# All Clear for RAI



## sa103 (Aug 30, 2012)

My TSH was taken today and it came back at 81, needed to be over 30 per my ENDO. Going in on Monday, October 1st for I-131 Radioactive iodine 5mCi, then whole body scan is scheduled on Wednesday, October 3rd, wondering how much they'll find, a bit nervous to see what my treatment dose will have to be which will happen on Oct. 4th. So far the Low Iodine Diet hasn't been all that bad, until I picked up Thai food for my family today that I couldn't eat : (
I guess I just didn't feel like cooking today. I was told my isolation will begin October 4th thru Oct. 11. Longer than I expected, anyhow, that's the plan, wish me luck! Oh and TSH at 81, the worst symptom from this for me has been extremely dry skin, can't stop scratching, feeling tired as expected and experiencing muscle/joint pain. The joint pain caught me by surprise, cause I haven't exactly been exercising lately. Lol


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

sa103 said:


> My TSH was taken today and it came back at 81, needed to be over 30 per my ENDO. Going in on Monday, October 1st for I-131 Radioactive iodine 5mCi, then whole body scan is scheduled on Wednesday, October 3rd, wondering how much they'll find, a bit nervous to see what my treatment dose will have to be which will happen on Oct. 4th. So far the Low Iodine Diet hasn't been all that bad, until I picked up Thai food for my family today that I couldn't eat : (
> I guess I just didn't feel like cooking today. I was told my isolation will begin October 4th thru Oct. 11. Longer than I expected, anyhow, that's the plan, wish me luck! Oh and TSH at 81, the worst symptom from this for me has been extremely dry skin, can't stop scratching, feeling tired as expected and experiencing muscle/joint pain. The joint pain caught me by surprise, cause I haven't exactly been exercising lately. Lol


My goodness...................I have not seen you posting. Wishing you all the best this Monday and I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Since this is a new post; could you bring me up to snuff? Are you hyperthyroid, cancer etc.?


----------



## sa103 (Aug 30, 2012)

Two nodules found: 06/18/2012
Ultrasound: 07/02/2012
Diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease: 07/06/2012
Biopsies: 07/17/2012 
Diagnosed with Papillary Carcinoma: 07/19/2012
Total Thyroidectomy: 08/15/2012
Cancer in Each Lobe with Capsular Invasion.
Removal of 19 Lymph Nodes, Negative for Carcinoma
Cytomel started: 08/31/2012, 25 mcg/day 
Self Adjusted to 5 mcg/day (25 mcg, way too strong)
Cystomel changed to 25 mcg/day: 09/05/2012
Stopped Cytomel: 9/18/2012
Low Iodine Diet started: 09/20/2012


----------



## sa103 (Aug 30, 2012)

Wanted to add all this info as part of my signature & for some reason it didn't save ??


----------



## sa103 (Aug 30, 2012)

Thanks Andros, I certainly do appreciate any and all prayers : )


----------



## sa103 (Aug 30, 2012)

I just tried it again, I guess it's too long I was just told. I will shorten it and see if that works.


----------



## sa103 (Aug 30, 2012)

Testing, to see if my signature saved.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

sa103 said:


> Two nodules found: 06/18/2012
> Ultrasound: 07/02/2012
> Diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease: 07/06/2012
> Biopsies: 07/17/2012
> ...


Thanks! It might be best to stick to one thread, I think you would get more replies because if viewers don't know your medical history, they may be hesitant to reply!!!


----------



## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Best wishes this week!!!!


----------



## LaHa411 (Aug 2, 2012)

Good luck this week!


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

sa103 said:


> Testing, to see if my signature saved.


Yay!! It saved!!!


----------



## sa103 (Aug 30, 2012)

Ok, so sorry I haven't been on until now. Things changed rather quickly. My RAI didn't happen until yesterday as it needed to be postponed as my Mother In-law passed away on October 5th. She has been ill for a bit and just got worse rather quickly, I made the decision to hold off and doc Ok'd it due to the circumstances. Needless to say, yesterday was a very long day for me as my Mother In-Law's wake/funeral and my treatment were all on the same day. Doc didn't want to wait any longer than yesterday as I have been off meds for quite some time now, since September 18th actually. I'm glad I was able to be there for my hubby and family although it was a bit nuts going from the burial straight to the hospital. They would have understood If I wasn't there, however, thank the Lord it all worked out : )


----------



## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Holy cats, what a long day! I'm sorry for you and your family's loss. I hope you are hanging in there.


