Jim - Re: Pending Ablation

[Guest guest]

> > , do you think the uptake may have been high since Jim had remnants

> > of

> > thyroid left that the surgeon didn't take out? Maybe the first ablation

> > fried those, but didn't get the surrounding stuff in the lymph nodes and

> > such? Or does it not work that way?

>

> I don't believe it works quite so neatly (RAI killing off remnant but not

> thyca); I think it's more random.

I have a distant memory that thyca, being abnormal, rarely takes up RAI as

avidly as normal thyroid. We already know that some thycas are 'iodine

resistant' so it may be that there is a range of values from normal uptake

down to no uptake.

If this is true then you could well have a situation that a normal remnant

will hog much of the available RAI, leaving little for the thyca.

Ian

Ian Adam

Radiation Safety Officer

The Institute of Cancer Research

Cotswold Road

Sutton

Surrey

SM2 5NG

Tel: 020 8722 4250

Fax: 020 8722 4300

EMail: iana@...

[Guest guest]

> > , do you think the uptake may have been high since Jim had remnants

> > of

> > thyroid left that the surgeon didn't take out? Maybe the first ablation

> > fried those, but didn't get the surrounding stuff in the lymph nodes and

> > such? Or does it not work that way?

>

> I don't believe it works quite so neatly (RAI killing off remnant but not

> thyca); I think it's more random.

I have a distant memory that thyca, being abnormal, rarely takes up RAI as

avidly as normal thyroid. We already know that some thycas are 'iodine

resistant' so it may be that there is a range of values from normal uptake

down to no uptake.

If this is true then you could well have a situation that a normal remnant

will hog much of the available RAI, leaving little for the thyca.

Ian

Ian Adam

Radiation Safety Officer

The Institute of Cancer Research

Cotswold Road

Sutton

Surrey

SM2 5NG

Tel: 020 8722 4250

Fax: 020 8722 4300

EMail: iana@...

[Guest guest]

> > , do you think the uptake may have been high since Jim had remnants

> > of

> > thyroid left that the surgeon didn't take out? Maybe the first ablation

> > fried those, but didn't get the surrounding stuff in the lymph nodes and

> > such? Or does it not work that way?

>

> I don't believe it works quite so neatly (RAI killing off remnant but not

> thyca); I think it's more random.

I have a distant memory that thyca, being abnormal, rarely takes up RAI as

avidly as normal thyroid. We already know that some thycas are 'iodine

resistant' so it may be that there is a range of values from normal uptake

down to no uptake.

If this is true then you could well have a situation that a normal remnant

will hog much of the available RAI, leaving little for the thyca.

Ian

Ian Adam

Radiation Safety Officer

The Institute of Cancer Research

Cotswold Road

Sutton

Surrey

SM2 5NG

Tel: 020 8722 4250

Fax: 020 8722 4300

EMail: iana@...

[Guest guest]

Way to go, Jim!

You definitely are moving in the right direction.

I would guess it'll be at least 2 weeks before your TSH might be high

enough, but you never know - it doesn't move in a linear way; you could

jump up 10 or more points at any time.

Keep us posted -

jimj88 wrote:

> & :

>

> You rich and famous kid actors, I just got my blood work back from the

> hospital and the TSH is 18.6; Free T4 5.2; and the Tg is not back yet,

> as it is done in Halifax and not here in Charlottetown. The TSH is up

> substantially from September 16, 2002 (.96) but not near enough for an

> ablation. The Free T4 has dropped from 18.8 on September 16 to 5.2

> today. As they had to order the I-131 today to be here for next week,

> I doubt that it will be ordered until next week. I am planning to go

> back in to the hospital next Tuesday (Monday is Thanksgiving up

> her)and have the blood drawn again. We are moving in the right

> direction.

>

> Jim

[Guest guest]

Way to go, Jim!

You definitely are moving in the right direction.

I would guess it'll be at least 2 weeks before your TSH might be high

enough, but you never know - it doesn't move in a linear way; you could

jump up 10 or more points at any time.

