Seven months post RAI

It's been seven months after my radioactive iodine therapy.  Yesterday, i went to my endocrinologist as I have been having palpitations the past two weeks.  There is also discomfort on the operated site.  I feel like scabs are developing inside my throat.

I had an ultrasound as ordered by my surgeon.  On the neck ultrasound, everything is as expected postoperatively and thank God no vascularity.  Though there is a benign lymph node that was seen.

To be sure, my endocrinologist ordered for Thyrogen stimulated RAI scan.  He said that it has smaller dose than what i had during the treatment, maybe about 4 mCi only and one day inpatient stay.

Still waiting for my insurance approval.

How to prevent boredom while in isolation

The RAI treatment for thyroid cancer requires a patient to be isolated in an all leaded room for a minimum of three days if it is done inpatient.  I was hospitalized for three days and was instructed to stay in my own room not sharing toilets with anybody.  So, what did I do to keep myself boredome free during the isolation?

1.  Smart TV and wifi.  This is a perfect match.  Strong wifi is a ++.  There are a lot of things  to browse on the net.  Good thing, the American Hospital Dubai has a well-equipped ablation room.

2.  Movie marathon.  Watching one movie takes about two hours.  In 24 hours, one can watch about 12 movies without breaks ha ha ha.

3.  Coloring book.  Adult coloring book are IN now a days.  It is a stress reliever and it brings out the creativity in oneself.

4.  Books.  Read lots of books.

5.  Pray.  Do not forget the most important use of your time, a conversation with God.

Freedom!

Just a few hours after I woke up on day three of my isolation, the radiation level came down to 9 uSV.  Today is my freedom day!!  I was discharged by Dr. Yang but to be continued to be isolated in my own room.  Below are my "aquarium selfie" collection with my visitors.

my very entertaining nurse :)

My nurse

Ablation day 2

Woke up at 2:38 a.m. because the autoflush of the toilet has been flushing every 15 seconds.  I had to stand up and walk to the toilet to check if thereg  is any ghost ha ha ha only to find out that the platic for my trash was being detected by th autoflush.  Afte taking the RAI pill, i had tp flush two to three times to totally flush the radiation.  Wide awake until 4 am.  Then slept again til 7 am ro take myThyroxine.

Now on day two.  Yesterday was a breeze.  No adverse effects except for the headache due to the extended fasting i did.  Last breakfast was 8:30 a.m. only with boiled white eggs and orange juice. 

My first meal was back to regular diet but still no seafoods. Fair enough.  I sipped lemons and finally ate a regular diet.  Nom nom.  The meal is placed in a box.  All are in disposables and there is a special refrigerator for my food trash. It's called the decay storage (see picture of the brown cabinet below). This is a freezer thta is covered in a brown cabinet.  And oh, did i tell you the room is all lead inside the walls.  The nurses also covered all handles with plastic cling wrap even the mobile phones.

I had breakfast as in bug breakfast.  I also changed my beddings and cleaned my toilet.  I was also able to chat with my family back home. After cleaning my room,  i took a long shower and sat down to watch but suddenly i felt my heart beating fast.  Palpitations? I called the nurse and she told me to takr a deep breath.  I was ok after a few minutes.

Ablation Day: Step 5 RAI

I am now in the ablation room ohee American Hospital Dubai.  After my second dose of Thyrogen earlier, this is it.  Three hours after the last dose of Thyrogen, bloods were extracted.

About 3:15 p.m. i took the RAI tablet. It is a white tablet sealed in a gray bucket all lead covered (see picture)  There is a tube like straw that the technician puts in the bucket to pick up the tablet.  But when picking up the tablet, i had to do it myself as the technician had to stay far away from me.

So i picked up the tube and put the other end of the tube in my mouth with tablet sliding through the tube to my mouth and with water i pushed it down my stomach. The dose was 105.2 mCi.

Dr. Yang, the technician and the nurse were all outside my room.
I was instructed to lie down for 10 minutes to measure my radiation level.

The level was 163 uSV wohoooo....