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HHMinton
HHMinton Member Posts: 6
edited March 2014 in Thyroid Cancer #1
I am getting ready to do my Radioactive Iodine treatment and my Dr. hasnt given me much information. Most of it I have gotten from my nurse. They havent told me when it would be ok to go back to work. I have been working up until this point, a month after no longer taking my synthroid. I have to say I feel crappy. My father is my boss, but he doesnt understand at all the feelings I am having. Exhaustion, forgetfulness, soreness, I am so spacy I can barely spell. He would like me back to work as soon as possible. How long did most of you have to wait before returning?

Comments

  • lglegl70
    lglegl70 Member Posts: 20
    hang in there!
    I had RAI on a Wednesday morning and was told I could go back to work the next Monday, so 5 days for me. But I am not around a lot of people and could keep a good distance.

    Since I didn't have to come off Synthroid (I had Thyrogen), I don't know how you will feel after the RAI. I know I was very tired all the time, yet I couldn't sleep at night. I was able to make it through my 8 hour work days pretty well. But was really worn out at bedtime.

    Hope this helps! Hang in there!
  • lynn2318
    lynn2318 Member Posts: 41
    lglegl70 said:

    hang in there!
    I had RAI on a Wednesday morning and was told I could go back to work the next Monday, so 5 days for me. But I am not around a lot of people and could keep a good distance.

    Since I didn't have to come off Synthroid (I had Thyrogen), I don't know how you will feel after the RAI. I know I was very tired all the time, yet I couldn't sleep at night. I was able to make it through my 8 hour work days pretty well. But was really worn out at bedtime.

    Hope this helps! Hang in there!

    I had my first treatment on
    I had my first treatment on a Wednesday and was told I could go back the next Monday. I did not go back until the following Monday, 11 days after the treatment. I just did not feel good. It took some time after re-starting my Synthroid to feel good enough to function. I commend you for being able to work now. I bottomed out 10 days afte stopping my Synthroid. I couldn't even stand up or lift a glass of water to my mouth. I hope you do ok. Please post and let us know.
  • sunnyaz
    sunnyaz Member Posts: 582
    You are one tough cookie!
    I am surprised you have been working through the lack of medication. Maybe dad needs an education on what happens when you don't have a thyroid and don't have medication as a substitute. I didn't have this because I had Thyrogen injections prior to my treatment, so I did not have to stop my medication. Is there a reason they did not give you this option? It seems a little old school, but there may be something I am missing. I went back to work six days after I took the treatment dose. I was in isolation for four days. I was really tired at first but got my energy back after about one week. Maybe ask the doctor if there is a way you can go back on your Synthroid and do the Thyrogen injections. It was two injections, one each day two days before my treatment.
  • nasher
    nasher Member Posts: 505
    sunnyaz said:

    You are one tough cookie!
    I am surprised you have been working through the lack of medication. Maybe dad needs an education on what happens when you don't have a thyroid and don't have medication as a substitute. I didn't have this because I had Thyrogen injections prior to my treatment, so I did not have to stop my medication. Is there a reason they did not give you this option? It seems a little old school, but there may be something I am missing. I went back to work six days after I took the treatment dose. I was in isolation for four days. I was really tired at first but got my energy back after about one week. Maybe ask the doctor if there is a way you can go back on your Synthroid and do the Thyrogen injections. It was two injections, one each day two days before my treatment.

    myself I had to work till
    myself I had to work till the day prior to radiation i admit it it was horible being on LID and no thyroid replacement.

    i was off work for about 2 weeks after i got done with radiation and after that for the next week or so they game me some extra time cause they didnt want to be near the radiation.

    the best i can tell you is it will probably take you out pretty good for a few days and then a long slow recovery hopefully you have a job where you dont have to do alot of standing or lifting.

    I wish they had let me do the injections.
  • HHMinton
    HHMinton Member Posts: 6
    nasher said:

    myself I had to work till
    myself I had to work till the day prior to radiation i admit it it was horible being on LID and no thyroid replacement.

    i was off work for about 2 weeks after i got done with radiation and after that for the next week or so they game me some extra time cause they didnt want to be near the radiation.

    the best i can tell you is it will probably take you out pretty good for a few days and then a long slow recovery hopefully you have a job where you dont have to do alot of standing or lifting.

    I wish they had let me do the injections.

    Thanks!
    It isnt really easy, but I keep saying, one hour at a time and try to keep a smile on my face. The hardest part is that my family doesnt really understand they just keep saying, if you keep doing things it will be better, excercise will help you feel better. When I try to say no not really... they do not listen. Sigh. But I did get sched. for a tracer dose next week. So thats a step in the right direction. Though the last couple of days have been hard. Its so nice to know though that there are people who understand have been where I am. Thank you all for the advice and encouragment. I am also sorry if I cant spell right now... my brain doesnt want to function! :)
  • nasher
    nasher Member Posts: 505
    HHMinton said:

    Thanks!
    It isnt really easy, but I keep saying, one hour at a time and try to keep a smile on my face. The hardest part is that my family doesnt really understand they just keep saying, if you keep doing things it will be better, excercise will help you feel better. When I try to say no not really... they do not listen. Sigh. But I did get sched. for a tracer dose next week. So thats a step in the right direction. Though the last couple of days have been hard. Its so nice to know though that there are people who understand have been where I am. Thank you all for the advice and encouragment. I am also sorry if I cant spell right now... my brain doesnt want to function! :)

    trust me i remember
    I remember going to work and coming home and not really remembering what i did all day besides work and being home

    I was tired all the time... you probably won’t have energy to do much exercise but do what you can.

    www.thyca.org helped me and my families understand a lot better

    Don’t worry about what you can’t change if you can’t spell right now then use a spell checker or just let it go... Trust me we understand.

    The thing that helped me the most was post-it note's EVERYWHERE. (think Bruce Almighty)

    i had notes for things I needed to do i had checklists for things I needed to get done and made sure my wife knew everything as well so she could remind me.

    Remember you will get over this and you will recover plan for the future.

    Also make sure you have your plan for the after radiation treatment all setup if you’re lucky like I was they will let you start taking synthroid or whatever replacement drug ASAP and that will bring you back to the world quickly.

    When my thyroid started to go bad they sent me to a mental health provider and he got to see me when I was down prior to my TT back up and on cytomel how I perked back up and started to be up there and again when they took me off cytomel and put me on the LID. Then after my radiation treatment and being put on synthroid how I recovered again and he was just amazed at how I recovered my mental health.

    At work people commented that it was like I was physically there and then afterwards that it was like I was physically mentally and actually there and they were amazed at the difference.

    good luck and talk to you after radiation treatment :)