[Anonymous January 19, 1997 at 7:10 pm Post count: 93172]

#1165581

Amee,

They will dump a radioactive pill (a decent sized capsule) into your mouth
from a lead container. You’ll come back usually in six hours and lay
on a special table in an awkward position, with your head lower than
your throat so that your neck is very exposed. They move this large
instrument over you and before the imagine. Your doctor may have
you return the next day for a 24 hour scan (mine did)…there can be
a big difference in uptakes which can help diagnose properly.

Laying on the table is uncomfortable but not painful or horrible. I was
too hyper at the time and being still was the hardest part. (Well, I’m
not good at swallowing big pills either and that was rough). The
pill never made me sick at all. The only thing I could not do was have my children
close to my throat for 48 hrs, especially my baby.

Hope this helps! Glynis

[Anonymous January 19, 1997 at 7:39 pm Post count: 93172]

#1165582

Why couldn’t you get near your baby after the test?

Why is the pill given from that container? What exactly is in the pill?

Thanks for your help.
Amee

[Anonymous January 19, 1997 at 10:25 pm Post count: 93172]

#1165583

Oh, really? Gee, I had the inside of my thighs radiated, not the neck. I know, it’s really weird but I was sitting there wondering what the hay was going on with these doctors. My thighs weren’t my neck, but the thighs were telling a different story. That was in the beginning, when I was diagnossed with this disease. The time I wanted to have RAI ( it was because the ER doctor was really about to GIVE it to me!) well, that was when they radiated the neck using an awkward x-ray machine. Then I heard the radiologist doctor say to another “Boy ! Is SHe HoT!!” Went through Radiation treatments: Nurse was the only person in the room and she had shielded herself so much, I thought that I was some kind of alien.. It didn’t hurt as Glynis said, but I had unusual sweats fo 48 hours. I also was in the dormatory at school. Officials were aware of me, but shrugged their shoulders. What else can I say?
I’ts not bad: it’s a good thing. If you have a good radiologist, they will explain how much you will be swallowing (amount), what to do, how to eat and what foods to avoid.
My radiologist said to avoid Seaweed (something that is common in my diet). He said that he’s trying to trick the thyroid:(as if it had a mind!) into taking the radiated iodine.
Don’t be afraid of people: even though they will be somewhat reluctant to approach you. To me, I had fun with that. No, you won’t be “glowing in the dark”, either.

Ann

[Anonymous January 19, 1997 at 11:32 pm Post count: 93172]

#1057274

I will be having the thyroid uptake test. Can anyone tell me
exactly what will happen? Will the “pill” that I have to take
make me ill? Any side effects? Thanks

[Anonymous January 20, 1997 at 6:49 am Post count: 93172]

#1165584

You will be given a very small dose of radioactive iodine for the the uptake test. Very small. You will be advised not to eat certain things (like shellfish, but I cannot remember other things) for 48 hours before the test, because this will interfere with the results. There are NO side effects, and you do not have to take any additional precautions after you have taken the pills. What they do is give you a measured dose, and then twenty four hours later you come back and they take a reading from your neck area, and compute how much of the radioactive iodine has been absorbed into your thyroid. “Normal” uptake is anywhere from 5% to 30% of the dose that you were given. Try to think of it as getting your teeth x-rayed. It’s that simple.

Good luck.

Bobbi

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