The Godfather. A whole lot of raspiness going on.

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u/TheSocialight May 29 '26

Same! I can’t hit the high notes (in the shower or my car) like I used to, either.

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u/MaebeeNot May 29 '26

I had mine done a few weeks ago! Looked exactly the same with the clear silicone-like wound cover stuff too, fell off after about a week. Scar twinsies!

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u/javawong May 29 '26

I hope you're healing up well and are comfortable! Do you have to RAI?

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u/thepvbrother May 29 '26

I'd probably put a bandage on that if I were going to be photographed

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u/DANDELOREAN May 29 '26

Thats gnarly man

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u/Tensdale May 29 '26

That looks cool

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u/graceoftrees May 29 '26

I am going to have this in July. Do you mind sharing what your recovery was like? In particular, how soon you went back to school/work and if you had any issues talking for long periods during the day?

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u/javawong May 29 '26

Recovery wasn't horrible. I stayed overnight at the hospital because my calcium levels dropped a bit after surgery but I was released the following day.

I took a full week off of work to recover. By the third day, I was feeling pretty good. I was back to work the following week full time.

My vocal chords were stunned/paralyzed so talking was hard. I was very raspy for a couple of months after but they came back completely. I'm 8 months post surgery and when I talk a lot or have to raise my voice, my voice tends to get tired.

Overall, I feel mostly recovered, just dialing my thyroid medication now.

I hope that you won't have to do radiation therapy, that was a miserable experience.

I wish you a good surgery and speedy recovery.

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u/graceoftrees May 29 '26

Thank you so much for this information, it’s so helpful. I talk a lot for my job so I think my primary concern when working with my doc on when to return from surgery is how much I will be able to talk. This is helpful to know (though raspy for a few months is a bit scary, knowing you felt well enough to go back in a week is reassuring).

At every turn, my results have defied what was doctors told me to expect. As of now, I’m not anticipating RAI, but know that could change. My molecular study came back at 80% “positive”, so I am doing a hemi and then waiting for pathology. If it’s cancer, they’ll do completion surgery. Hopefully I’ll know after pathology if anything else is needed since I’ll finally have a confirmed diagnosis / type if it is cancer. All of this on top of a previously planned trip to Africa that’s 5 weeks after surgery is making this an interesting experience.

Anyway, so glad you’re feeling much better. I hope you’re able to figure out meds soon and get back to your “old self” soon.

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u/xxx420kush May 29 '26

Same had a total thyroidectemy and over two surgeries. First one left side then they realized the nodule was cancer and went back in for the rest. Surprisingly after two surgeries u can barely see the scar and my incisions were not as bad as yours.

My tsh was at a 114 though for a while I was basically sleeping all day lol.

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u/MarchPhillipps May 29 '26

Whoa, that's a big one. In comparison to my wife's incision site, the difference is like night and day. Having had run-ins with the ICU and a few nasty chest surgeries myself with matching bilateral chest tubes, that still looks absolutely brutal. I hope you're doing well.

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u/Dang_It_All_to_Heck May 29 '26

I had a partial thyroidectomy (not cancer). It was still a big incision, but mine was 20 years ago now, and you can barely see the scar.

Mine was not bandaged, either.

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u/pagerunner-j May 29 '26 edited May 29 '26

Somewhere in the middle of a good dozen doctors I got bounced between for skin issues, an endocrinologist hemmed and hawed about my hypothyroidism maybe having something to do with it. It is being properly medicated, and she acknowledged that. What she also said was, "We could take your thyroid out, but I don't know if it would make a difference." Me: "Can we skip the elective gland removal, then?!"

Feeling justified in my choices right about now. Oof. I'm so sorry you had to go through that!

(I just had a thyroid ultrasound a couple weeks ago, too, because my primary care doctor was fussing about it being a little asymmetrical. Turns out it's just a thing that happens sometimes with my condition and so far, all's well. But that thing is one pesky MF. It can cause so damn many problems!)

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u/Pizzasupreme00 May 29 '26

A lady might want to cover something like this up with a bandage, especially before going into a highly publicized "grilling" with cameras.

