Medical Update – Rocky

Rocky has been on a diet that depletes iodine from his body. He has suspended his medication for thyroid hormone replacement. The objective is to starve his body of these elements and prepare for a radioactive isotope iodine treatment.

His diet started on Monday, October 10^th and continues until the isotope treatment dissipates after 9 days of the treatment. He had a blood test on the 24^th at the local hospital. Results were ready the next day and the radiologist declared them perfect for the treatment. He has ordered the isotope dose. And the treatment has been scheduled for November 1 in the afternoon.

Then begins a 7-day radioactive depletion schedule during which Rocky is kept pretty much in isolation to protect others from radioactivity his body is emitting. This means our dog will be the house guest of our neighbor Pam for three days. I’ll be able to walk her, feed her and visit her but Rocky won’t.

I will sleep on the sofa or in my recliner. We can inhabit the same room as long as we remain 6 feet or more apart. All laundry, bed linens and towels must be washed separately by each of us for our own laundry. His bathroom facilities must be maintained separate from mine. Food preparation can be done by either of us but clean up must be separate. Disposable plates and utensils will be used and trash removed quickly.

The radioactive isotope dissipates quickly so trash and waste water are harmless if disposed of properly and frequently. Home furnishings and permanent surfaces do not absorb the radioactivity for very long and dissipate quickly as well. No permanent solution is required.

The best policy is to keep a safe distance and maintain safety in handling materials personally used by the patient. All will be well.

The objective is for the isotope to be readily and hungrily absorbed by the body tissues and cells reliant on iodine. The cancel cells that may be present and lurking in neighboring tissues near the site of the thyroid removal will die almost instantly. That means very little chance remains that a sole cancer cell or two will survive the treatment. A CT Scan will be done on November 9th to see the effects of the treatment. Then and only then will Rocky's diet end! He's already planning a feast!

To be certain Rocky will be tested annually for a few years to determine if any wayward cancer cells pop up. If so treatment is repeated. In similar cases treatments are not needed. This form of cancer readily yields to the treatment protocol and any chance that Rocky will have a recurrence is nil.

This is all good news. But we are still living through the process, never a good thing. The subtle changes the body goes through during the process are surprising and minor. Spooky just the same.

I know Rocky and I anxiously await the end of this process. It is a pain in the ass and something we will manage until it is over. Other than that it is a breeze. Well, not so much for Rocky, but for the rest of us it is easy peasy.

So, now you know what we know. More news when this is over.

October 28, 2016