This is a photo of my scan prior to the "hot pill" RAI (radioactive iodine). It was a crazy day. Only a couple of months ago was I unaware of the dangers lurking in my body and now this!?! I was terrified. Allow me to point something out though. Many of you may be wondering how someone was able to take a picture of me during my scan. Well, my boyfriend Bob, has been by my side through this whole thing and never once has missed an appointment or a scan or a treatment. Mind you I have 4 doctors and they all know him by name as well. Noone was going to stop him from taking this and frankly they didn't even try. He sat there for 45 minutes while this machine scaled my body from head to toe. After the scan they calculate the dose needed for the hotpill then the radiologist calls out to have it made. That's right made to order! like Jack in the Box! Once the pill arrived the doctor made Bob leave the room and the doctor stood in the the doorway while I stared into my lead-lined microwavable future. This "hot pill" came in a lead tube, inside of a lead jar, surrounded by lead bricks and they had to yell at me from the doorway how to take it. I thought to myself "wow! something they can't even get close to I have to swallow!!" and so I did it one pill and a glass of water. Seems simple right? The unsimple part was yet to arrive. For the next 5 days it was actually illegal for me to be in public. I had to remain quarantined at home, away from my kids, dog, and Bob. The amount of radiation radiating off of me was that of an x-ray machine that's on all the time. Could damage otherwise healthy people. Bob was allowed to sit 6 feet away from me for a half an hour and I almost had to kick him out of the room when that time was up. It brings me tears to think about how much support I had during my darkest days. I know that it helped with my recovery till now. I feel it's very important to have that and that is what i'm here to give. Support. I can now honestly say "i've been there" but i'm very aware that the same situation can affect everyone entirely differently and you will never 100% understand what anybody goes through.
Hell yeah Sierra! Glad to see you have a way to express yourself during this bullshit that is going on. I am glad to see that you are doing positive and not letting this get you down. Have not seen you recently and hope that you are doing well. Hope to see you at work or around town soon!
ReplyDeletep.s. I need to meet me some Van der beek! Let me know if there is anything Steph and I can do for you.
Hi. I wish you all the best. I just got over oral cancer and ikno how u feel hell I'm only 17 never smoke or drink. No 1 can understand why you get it but u just have to be strong and get through it. The only I got thru it was to never talk about it was like I didn't have it but hey everyone is different. I wish u all the best for now and the future
ReplyDeleteMy aunt had thyroid cancer 15 years ago and is still going strong. What you are describing sounds a lot like what she went through. No females of child bearing potential could enter her room for a week including her 18m old daughter. Everything she went through was a struggle for months. My heart goes out to you and the strength you are showing. You are in my prayers. You will win this battle.
ReplyDeleteHi there. I'm 26 years old and in the past six months I've been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and gone through a total thyroidectomy. I haven't had to take the radioactive iodine pill yet, but my doctors will continue to keep an eye on everything to be safe. Can you please share some more info on the beginning stages of your experience - how you were diagnosed, how much of your thyroid gland was removed, why your doctors thought it was necessary to do the radioactive iodine, etc? I don't know anyone personally who has had a similar situation, so it's comforting to hear from others. Thanks for sharing your story. :)
ReplyDeleteStay Strong. I am 9 months cancer free from Adrenal Cancer. As much as it was horrible, and scary, it was also empowering and educational. You learn a lot about yourself when you're lying on those tables, in isolation, and preparing for the worst.
ReplyDeleteMy hopeful and healing vibes are going out to you.
Love & Stuff,
Emily