# Finally met with rad/onc



## JLynn (Nov 11, 2012)

Finally had my consult today with my radiological oncologist. Was surprised to learn that I can't drink our county's tap water or bottled water, only distilled water. I can use tap water only for cooking pasta or rice where the water will be drained. Knew pretty much everything else they told me.

She also recommended using regular dishes/utensils (keeping mine separate, of course) instead of disposable so I have less garbage to store for 3 months. She said I could get in trouble if I didn't wait 3 months and my garbage set off an alarm at the landfill and they traced it back to me(not likely they could do that, IMO).

In light of my recent breast cancer diagnosis, though, we agreed that RAI will wait until my all breast cancer issues are taken care of.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

JLynn said:


> Finally had my consult today with my radiological oncologist. Was surprised to learn that I can't drink our county's tap water or bottled water, only distilled water. I can use tap water only for cooking pasta or rice where the water will be drained. Knew pretty much everything else they told me.
> 
> She also recommended using regular dishes/utensils (keeping mine separate, of course) instead of disposable so I have less garbage to store for 3 months. She said I could get in trouble if I didn't wait 3 months and my garbage set off an alarm at the landfill and they traced it back to me(not likely they could do that, IMO).
> 
> In light of my recent breast cancer diagnosis, though, we agreed that RAI will wait until my all breast cancer issues are taken care of.


I kind of figured that might be the wise course. You learn something every day; had no idea about the garbage. Oh, my goodness!!!

How are you feeling? Please know that all of us are here for you 24/7.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

JLynn, what's the "3 months" issue? (What is taking 3 months?) Are you getting radiation for the breast cancer?


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

I'm curious too!

We don't have garbage service, so I take my trash directly to the transfer station, disposable cutlery and all and no one said a word...


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## JLynn (Nov 11, 2012)

I will be meeting w/ a breast surgeon on 1/21 and will have more answers after that.

The rad/onc said I would have to hold in to my garbage for 3 months (I'd read that somewhere once before). I guess it takes that much time for all radiation to disappear. We have garbage pickup twice a week. I assume our local landfills have radiation detectors. I know they have one at a dumpster at the VA hospital where my brother works.

On another note...I read my path report from my breast biopsy. Very confusing, but I do know the area is smaller than my thyroid nodule was. Don't know if that means anything, though.


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

I have NEVER heard that about holding onto your garbage. Sounds ludicrous to me, but maybe rules are quite different where you live. Your human waste is already going to be going down the toilet, and that will have exponentially more radiation in it than your garbage...unless they suggested that you dig a hole in your backyard and go there instead of contaminating the sewer. (I'm only halfway kidding about that.)

Wow...I learn something new every day!

I think I might get a second opinion on the garbage issue. But that's just me. I guess I don't understand why it's okay for YOU to be out in the community a few days after RAI, but your garbage can't go into a landfill. ??? Very puzzling to me.

But I do agree that you have bigger fish to fry right now, with the breast cancer diagnosis. And I (as well as everyone here, I'm sure) wish you the best with that. :hugs:


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Follow-up thought...can you call your trash company and ask them about this? It will sure be nice if your oncologist is wrong about it.


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

Not the first time I've heard of this.

http://www.remedyspot.com/showthread.php/4956521-Garbage-and-RAI

http://www.wbur.org/2010/10/20/radioactive-patients


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

Yeah...I did a little snooping around the web earlier and saw similar information.

It's still very puzzling to me that I, as a patient who swallowed the I-131, can walk around the community freely after a few days, but my trash can't be in the landfill??? Something seems very wrong with that, one way or the other. And 3 months seems excessive to me, especially given that "they" say the vast majority of the radiation is gone within a couple of weeks.

Evidently, the landfills in Missouri don't have the radiation detectors. But heck, Missouri is the puppy mill and meth capital of the free world, so what can I expect?


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## StormFinch (Nov 16, 2012)

Oh Octavia, that was so bad... hilarious, but bad. rofl  And of course I know exactly what your talking about since I'm just one state below you. 

The only thing I can think of is that when a human absorbs radiation they then gradually get rid of it through bodily fluids, whereas with inanimate objects it has to "wear" off. Because each object absorbs at a different rate, they probably take the worst case scenario and then add a little extra to make sure?


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## JLynn (Nov 11, 2012)

We have a shed on our property, about 75 feet from our house. I'm just going to store my garbage there. We won't be going back into the shed until the spring anyway for gardening tools so for me it's not a big deal. 
My rad/onc suggested I flush facial tissues if they won't clog my toilet to reduce my amount of storable garbage, but I'm not sure I'm going to do that. I mean, really, how much garbage am I going to make in 5 days?

What did surprise me was that I can return to work after 5 days (treatment on Wed, go back to work on Mon) even though I work with 3-4yo. Maybe I won't be getting a strong dose and that's why.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

The vast majority of radiation exits the system within three days.

I work at a college and when I went back to work after RAI, we an over to the science center and busted out the Geiger counters (just because we are totally immature and unprofessional). It really didn't pick up anything...no more than normal background radiation. Granted, we were using the super old counters in the old supply closet, but...


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## Octavia (Aug 1, 2011)

JLynn said:


> I mean, really, how much garbage am I going to make in 5 days?


OOOOOHHHHHHHHH....I thought you were going to have to store 3 months worth of your garbage, which made no sense to me!!!! Well, this is MUCH, MUCH easier than I was picturing! Now it makes sense. I just couldn't imagine why you'd have to continue to store your garbage during a time when you yourself were no longer confined.

Okay, I'll say it...DUH!


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