Re: RAI today

[Guest guest]

>

> Dose was 150, geiger counter reading was 35. I'm home. Took

compazine

> immediately after the radiation drink, wasn't going to find out if

I

> vomited or not. Compazine knocked me flat, slept for 3 hrs. I

waited

> 9 hrs before taking another compazine, but became - do I want to

> perhaps vomit, or be knocked out. No other problems today from

RAI. I

> already drink lots of water, so have done the same plus have sugar

free

> candies to suck on.

>

> I'm getting tired of not having much energy. RAI doc said I could

> start replacement hormone, I start Sat or Sun, depending on when

the

> med gets picked up at the pharmacy. Surgeon phoned in

prescription to

> pharmacy. I suppose instructions will be on the bottle and info

sheet

> with the med. He only said to take it every day. Even my energy

pre

> operation was better than this, would love to even get back to

that

> energy level.

>

> Next appt is with surgeon, post wbs. Surgeon appt 9th, wbs the

2nd.

> On my own I made a new patient appt with an endo, that's the

middle of

> Dec. I saw an endo once before operation, he ordered the

inflammation

> test(?), family doc had already set up thyroid scan and biopsy.

After

> the biopsy results, endo phoned me and said to get it removed.

I'm doc

> shopping, so trying another endo. No doc has told me I should be

> handed off to an endo. Think I'll try to get into my family doc

later

> this week when I'm not glowing anymore, and see if this stuff can

be

> explained and make sense. Some of this information, were I a

computer,

> I think it would make it lock up and self-destruct. The lines

just

> don't connect for me.

>

> Trying to be patient and do what is needed to get well.

>

> jane

>

My understanding is that after thyroidectomy your body still has

storage hormones and they prefer if your TSH can get up to above 20

before doing the RAI..the reason for this is any remaining tissue

will be hungry for Iodine and take it up quickly.

T4 has a half life of over 7 days.. T3 of only a few hours.. this is

why sometimes post surgery they will give you cytomel to take until

they set a RAI date.

You feel like crap because you are hypo..unfortunately this is /was

a neccisary step. Now that RAI is done it is time to start building

up your hormone levels so that you can be feeling well.

When someone has RAI only the thyroid slowly dies off..you do not

have this problem and should hopefully adjust quickly to a full

replacement dose of medication.

The general rule is 1mug of T4 per lb for wieght. Hopefully with out

antibodies and the autoimmune disease going on you will adjust

easily without some of the other problems those with autoimmune have

going on.

Just be diligant with your follow up.. you should be tested no

sooner and have dose adjustments no sooner than every 6 weeks.. this

is optimal time for your body to reach optimal levels at that dosage.

Once you have reached your levels make sure they follow up with

bloodwork every 3 months for the first year to make sure yo ustay at

those levels.

You will need to have TSH, free 4 and Free 3 run each time while

adjusting your meds..and with cancer the general rule is to keep the

TSH suppressed below 1 to avoid promoting any growth.

Also you will need follow up scans to make sure no tissue is

remaining or grows back. This usually involves going off meds and

letting the TSH rise for the scan. There is a new medication called

Thyrogen that will allow them to do the scan with uot you going off

your meds so make sure you ask about this when the time comes.

When taking meds just remember to take it on an empty stomach, 1

hour before or at least 2 hours after any food and at the same time

each day. Also any calcium, antacids etc should be spaced a minimum

of 4 hours from your medication.

Hope you are feeling better soon.

Kats3boys

[Guest guest]

Thanks Kats. Perhaps when I get into the endo, all of this will

make sense. I've read things on sites, I've read things here, they

make sense. Then I talk to the doc and he contradicts this stuff

and I don't know who or what to believe. Perhaps when I get into

the endo, I will understand this to be my post-surgery hell with the

surgeon as follow up doc. I sure am glad I've had sites to read, to

know I should get into an endo. I would feel quite victimized by

this otherwise. Hopefully I can see my family doc Thurs and get

things in line. Even more frustrating, if I just followed the

surgeon, I wouldn't be starting the hormones till the 9th or 10th.

But the RAI doc said I could start them now and to contact my follow

up doc.

I am quite a strong woman, in spirit and physique, I roll up my

sleeves and do what needs to be done, but I am depressed today.

Having myself one good pity party. I'm fed up and want to quit the

fight. But, then, that can be a side effect of being fatigued for

this long of a time. And of being hypo, but, of course, surgeon

would say not so. Ok, ok, my responsibility is to listen to my body

and my intuition and knowledge, and advocate for it. Boy, is this a

sharp learning curve for that.

I need to find some things I can do while resting in the recliner.

Or tasks to do in short bursts through out the day. For my mental

health, I need to get back to doing some tasks. I can do that.

jane

> My understanding is that after thyroidectomy your body still has

> storage hormones and they prefer if your TSH can get up to above

20

> before doing the RAI..the reason for this is any remaining tissue

> will be hungry for Iodine and take it up quickly.

> T4 has a half life of over 7 days.. T3 of only a few hours.. this

is

> why sometimes post surgery they will give you cytomel to take

until

> they set a RAI date.

>

> You feel like crap because you are hypo..unfortunately this

is /was

> a neccisary step. Now that RAI is done it is time to start

building

> up your hormone levels so that you can be feeling well.

>

> When someone has RAI only the thyroid slowly dies off..you do not

> have this problem and should hopefully adjust quickly to a full

> replacement dose of medication.

>

> The general rule is 1mug of T4 per lb for wieght. Hopefully with

out

> antibodies and the autoimmune disease going on you will adjust

> easily without some of the other problems those with autoimmune

have

> going on.

>

> Just be diligant with your follow up.. you should be tested no

> sooner and have dose adjustments no sooner than every 6 weeks..

this

> is optimal time for your body to reach optimal levels at that

dosage.

> Once you have reached your levels make sure they follow up with

> bloodwork every 3 months for the first year to make sure yo ustay

at

> those levels.

>

> You will need to have TSH, free 4 and Free 3 run each time while

> adjusting your meds..and with cancer the general rule is to keep

the

> TSH suppressed below 1 to avoid promoting any growth.

>

> Also you will need follow up scans to make sure no tissue is

> remaining or grows back. This usually involves going off meds and

> letting the TSH rise for the scan. There is a new medication

called

> Thyrogen that will allow them to do the scan with uot you going

off

> your meds so make sure you ask about this when the time comes.

>

> When taking meds just remember to take it on an empty stomach, 1

> hour before or at least 2 hours after any food and at the same

time

> each day. Also any calcium, antacids etc should be spaced a

minimum

> of 4 hours from your medication.

>

> Hope you are feeling better soon.

>

> Kats3boys

>