Day 2... I made it home!

Today is day 2 in all my medical visits this week. Today... parking was a bit crazy and I think I walked a quarter mile to the entrance because I missed the shuttle bus. And once inside... I had to go past where I went yesterday to find the lab. It was not too far on the other side of the main entrance... very posh in feel... very quiet and organized. Once I was done there... I had to walk back to Radiology and wait for nuclear medicine.

I only had to wait a few minutes to be called up to check in. And once checked in, it was again just a few minutes before I was called back. Everyone looked at me funny... because, it looked like I was a line jumper or somebody special, because I was the next one called in. (Nuclear medicine works faster, because there are less patients!)

So... I went to "nuclear medicine" and met with the lab tech... she had my water all waiting for me... with my little pill cup. And next to it was a marvelous lead lined black bag. Inside were 8 lead lined containers with 8 individual pill bottles. Inside each pill bottle was a dose of radio-active iodine 133! I got to take all 8 pills... they were all mine!!! =) But, I am getting ahead of myself.

The tech had to do her thing... ask me to spell my last name, when was my birthday... and IF I WAS PREGNANT! I shook my head "no" and tapped on the chart right in front of her... where it was written in HUGE LETTERS that I had had a HYSTERECTOMY!!!! (What it is that people can't get that?... I mean, it's written, right there, in HUGE LETTERS that my blind self could see! Things like that make me nervous!)

Anyway... I took my prescribed dosage... and will return tomorrow for a full body scan. She was a little worried about my getting nauseous, because I had eaten breakfast and there needed to be a 2 hour fast... I was all good with the 2 hour window. But once I took it... I instantly felt it in my face. I mentioned that I do have iodine sensitivity. She went to get a doctor. (I'm sure I will be billed for a consult.) The doctor came in... we talked, discussed my surgical history, she wanted to know how many micrograms my RAI-131 was... I don't have a clue! It was 3 years ago and I gave you my chart from my last doctor.

Then, she mentioned that my voice was raspy and hoarse... (Ummmm.... yeah... I'm on the low-iodine diet which makes me hypo-thyroid and one of the effects of that condition is hoarseness!which is why YOUR TECH just administered RAI-133 for a full body scan tomorrow!) Again... I hate being smarter than the highly paid physician before me! She asked if I had nodules... Nope! I don't have anything... I had thyroid cancer and the organ was removed, 2 stage re-sect, how can you miss the scar!!!! Needless to say... she tried my patience and I was itching to get the heck outta there! Now I want to go back to Maryland for treatment... but that's not going to happen. ***Nice Rant!!! Wouldn't you agree?***

So.... tomorrow, we will drive back to the hospital again... and I will have the scan. We are "suppose to" know tomorrow if indeed I will need to do the last treatment and just how we will get that scheduled without my having a "meltdown" because of the protocol they take. (My major hospital nuclear medicine department wasn't as stringent with their requirements as this one is... and everyone lived that last time!)

I'm going to go and rest now... fix myself a little bit of lunch... maybe a veggie wrap with lots of tomato and avocado. I plan on doing nothing all day the rest of the day, except for making some dinner for DH. (I so hope that they find nothing... and that tomorrow I can announce that I can have real food again... like a big giant cheese burger or meat lovers pizza with extra cheese. =)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne