[ely2009]

#1071291

Wow – you sound so mentally prepared for your RAI. It’s so hard – but SO IMPORTANT – to stay positive. I hope I feel as confident about my decision about what to do next (currently just 7 weeks into ATDs) when that time comes.

Good luck,

Emily

[Ski]

#1071292

The radiation we receive overall with RAI equates to something akin to a LONG day in the sun. The issue with radiation isn’t that a certain amount at once will cause harm, it has more of a lifelong cumulative effect, so the goal is to reduce the cumulative exposure wherever we can. That’s one of the big reasons we isolate, to keep others from having unnecessary exposure. We need it, it is a therapeutic dose intended to return us to health.

The tech MAY have been referring to the dose for uptake/scan when he said RAI wouldn’t affect your thyroid function. The scan/uptake is done with a different, non-damaging form of RAI. The treatment dose of RAI will absolutely affect your thyroid function, you have that right. It gets into the thyroid and destroys the thyroid cells. The goal is to make you hypo and from then on, your thyroid hormone levels will be managed with replacement hormone.

RAI does not affect the parathyroids. The only organ that takes up iodine is the thyroid, so that’s the only one that will have RAI within it. The rest of your exposure has to do with the RAI that is NOT taken up into the thyroid, and so is excreted through the body’s fluid waste systems ~ mostly urine, but a little bit in your saliva and sweat. For that reason, you will be instructed to drink lots of water and urinate frequently in the first 48 hours. After that, the only RAI that remains will be contained in your thyroid, and it will reduce by half every 8 days (that’s the half-life of the RAI they use for our dose).

ENJOY your friend’s birthday celebration! I’m glad you found a way to celebrate!

[Hopeful23]

#1019379

Hello everyone ” title=”Smile” />
I went to Nuc med today and took the sodium Iodine pill. I go tomorrow at 9 to get the scan. The tech today really made me feel at ease. He was so understanding and responsive to my concerns. He told me to write down any questions I have for the radiologist when I get my RAI Tuesday at 9am. I really don’t know what to ask other than the obvious. How much radiation will my other tissue and organs receive. What are the long term and short term effects from the radiation. The tech also mentioned that the RAI doesnt effect the actual function of the thyroid. That kinda threw me off a little. I dont understand what he means by that. I thought the RAI will just kill it off and i was assuming that affected the function to becoming under active. If anyone could inform me on other questions to ask I would appreciate it. OH yeah, I am also asking how this will affect my heart rate. I am so excited to get this done. This is really the best option for me. The surgery has way too many life altering side effects even though they are rare it can still happen. Also, doest the rai kill off the parathyroid glands?

Im having a good day today ” title=”Smile” /> Just finished up shopping for my bf bday…since its the same day i get the RAI we are celebrating it Monday ” title=”Smile” />….

Your all in my prayers and thoughts.
Krystal

[Author]

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