For the first time in my life, I am emitting gamma rays. I could not find a spider kind enough to bite me while I am radioactive, so no super powers, unfortunately.
I had an ultrasound on my thyroid in December, because, to quote my doctor, "that sucker is BIG!" Also, after the ultrasound, it decided to be a dick and swell up, putting pressure on my trachea and making me feel like it was hard to breathe. The results showed three rather large nodules, aka tumor like growths, on the thyroid.
My doctor decided she wouldn't take any chances and sent me for a radioactive thyroid uptake scan. Upon scheduling the scan, I found out that I had to be on a low iodine diet for two weeks. No seafood, no dark leafy greens (a no no on coumadin anyway), no strawberries and no white bread. Weirdest restrictions ever.
This scan is a three part process, two appointments on the first day, and one on the second, so I took two days off work.
Monday, I show up 30 minutes early for my scan, fill out paperwork, pay my copay, and wait. About half an hour after I was supposed to receive the radioactive iodine pill, to begin achieving radioactivity, the tech calls me to the counter to tell me there's some shortage of radioactive iodine (SUPERPOWERS FOR EVERYONE!!!!) and they only have half the dose they need to do my scan, so I need to reschedule. This is at 12PM, and I am mad beyond belief. I asked what time her medication was "flown in" and she said they received it at 8AM. So, she knew at 8AM that she didn't have the right medication and couldn't perform the scan, but instead of calling me to give me the courtesy of knowing that, she waited until 30 minutes AFTER she was supposed to administer the medication to tell me. Had she told me at 8AM, I could have gone to work and taken the two days I needed for the scan. I walked out, called my doctor, got the name to another imaging center, called them, and scheduled an appointment for the next day. I walked back in to the original imaging center and got my prescription. They won't be getting any more of my money.
I had my scan yesterday and today, and was late to work today because of it. However, the results came in and say "normal thyroid uptake and scan." So the growths are working thyroid tissue and it's still a mystery as to why my thyroid is being a dick.
As a side note, the radioactive iodine has left me feeling like someone made a paste out of shrimp shells and spread it permanently on my tongue. I will not miss the after taste when it is gone!
Wait a second are you HYPERTHYROID??
ReplyDeleteIf no, your radioactive iodine scan will not give any additional information (cold nodules do not have more chance to be cancerous than so called warm ones!)
No, my thyroid blood work was all normal, strangely. My nodules, according to the report, were neither cold nor hot (overwoking) and the uptake was homogenous, so they say I should repeat the ultrasound in 6 months.
ReplyDeleteAccording to statistics, 95% of the warm nodules are benign and 90% of the cold nodules are benign with +/- 2% margin of error, so 5% is not very significant difference between the groups.
ReplyDeleteFor best results, the follow up must be done on the same machine and same transducer. The benign nodules may grow, so the emphasis must be given to the structural change of the nodule (developed calcification become hypoechoic, etc.)
Sorry for too many scientific terms!
Best wishes!!