I start this treatment tomorrow morning around 10:30 am. My children, Isaac Mason and Isabella Nicole, both went to their grandparents house last night. I miss them already and hate when I have to be away from them, but know it is the right thing to do and that they'll be okay. I'm going to be radioactive for several days and cannot be around children for at least 5-7 days. I'll be able to hold them then but won't be able to be around anyone for more than 2 hours in a 24 hour period for at least 12 days. It's not a very complicated procedure and is pretty safe (at least, more than it sounds!). I'll take radioactive iodine which will then be sucked up by my thyroid. I have a 'hot nodule' which is making my thyroid extremely hyperactive. I have Graves, which is an autoimmune disease.
Hopefully, it will just destroy the nodule and my thyroid will be normal. It will destroy anything that is hyperactive. If I have multiple nodules that are (most weren't on the scan) or if my thyroid itself is hyperactive, then it will destroy the entire thing and I will become hypoactive, which is more easily controlled than being hyperactive (especially in my situation). It will take several months to figure out if I'm hypoactive and then it'll take about 3 weeks to figure out what dose of medicine I'll need to take.
Side effects are not too bad and this has been tested for decades and is 95% effective. Only thing I'm worried about? THYROID STORM!! Tell me that doesn't sound scary? Couldn't they have thought up a less scary scientific term and given me that and they could just call it that between themselves? Let's hope that doesn't happen!
Josh will be helping me and watching me for symptoms of Thyroid Storm. He's such a good husband and will be tons of help. We've got a system set up so that I don't give anyone radiation posioning :). I miss my kids and cannot wait to see their happy little baby faces when they get home and I'm feeling better!
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