Unfortunately, I can't get superpowers from this type of radiation.
Radioactive Iodine or RAI is exactly what it sounds like. It's a radioactive iodine isotope. You can look up I-123 if you'd like to know more about the science of this treatment.
But basically, the two injections blasted the thyroid hormone called TSH into my system. TSH is only absorbed by thyroid tissue, however a scan can't see that hormone. Fortunately, Iodine is ONLY absorbed by thyroid tissue. So by giving me a Radioactive form of it, they can pick up any presence of the Iodine/TSH in my body through nuclear imaging.
Since I had a total thyroidectomy, I shouldn't have any thyroid tissue left in my body. Ideally the TSH and the RAI are just going to flush themselves out & my scan will look pretty boring. However, if it does light up, it means the presence of new thyroid tissue, which could mean a reoccurrence of cancer.
I still have a few hours until I head to the hospital to receive RAI, and I can't tell if I'm more nervous about the treatment or just visiting the hospital.
#Cancer #ThyroidCancer #cancerrecovery #rai #RadioactiveIodine #Thyroidectomy #MentalHealth #ChronicIllness
See my previous post in this series to follow along: https://themighty.com/content/5bbd1436332c8000ad17ee9c/
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