Keep us posted -

jimj88 wrote:

> & :

>

> You rich and famous kid actors, I just got my blood work back from the

> hospital and the TSH is 18.6; Free T4 5.2; and the Tg is not back yet,

> as it is done in Halifax and not here in Charlottetown. The TSH is up

> substantially from September 16, 2002 (.96) but not near enough for an

> ablation. The Free T4 has dropped from 18.8 on September 16 to 5.2

> today. As they had to order the I-131 today to be here for next week,

> I doubt that it will be ordered until next week. I am planning to go

> back in to the hospital next Tuesday (Monday is Thanksgiving up

> her)and have the blood drawn again. We are moving in the right

> direction.

>

> Jim

[Guest guest]

Way to go, Jim!

You definitely are moving in the right direction.

I would guess it'll be at least 2 weeks before your TSH might be high

enough, but you never know - it doesn't move in a linear way; you could

jump up 10 or more points at any time.

Keep us posted -

jimj88 wrote:

> & :

>

> You rich and famous kid actors, I just got my blood work back from the

> hospital and the TSH is 18.6; Free T4 5.2; and the Tg is not back yet,

> as it is done in Halifax and not here in Charlottetown. The TSH is up

> substantially from September 16, 2002 (.96) but not near enough for an

> ablation. The Free T4 has dropped from 18.8 on September 16 to 5.2

> today. As they had to order the I-131 today to be here for next week,

> I doubt that it will be ordered until next week. I am planning to go

> back in to the hospital next Tuesday (Monday is Thanksgiving up

> her)and have the blood drawn again. We are moving in the right

> direction.

>

> Jim

[Guest guest]

:

Sent a letter to the Radiation Oncologist yesterday morning and she called me

back in the afternoon. We had a great chat and we decided to postpone the

ablation for another 3 weeks, until October 28, 2002. She was planning on doing

it in two weeks but I convinced her to wait three. By that time I will have

been of my synthroid for 6 weeks and the cytomel for two weeks. This should

give us a sufficiently high TSH for the RAI to work. I will have my blood

levels checked again next week to see how I am doing. She also moved the RAI

from a scheduled Tuesday to Monday. By doing that she will be able to be here

herself to monitor the ablation. Normally she travels to anothert city (30

miles away) on Tuesday's for an oncology clinic that she does there. I am

getting the royal treatment!!! As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the

grease!!!!

By the way I have friend here who had a TT about 10 years ago. She had a

radical neck dissection at the time with about 40 nodules in her neck area. She

has been a teriffic comfort and sounding board and put me on to your group. She

has been clean for quite some time but takes great care of herself.

When she goes of her meds for scans, etc. she is of synthroid for two weeks,

then on cytomel for two weeks, then of everything for two weeks. Using this

approach she is of the synthroid for the necessary 6 weeks (recommended by her

original Dr.) but does not go " really " hypo (she is hypo, however) during the

time period because of having the cytomel for the two weeks in the middle. Has

anyone else ever heard of this approach? It makes since to me because the

cytomel is suppose to leave the body within two weeks while the synthroid takes

up to 6 weeks. This approach has lessened the hypo effect for her and has made

coming of her meds a lot easier.

Jim

Re: Jim - Re: Pending Ablation

Way to go, Jim!

You definitely are moving in the right direction.

I would guess it'll be at least 2 weeks before your TSH might be high

enough, but you never know - it doesn't move in a linear way; you could

jump up 10 or more points at any time.

Keep us posted -

jimj88 wrote:

> & :

>

> You rich and famous kid actors, I just got my blood work back from the

> hospital and the TSH is 18.6; Free T4 5.2; and the Tg is not back yet,

> as it is done in Halifax and not here in Charlottetown. The TSH is up

> substantially from September 16, 2002 (.96) but not near enough for an

> ablation. The Free T4 has dropped from 18.8 on September 16 to 5.2

> today. As they had to order the I-131 today to be here for next week,

> I doubt that it will be ordered until next week. I am planning to go

> back in to the hospital next Tuesday (Monday is Thanksgiving up

> her)and have the blood drawn again. We are moving in the right

> direction.

