Kathleen Donahue’s PTC Treatment Updates

Well, this morning I left to get my iodine pill. I was given a pamphlet from my Endocrinologist on the Nuclear Medicine Doctor that contained the map to his office. Naturally, when no one mentions otherwise, I show up there. I get to a door numbered 210 and I have to knock. A nurse comes and then she quickly figures out that I am in the wrong place….that is where I go for my body scan next week. She was super sweet and sent me up the road to Medical City of Dallas and called them to let them know I was coming. However, she quickly lost some brownie points when I pull up to the hospital and there is Buildings A-D. She could have tipped me off on which one! So naturally I end up parking in the furthest, have to walk through a freezing hospital that operates like a three-ring circus. I found my way to radiology and then checked in. What a surprise – they have no record of me at check-in. So, they call over to nuclear medicine and then they say yes to come over, they are expecting me. I get led to a rather generic room and am asked to sit down. After being ignored for about 10 mins while I listen to the nurses chatter, I am beginning to wonder if this is the right place for me, lol. The doctor comes by and he is quite the character. I am sure he is on top of his game, but his game is a pretty tight court of radioactivity. He apologizes for all the confusion and then tells me he has to jet soon, so he will go over the nuts and bolts of the risks with me and then I will go down, register with the hospital, then come back up to get the pill from a nurse. So we go over the basics and then I sign some papers. I am doing the optimal he said – staying home by myself. The restrictions were lighter than some of the things I read online. They suggest avoid public places for two days and then limited interaction on third. But then back to normal after that—I guess that is when your body stops emitting stuff. I guess some people just stay in one room of their house if they have a family there. He said anything I really contaminate in my house….like he surface of this keyboard if my fingers “sweat” on it, should be fine by after about 3 days after my initial 3 days. I am being extra cautious, like flushing multiple times, spraying some cleaner in on the second flush; spraying shower down, spraying sink. Plus, I bought all disposable stuff to use in the kitchen and bathroom for the next couple of days. I will also wash everything twice. Probably overboard, but oh well.

I then got escorted to admissions, which is a total zoo. No one can seem to figure out how my record got overlooked and I keep hearing different people coming up and asking “do you know anything about Kathleen…” “do you have a file for….” The lack of communication at this place was astonishing! Finally I get admitted and then get taken back up to the nuclear department. A nurse comes back in and starts double checking all her papers to make sure she has the right person. That’s when I started double checking everything too…visually and verbally. I didn’t want to swallow the wrong damn pill! And that’s when I heard the word millicurie. Had a nice ring I guess. I was prescribed 100 millicurie according to her. Alas, she comes into the room with latex gloves on and a silver canister about the size of a coke can. It clunks when she places it down on the table. She then unscrews it and a small plastic vial holds the pill. She then goes to get me a glass of the faucet’s finest and then says for me to take the pill. First, I read the tiny label on the plastic vial just to double check everything looked kosher and it was MY name on it! Here is where is gets a little odd. She just walks off into the next room and carries on about her business. She didn’t even witness me take the pill. I would think that would be some kind of safety issue. It’s not like she seemed intimidated by the pill’s presence either. Kind of strange I thought. Well, then she comes back in with my parking pass and tells me I am free to go! Wow, that easy…kind of.

I came home and had some work to catch up on. I have been feeling no different except for extremely tired. I debated whether to try and write this from my phone on my bed…. Side effects (mostly sore throat and cheeks set in on Day 2 usually if they appear.) I am supposed to drink lots of water….like gallons per day according to the Dr. and continue low iodine for about a week. He said I can start the Synthroid in about a week—or earlier if I get desperate. I am going to try and wait it out. I go for a full body scan on Thursday then I should be back to normal — well with a slight ramp up period on energy as I get used to the new hormones.

Ok, off to bed to catch some zzz’s!!!

PS….I asked about glowing (I wasn’t 100% sure going into it, lol….he said no.)