Hi Rockon79,

I had RAI for my thyroid cancer (cancer came back three times and I have RAI twice). The first time I remember having to stay in the hospital for 4 days until the geiger counter was low enough for me to go home (not joking!). The second time (a year later) I was sent home and had to stay 6 feet away from kids and women of childbearing age for maybe a week.

Back then, they walked in covered in protective clothing, handed me a dixie cup with 3 pills in it and told me to swallow them with some water they gave me. That's it. Not sure it is the same today as this was back in 1997 and 1998.

The RAI comes out of your body through bodily fluid (urine, sweat, etc...) so I would clean up the bathroom around me the second time, when I was at home, and at the end washed all of my clothes, towels, sheets separately. The first time no one was allowed in or out of my hospital room without protective clothing on and food was left at the door.

I remember being nauseous the first time, but not so much the second time. The hardest part was not having any energy due to not having a thyroid and not being on any medication so that the RAI would uptake.

I also remember that my salivary glands hurt (from the RAI) and my doctor sent someone to the buy me lemon hard candy to suck on (while I was in the hospital) which helped over time. I knew what to expect the second time and had some on hand.

My cancer was on both lobes and both were large tumors. My scar runs from ear to ear as I had many cancerous lymph nodes, too. If I knew then what I know now, I would have requested physical therapy for my neck muscles to recover. My neck, even after 25 years, has given me some issues.

Good luck to you!