# RAI and being near my kids that day?



## stacy80 (Feb 22, 2010)

I went to my endo yesterday and we will be doing my RAI in about 3-4 weeks. I have 2 young boys ages 4 & 2 years old. I am having the RAI afterh having my thyroid removed due to papillary thyroid cancer. When we asked him how long I needed to be away from the boys he said that it was outpatient and I could be with them in 24 hours. I was shocked. Everything I found out said anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks! He said it was because they will be giving me such a low dose. We called today to find out the dosage because we forgot to ask yesterday and his office says they don't even know...that it is up to the radiology center administering the iodine to me. If this is the case how can he possibly know that it is okay for me to be near the boys. I'm really kind of scared about this. Can anybody share their experiences and what their doctors said? Right now we are leaning towards me staying at a hotel in town for 3 days because my doctor will not admit me to the hospital for it. I know I would be exposing others to it but I don't want to be in my house and expose my kids either. I'm caught between a rock and hard place right now on what to do. I would obviously try my best to stay away from any other children or pregnant women during this time as well. Any help would be great.


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

It was the radiology center that gave me all the information, not my doctor.

From what I understand they give a larger dose of RAI to cancer patients after surgery. If it is a large dose patients are admitted into the hospital. But each state is different.

To be on the safe side could you call the radiology center and ask them. If you are scheduled for a Up-take first, normally they will give you the instructions then. The up-take gives them a little idea on what RAI dosage to administer.

I'd check with them.

Good Luck.


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## stacy80 (Feb 22, 2010)

Thanks for the info. I talked to my doctor and he said most likely I will only be getting about 29mci of RAI. They are not doing the up take before hand unless something has changed. He is giving me a lower dosage because they removed the thyroid and my cancer was contained to the one tumor thankfully.


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Call me paranoid....

I would go away for a week at minimum not to expose my kids or husband to any radioactivity. Your family will survive without you and you should rest easier knowing you will not be exposing them

Several people I know that had RAI now have spouses with thyroid issues, usually hypo and probably due to exposure from them.

I was so paranoid I never even did an uptake scan early in my Graves disease.


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## GD Women (Mar 5, 2007)

Stacy,

I am glad you checked with the doctor. It is better to be safe than sorry later and I hope you feel better knowing for sure, a little better anyway.

29 mCi is at the bottom/low end of RAI dosage given to thyroid cancer patients. 30 millicuries of radioactive iodine must be admitted to hospital. However, dosage to treat thyroid cancer are individualized per of the person age, weight, gender, and gland size (the amount of thyroid left after surgery). To give you a better understanding, Graves' receives approx 2 mCi or thereabouts. My restrictions were for at least a week for my Graves' RAI treatment.

Iodine-131 (RAI) has a half-life of about 8 days, which means that it takes 8 days for half of an initial RAI dosage to be eliminated from the body (or decay from). I don't know if the higher the RAI dose, the longer the half life.

Radioactive Iodines (RAI) have the same physical properties as stable iodine. RAI is like the iodine found in foods such as fish, seaweed, and iodized salt, except that it releases an electron, or beta particle, which creates its therapeutic action. That is, Radioactive iodine/RAI, is a form of iodine chemically identical to *nonradioactive iodine*. Therefore, the thyroid gland, which takes up iodine to make thyroid hormone, cannot distinguish between the two. Iodine has a biological half-life of about 100 days for the body as a whole.

Well, that's it for the RAI history lesson, for now :winking0001:

You are going to be OK:hugs:


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