Radioactive!!!

Now that I have your attention. :)

You must be wondering what I am talking about.

  

Radioactive iodine treatment.   (RAI)

Don't worry: Glowing in the dark is not one of the radioactive iodine treatment side effects. Even though that would be pretty cool!

This is all going to sound crazy!!

Here goes-------->

I have talked to a lady, who is a nurse, who went through the RAI recently. I will tell you what she has told me to expect. Then I will put the information that my doctor gave me.

I will be given the pill at the hospital. In a closed room, where the doctor and nurse are the only other people in the room with me. The nurse will bring the pill in a metal container. She will open it and pour the pill in my hand. I will take it with water, lots of water. I will not be able to drive myself home since I will not know how the iodine will affect me. Some people have severe vomiting or diarrhea. But I will have to sit as far as I can away from Tim. I will be in the back seat on the passenger’s side. Once I get home I will have to go to my room where I will stay, by myself, for the next 7 - 10 days. Quarantine or isolation. Call it what you want. It is going to really suck!  

When I need to eat, someone will have to bring it to my closed door. They will put it on the table outside my room, knock on my door and head back down the hallway. (Staying at least 6 feet away.) I will then be allowed to open the door to get the food, then close the door quickly. I will eat with disposable plates, cups and silverware.

I will need to shower 2 - 3 times a day. This will help wash away the radiation. When I use the bathroom, I will need to close the lid and flush 3 times. Washing my hands must be done for 5 minutes.

My clothes will need to be changed each time I shower. I will need to use a clean towel each time. I am going to change my sheets daily. You are most likely thinking that this sounds inconvenient, but do-able. Here is the fun part. I am not supposed to wash my clothes, any bedding or towels for 2 weeks. I am going to put them in a bag and wait to wash them until the radioactivity is down to a safe level.

I will have my phone and computer. I figure I will be watching lots of TV and reading quite a bit. I do want to get a cross-stitch pattern to work on during that time.

I will go stir crazy!! My room and bathroom will be spotless by time my quarantine is over.

My 2 dogs and cat will have to be boarded somewhere away from home. The radiation can affect them too.

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2 weeks before receiving RAI therapy, a special diet is required. My doctor will provide me with specifics, but a few general items to avoid include:

•  Seafood

•  Processed food

•  Iodized salt

•  Dairy
•  Chocolate
•  Bacon
•  Ham
•  Any foods with iodine
•  No vitamin pills or drugs with iodine

I-131 is an isotope of iodine. An isotope is a variation of an element. In this case, iodine has been altered, making the nucleus unstable. This causes it to emit radiation.

Although everyone dislikes the thought of any radiation, radioiodine therapy is a common medical procedure that is used to treat papillary or follicular thyroid cancer. This treatment will destroy cancerous thyroid cells, along with normal thyroid cells, that remained in the body after a near-total or total thyroidectomy or if the thyroid cancer had spread to other body parts.

I-131 can be taken in a capsule form and will enter the blood stream. The thyroid gland, which needs iodine to make thyroid hormone, takes up the radioactive iodine out of the blood.

Thyroid cells -- even those cancerous thyroid cells that may have spread throughout the body -- absorb the radioactive I-131 substance. The radioactive material destroys them -- ablates them.

Radioiodide emits beta radiation and gamma radiation.

The beta radiation is what destroys the thyroid tissue. It does the work in this medical procedure.

Beta radiation only leaves the body through touch or through body secretions -- such as mucus, saliva, urine, perspiration, and stool.

In general for the first week or so, touching your loved ones or touching a surface that your loved ones may touch -- such as a shower, sink, or toilet -- can cause the beta radiation to be absorbed by them.

Because you don't want to expose them to I-131, which will then travel to their thyroid and destroy a little bit of it, you will want to follow a few guidelines, which are listed below. The same is true about body secretions. They need to be kept in the waste-stream.

Gamma radiation is the raying radiation and will come out of the body. This means that close contact with adults should be limited. You should stay about 10 feet away the day after treatment and about 6 feet away for at least a week to 10 days.

Your doctor will give you an individual timeline because he/she will know how much I-131 you received and how long it will take to pass through your urine and perspiration.

No public appearances during that time, either!

After radioiodine treatment, most of the material will be eliminated from your body through urine in a few days.

As mentioned, the amount of time it takes will depend on the amount of I-131 received, and your doctor will provide individualized guidelines for you.

In general, though, your radiation exposure will be low, will fall off rapidly, and will fall off with distance.

A few precautions, which you still should ask your doctor about, include:

·         On the ride home from therapy, sit as far away from the driver as possible -- i.e., in the passenger's side of the backseat.

·         Stay at home. Now's not the time to go to the movies, work, school, etc.

·         Drink a lot of fluids, which is said to lower radiation exposure to your bladder.

·         Some doctors recommend sucking on sour candy, which can help bring the radioactive iodine out in your saliva.

 What to expect after radioactive iodine therapy

·       Adults should stay about 6 feet away from the treated person

·         Avoid children and pregnant women like the plague for a week

·         No smooching, no sex

·         Don't sleep in the same room as your partner

·         Don't share linens -- i.e., towels, washcloths, bed sheets

·         Wash those linens and personal clothing separately

·         Wash your hands with soap after a potty break

·         Flush the toilet, with the lid down, 3 times after use (and keep it and the area around it super clean)

·         Men need to sit down when urinating to keep splashing minimal

·         Wash sinks and tubs thoroughly after each use

·         Take 2 or more showers a day

·         Use disposable eating utensils

·         Please be sure to understand and ask your doctor and/or treatment center questions about what you can and can't do after radiation exposure.

 

Although your dose may be low, it is not a good idea to expose loved ones when they don't need to be.

After RAI Treatment:

Radioactive iodine 131 side effects

Short-term side effects are minimal. They can include:

·         A tender neck

·         Nausea

·         Upset stomach

·         Swollen and tender salivary glands

·         Dry mouth, metallic taste in mouth

·         Sore throat

·         Fatigue

·         Taste changes

·         Pain

·         Constipation or diarrhea.

The long-term effects of radiation therapy include a shrunken or nonexistent thyroid gland. This will cause hypothyroidism, which is an under-active or not active thyroid. Hypothyroidism is a medical condition that requires daily thyroid hormone replacement medication.

Also, years after treatment, a minute number of patients develop a second cancer.

Despite all the radiation safety needed with I-131 exposure, these precautions will keep your loved ones and the public safe.

Being holed up may seem worse than any radioactive iodine treatment side effects!