>

> Jim

[Guest guest]

:

Sent a letter to the Radiation Oncologist yesterday morning and she called me

back in the afternoon. We had a great chat and we decided to postpone the

ablation for another 3 weeks, until October 28, 2002. She was planning on doing

it in two weeks but I convinced her to wait three. By that time I will have

been of my synthroid for 6 weeks and the cytomel for two weeks. This should

give us a sufficiently high TSH for the RAI to work. I will have my blood

levels checked again next week to see how I am doing. She also moved the RAI

from a scheduled Tuesday to Monday. By doing that she will be able to be here

herself to monitor the ablation. Normally she travels to anothert city (30

miles away) on Tuesday's for an oncology clinic that she does there. I am

getting the royal treatment!!! As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the

grease!!!!

By the way I have friend here who had a TT about 10 years ago. She had a

radical neck dissection at the time with about 40 nodules in her neck area. She

has been a teriffic comfort and sounding board and put me on to your group. She

has been clean for quite some time but takes great care of herself.

When she goes of her meds for scans, etc. she is of synthroid for two weeks,

then on cytomel for two weeks, then of everything for two weeks. Using this

approach she is of the synthroid for the necessary 6 weeks (recommended by her

original Dr.) but does not go " really " hypo (she is hypo, however) during the

time period because of having the cytomel for the two weeks in the middle. Has

anyone else ever heard of this approach? It makes since to me because the

cytomel is suppose to leave the body within two weeks while the synthroid takes

up to 6 weeks. This approach has lessened the hypo effect for her and has made

coming of her meds a lot easier.

Jim

Re: Jim - Re: Pending Ablation

Way to go, Jim!

You definitely are moving in the right direction.

I would guess it'll be at least 2 weeks before your TSH might be high

enough, but you never know - it doesn't move in a linear way; you could

jump up 10 or more points at any time.

Keep us posted -

jimj88 wrote:

> & :

>

> You rich and famous kid actors, I just got my blood work back from the

> hospital and the TSH is 18.6; Free T4 5.2; and the Tg is not back yet,

> as it is done in Halifax and not here in Charlottetown. The TSH is up

> substantially from September 16, 2002 (.96) but not near enough for an

> ablation. The Free T4 has dropped from 18.8 on September 16 to 5.2

> today. As they had to order the I-131 today to be here for next week,

> I doubt that it will be ordered until next week. I am planning to go

> back in to the hospital next Tuesday (Monday is Thanksgiving up

> her)and have the blood drawn again. We are moving in the right

> direction.

>

> Jim

[Guest guest]

:

Sent a letter to the Radiation Oncologist yesterday morning and she called me

back in the afternoon. We had a great chat and we decided to postpone the

ablation for another 3 weeks, until October 28, 2002. She was planning on doing

it in two weeks but I convinced her to wait three. By that time I will have

been of my synthroid for 6 weeks and the cytomel for two weeks. This should

give us a sufficiently high TSH for the RAI to work. I will have my blood

levels checked again next week to see how I am doing. She also moved the RAI

from a scheduled Tuesday to Monday. By doing that she will be able to be here

herself to monitor the ablation. Normally she travels to anothert city (30

miles away) on Tuesday's for an oncology clinic that she does there. I am

getting the royal treatment!!! As they say, the squeaky wheel gets the

grease!!!!

By the way I have friend here who had a TT about 10 years ago. She had a

radical neck dissection at the time with about 40 nodules in her neck area. She

has been a teriffic comfort and sounding board and put me on to your group. She

has been clean for quite some time but takes great care of herself.

When she goes of her meds for scans, etc. she is of synthroid for two weeks,

then on cytomel for two weeks, then of everything for two weeks. Using this

approach she is of the synthroid for the necessary 6 weeks (recommended by her

original Dr.) but does not go " really " hypo (she is hypo, however) during the

time period because of having the cytomel for the two weeks in the middle. Has

anyone else ever heard of this approach? It makes since to me because the

cytomel is suppose to leave the body within two weeks while the synthroid takes

up to 6 weeks. This approach has lessened the hypo effect for her and has made

coming of her meds a lot easier.

Jim

Re: Jim - