I once had a sister-in-law who went into medical research back in the late 60's. Her choice of research was the field of cancer. She told me that the first thing she learned was that anytime you body begins attacking itself in any form, it was basically a cancer. Even age itself is a type of cancer. That is why there is so much hope for longer life spans. As more and more knowledge is gained of cancer, the more all things become possible. Especially longevity of life. The hard part back then was figuring out how to regenerate our physical bodies, and science has already come leaps and bounds since then.
Okay, I saw the endocrinologist. Pretty impressive - summa cum laude from Harvard, and talks like a geek. Blood was drawn in order to determine the dosage of Levothyroxine that I should be taking. Plus, I will be getting the radioactive iodine sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. He recommended only that I sleep separately and wash my clothes separately from my wife for two days but I'm thinking that if there is a danger to my wife from the radioactivity, there has to be a danger to the cats as well, particularly since they hang out with me most of the day, and two of them sleep next to me at night. I didn't think to ask him about the cats, but I think I'll just stay in a hotel for a couple of days, just to be on the safe side.
Things have changed, my mom was in an isolation room at the hospital for a few days but my memory is of her Getting the radioactive iodine right after the operation. This was in 1997 and I could be mistaken. I was in Hungary at the time an my middle sister had to go to Pittsburgh from Colorado to take care of my dad and then her for a few days when she came home. Now that I'm remembering all this, my dad died a couple months later. I hadn't realized that til now. It had nothing to do with my mom, my dad was in bad shape already. I'd stay in a hotel too.
He said that they quit recommending radioactive iodine as a matter of course following a thyroidectomy, but that something having to do with my particular cancer suggested that it would be the best thing to do, but that it would be a very low dose. I don't know if he was talking about a low dose as compared to walking into a radioactive core or whether he meant that it was a low dose as compared to what they might otherwise use. I'm hoping the latter.
I think my mom said that the nurses and drs and anyone who went in her room, put on protective clothing, etc. I don't know what the dose was but I know her thyroid cancer was a very treatable one and hadn't spread. We weren't worried at all that she would die. Now that I think about 1997 some more, that was the year her mom died also.
Apparently, they are using a much smaller dose now because he said we could eat together and live together, but use separate bedrooms and bathrooms, and spend most of our day in different rooms, and wash our clothes separately, but no other restrictions.
@Ken Anderson you might as well look At it as two days to be lazy and just kick back with a laptop. You have the best excuse to tell yourself why you can't and shouldn't keep up with that long 'To Do' list. I take 100mg of Levothyroxine daily, and I am interested in knowing what dosage you end up on. If you don't mind telling us.
You mean micrograms, don't you? I am taking 100 mcg. right now, but that hasn't yet been titrated to the numbers. It is a starting point.
I thought you were on 88mcg? @Ken Anderson? This week I have to do my blood test that includes thyroid and everything else so I'll see if there are any changes. I've been putting this lab off for at least 6 months...it's a fasting one, but I have an Oct 31 drs appt. and he'll have a fit if I blow it off again.
I have been putting off bloodwork too, not because I suspect cancer, I just can't seem to get there in the morning. I did go in one morning, and they said the medical staff was coming in late that day! Hmmph. Anyway, Sooner or later I will get it done! It is just one of life's little chores. My dad had cancer about a year and a half ago but fortunately to the best of my recollection he has not had any intrusive follow up. He just gets cans ever few months to make sure he is cancer free.