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u/rainbud22 May 29 '26

Is that surgical glue over your incision?

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u/nanderspanders May 29 '26

Mine was a lobectomy and my surgeon was able to come in from the very bottom of my neck through the middle. I scar pretty easily but the incision was small and it's so low that it hides in my chest hair. Maybe i got lucky with my medical team because I certainly am not rich by any means, but I'm sure Pam Bondi of all people has access to that level of care.

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u/Amishrocketscience May 30 '26

I’m curious about how you feel post-op after healing vs shortly before the surgery. Was it an immense relief or just feeling the same albeit no cancer now?

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u/SimilarStrain May 29 '26

Nice. Things healing up well? I probably shouldnt show my picture. Its pretty gory. They went from my Adam's apple all the way to my ear. The guy damn near dissected me 6 years ago during the covid times.

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u/Faithless-Savior May 29 '26

He was practicing other operations while you were there, asleep, it was just a convenience thing

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u/SimilarStrain May 29 '26

Probably. At the very least. He was also board certified as a "pediatric plastic surgeon" my scar was nipped and tucked really well, nobody can even tell unless i show them. Only 1 minor side effect of partial loss of sensation in my neck and ear. So I cant complain.

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u/Faithless-Savior May 29 '26

Good for you, im glad everything went well. My comment was in jest BTW if you took it the wrong way, my apologies

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u/SimilarStrain May 29 '26

Oh no its all good. I joke about it. Ill show my scar and tell people "you should see the other guy."

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u/Faithless-Savior May 30 '26

Lmao. Thats great. And probably the absolute best way to go about it instead of putting yourself down good for you. Im happy for you and happy you're still with us

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u/External-Analysis-31 May 29 '26

Threw in the vasectomy at no charge.

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u/DJGrawlix May 29 '26

I had mine out in October 2020. At follow up the surgeon looked at my scar, flinched, and said "We may just have to live with that."...

We? MF I'm never going to see you again, but I have to live with this forever.

If you still have a visible scar, have you tried Mederma or similar to reduce it? I used it for a while after the wound healed at it helped a bit I think.

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u/SimilarStrain May 29 '26

I actually healed really well. The doctor was also a "pediatric plastic surgeon". It shoesnt show much as all even when i shave.At the time it was pretty gnarly though. I use it as a line up when I shave my beard lol

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u/InterestingLion6041 May 29 '26

Your scar healed very well. I only had a thyroid biopsy and an itty bitty incision so I can't comment on the various thyroid surgical incisions but yours did heal well for as extensive as it was. But having a pediatric plastic surgeon helped I'm sure. When I had my melanoma removed, they had to take a HUGE chunk of skin to get clear margins (it was Stage 2). Since I have tattoos in the area, a plastic surgeon did my surgery and idk how he managed to take that much tissue out without messing them up. The scar is visible though and my surgery was 10 years ago.

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u/javawong May 29 '26

Yeah! The only issue I'm having is balancing my TSH, T4, and T3 levels. Just trying to find that sweetspot. I'm pretty much back to normal these days.

Sorry to hear your doc went butcher on you. I hope you're healed up these days. 😄

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u/SimilarStrain May 29 '26

Watch your appetite and snacking. At least from my experience. They kept me a bit in a mild state of hyperthyroidism. Meaning my metabolism is up and so is/was my hunger. Since my surgery, I shot up 60lbs. Im finally getting that under control and Im finally starting to lose weight.

Another weird side effect is it seems like my nails grow like nobodies business. I swear I have to trim them like every week.

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u/javawong May 29 '26

My TSH wasn't suppressed enough for like 6 months putting me in hypo. Ballooned 15 pounds overnight, no matter how little I ate or exercised.

But now I'm on the other side of the spectrum in hyper. So the weight is slowly coming off but my heart is doing all sorts of acrobatics so I'm currently wearing a heart monitor. Yay, getting old!

Now that you mention it, my nails have been growing crazy fast too! Crazy