----------



## sa103 (Aug 30, 2012)

Thank you for the condolences on the loss of my Mother In-Law, it is much appreciated! I am doing very well considering : ) Just woke up yesterday morning with a severe dry mouth, started sucking on sugar-free lemon drops throughout the day as instructed by my doctor. Grateful that I didn't lose my sense of taste, I was afraid of that. Sooo excited to be off of the low iodine diet as of tomorrow and begin with Synthroid tomorrow as well. Just a bit nervous on the proper dosage. I was told to take 150mcg per day. Joplin1975, I noticed that you started with a much smaller dose of 50mcg. Doc said I really won't feel like myself until probably another week or so. Do you remember what you first felt like on Synthroid? What about weight gain? I am taking 3 classes this semester and have managed to do well in them throughout this process. My worst day so far has been yesterday afternoon, when I started feeling nauseous, had a headache and felt cold and extremely tired. Also, my eyes started tearing a bit, which my doc did mention could happen. I took nausea meds prescribed by my doc and took a nap for about 2 hours. When I woke up, I felt much better. This morning, other than my dry mouth which is more annoying than anything, I feel pretty good. I expected to feel much worse, so far, it hasn't been too bad at all : )


----------



## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

My doctor really, really undermedicated me after surgery. It was not good. I think you want to be careful about "over shooting" your dose, as you do not want to become hyper, but my doc's plan was just nuts.

If you'll notice...my TSH was in the 70s at RAI time...with 50mcgs, it jumped up to the 120s. I felt awful and gained 27 pounds.

I obviously don't know your weight nor your lifestyle. I'm the short and stocky type and am very active, so 150 works well for me. My surgeon's recommendation (not the same doc who managed my meds post-op) is to start most "average-sized" patients at 125.

I do tend to be sensitive to Synthroid, it seems. So when I changed doses, I did experience a jittery, semi-anxious feeling...occasional digestive issues...and my fav, hair loss. All that sorts out within a few weeks, but it can feel strange the first few days/weeks.


----------



## sa103 (Aug 30, 2012)

My usual weight where I rarely fluctuate from is at 125. I am 5'2" tall. Currrently weigh 120. Since my diagnosis I haven't been very active, but, prior to, very much so. I am looking forward to get back into running & strength training and doing yoga which I love! On 9/28/12 my TSH was at 81. Not sure how to understand the amount of synthroid used versus my size or anything like that, kind of confused on how all that works. You're thoughts?


----------



## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

Well, there's basic guideline that some doctors use (I'm sorry, I don't have it handy, but I'm sure you can google and find it) that says Xmcgs per kilogram of body weight.

My endo uses that as a starting point and a starting point only...lifestyle and overall muscle mass play a huge, huge role.

If I recall correctly, based on that formula, I should be on something like 125...I would be a walking zombie on those dose, however.  I'm 5'5" and am about 145, but I've got big ol' soccer legs. I'm a runner (not a TON, but ~25ish miles per week), I do boot camp classes once or twice a week, and do lots of strength training...and I have horses, so I'm doing labor-intensive barn chores twice a day and usually ride about an hour per day. So I just need more fuel.

For you, 150 might be a bit too much. Just be really self-aware. If you feel hyper, call your doctor. How long before you have your first labs drawn?


----------



## sa103 (Aug 30, 2012)

My next appointment with my ENDO is on Nov. 19th. That would be my first follow up with her after doing RAI. Assuming labs will be drawn that day, she didn't say.


----------



## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Ideally, labs will be drawn a few days before your appointment so the doctor has the results during your appointment.


----------



## sa103 (Aug 30, 2012)

Joplin1975, thanks for all the info you provided me, it really does help : )
Octavia, I will have to call her office to make sure about how they handle the lab work and follow ups, thank you so much. I love this forum, thank you so much to both of you! It gives me some idea on what to expect which helps out tremendously : )


----------

