Well, finally on the 23rd of May I got my dose, 2 capsules or 100
mille curies of R-131 radioactive iodine delivered by a lady in a
spacesuit bearing a sealed lead cup in tongs along with a Geiger
counter. I was told to open the vial and swallow the capsules. I was
observed at a distance for 15 minutes to make sure I didn’t get sick,
as that would have resulted in a Hazardous materials team clean up,
with sirens and more people in space suits. While no parts have
fallen off my body to my knowledge, I did try to change channels
manually on a 5 year old flat panel TV that was working fine; seems
perhaps I held my hand on the ‘channel up’ button too long (there was
NOTHING on) and soon I heard a ZZZAAPPP and then everyone in the
house smelled burning electronics. Oddly the sound is perfect but the
picture is pure white. A coincidence? Too bad I didn’t heed the
advice of the Orchidian that suggested I buy “a cheap throw away
remote control”…I’m just not in the mood to TV shop and not
supposed to go out anyway, so I listen to old Law & Order reruns on
the ‘all crime - all the time’ channel.
June 4th I get a scan to see if there are any glowing spots left,
any other “iodine seeking cells”, and if there are, they will be
zapped externally. Your thyroid is supposed to be the only such
cells we have, but since cancer is sneaky and devious, it can
infiltrate the lymphatic and other systems. It seems I’ve also been
battling unexplainable anemia for 2 years, and have had a few
transfusions, and pray they are not related events. I’m told I may
soon get a bone biopsy, to see why my body isn’t making it’s own red
blood cells, and if I fail that test, my dear 15 y/o needle phobic
son is my best candidate for a bone marrow transplant, which may be
what is causing all this mess. I certainly hope we stop all this
before that! And this weekend I get to begin taking my thyroid
replacement hormones again. I feel like a junkie, waiting anxiously
for a fix…
Speaking of sneaky and devious; I have to avoid contact with all
living things for 8 days, and I have Jack Russell terriers. I tried
to pretend I was going to the store by making the keys jingle, and
announcing “I’ll be back soon” and heading to the car, so they will
wait by the front door contentedly as always, and then sneaking
around to the back of the house and in through the open guest room
window, my guest room being remote enough and closed off to them.
That worked the first night for a while, but they soon figured out
where I was, and have been sitting outside the door scratching and
crying ever since. I love them dearly, I am their human, and can
deal with temporary annoyance, and this separation is essential for
their own good. But try telling that to these adorable insatiable
hunters.
No dogs, no TV, but thanks to Elegant Insects Sandy, lots of great
magazines to read. And thanks to everyone for every message, they
are all good reading, and have led to other off site high level
contacts (University, Hospital etc) who have offered a wealth of
valuable and others’ experiences with thyroid cancer. I
could certainly teach my doctor a thing or two, but he’s probably
starting his vacation en route to Ireland as I write, lucky dog.
I firmly believe that the collective intellect of the brilliant and
talented people of Ganoksin could probably solve all of the worlds
problems if given the chance!
Thanks to all, and best wishes!
Sharon M. Thompson in Sanford, Florida