No, I had no problems with taste or anything like that. Your diet will be very restricted for the time that you are not allowed to consume iodine. You'd be surprised how much food has iodine in it. I found that frustrating, and then being so tired just cranked up my frustration level. You can definitely eat healthy though.
The daily synthroid pill is the tiniest pill you will probably ever take In your life. And I would find it hard to believe that it has any type of side effect, as it is just replacing our hormone that our absent thyroid can no longer provide us with.
I think I was supposed to stay away from people(mainly pregnant women and kids) for about a week, maybe two. I still went to work because I have my own office. My name is CJ, so they called me X-Ray for a whIle.
For us it is a bit traumatic, but for the surgeons it is considered a fairly routine surgery. Not that that is a HUGE comfort, but every little bit of reassurance helps.
p.s. I know almost 10 people that have had thyroid cancer and we're all doing fine. Another reassuring fact for you.
CJ