[acgaravalia]

#1070239

Freakin HILARIOUS!! I remember thinking the same thing… I even told my son that "Mommy is the HULK now!" ” title=”Smile” />
Good to have you on here, hope everyone can provide the support and answers you (and I, for that matter..) need!
Good luck with everything!

[inor]

#1070240

"j_rush" wrote:

i mean, this canister was bigger than a pop can, had a 1 inch gap between the outer plastic wall and the inner lead liner, and in the lead liner was a plastic vial with 3 pills in it. this much caution just to transport something, and I’m supposed to eat it?

Too Funny! I just had RAI Treatment on Tuesday and I couldn’t agree with you more!

[Hopeful23]

#1070241

Oh my goodness you are too much. I however didnt think of it that way. My experience was not relateable to any of that. I walked in and my radioloiist tech had gloves on and handed me a sodium iodine pill bottle and said okay dont use your hands just put in your mouth at the back of your throat and swolloW fast. My actual rai however was similar. When they read your uptake scan the radioloiist determins your dose. I had a dose of 15 milicuries. This was when the freezer like canister was brought in that had another pop up canister that had a baby canister that had lining that opened up to my three colorful pills. They told me NOT TO touch them and you can always decline treatment you are not ready. I just thought to myself well it cant get any more awkward or weird than this i guess. Then i took them and every minute becomes part of my graves disease history:) i get the h cap too since im a broke unemployed college student and cant find anyone to insure me. I mention graves they hang up on me. Lol.

[j_rush]

#1019228

Okay. So i’m a broke college student with no medical insurance dealing with graves’. "Can’t afford to be sick, can’t afford to get well." That’s what I started telling people. Well what I did was get the paperwork from the hospital to apply for charity care. they wanted me to apply for state and county assistance before I could apply for hospital help. The county and state were very prompt to respond and give me denial letters to bring in (they are used to this I guess). I turned in my paperwork and the very very (insert a million verys) nice lady in the business office helped me, and put my paperwork through. Turns out they covered 100% of my blood work, and it looks as though they are going to cover expenses that I incur through the hospital. I am also filling out the same paperwork for my endo’s office (no endo in town have to drive nearly 2 hours to see one). Looks like I will walk away without having to give up an arm and a leg, just a little extra thyroxine, but hey i have plenty to spare.
I just got back from taking my dose of RAI for my uptake scan. There is something about taking pills that come in a lead sleeve that is bothersome. i mean, this canister was bigger than a pop can, had a 1 inch gap between the outer plastic wall and the inner lead liner, and in the lead liner was a plastic vial with 3 pills in it. this much caution just to transport something, and I’m supposed to eat it? All I know is that when I start to develop super powers, they better be good ones. I don’t want some crappy super power like the ability to sweat profusely (this is a power I already posses). I want either psychic powers or invisibility. One lady at the hospital said that it’s predetermined before I take the meds. she said someone decides that. I want to know who….. I think i need to bribe them.
Thanks,
Soon to be SUPER-Justin

[Sue_Conard]

#1070242

Kudos to you Justin!! To have "Graves" alone, in itself, is a challenge…but, to find a way to be medically treated for this monster as a broke college student, that’s AWESOME, WONDERFUL!! Keep pushing for the super powers!! We’re here to support you!!

[runlacie]

#1070243

Good Luck, Justin! I am new here, too, and took my pills for the scan yesterday. I told my son I would probably glow in the dark. He was disappointed last night when I didn’t.

[vintagegreen]

#1070244

I love the camaraderie this forum has. Honestly, other groups I’ve joined scare the heck out of me…..I am avoiding my email now for fear of seeing 100+ emails each day from frantic patients having questions and seeking advice.

Two of my major goals are remaining as calm as I can throughout this journey and changing my lifestyle to have way better habits and exercise, so I can have the mental clarity to be well informed and aware of my body and its changes. (Not as easily put into practice yet since we all are familiar with the graves emotions.) ” title=”Wink” />

Now…. my super power came only after after swallowing a small antibiotic-looking capsule from a small plastic orange bottle inside a small metal sleeve. I hesitated like I suspected I would, drilled the radiological tech, and then swallowed the pill. Mine looked inconspicuous.

I did find myself changing from being a mostly self-centered, assured, confident person to a person more humbled by life’s curveballs, one who I think will continue to be amazed by the wealth of sincerity "out" there. People the rest of the week I encountered were nicer to me. One incident was after leaving the 24 hrs check in "Nuclear Medicine" when my mother and I stopped to eat at Arby’s. The employee said, " We hope you enjoy your meal, now." After not being able to order a big apple juice with my meal –rather a small kid’s one was offered, the lady apologized to me again once I returned to the counter to ask for more water. I’m one of those people who usually picks up on when people are sincere and not just going through the motions. Her approach, however small, jolted me in a way that kindness before May hadn’t affected me. Perhaps it is the uncontrollable emotions i feel and the need sometimes to suppress them. I swear the rest of my week I was receptive to that kind of treatment from others. While I don’t consider it pity since she did not know me, I now feel better able to relate to others and maybe now I’m more open to becoming a better version of myself. Oh, and my diagnosis has inspired me to write again, something I put away for a long time.

I was an English teacher for 8 years prior to this, so there are some things that Graves has not changed.

Thanks Justin for starting this thread!
April

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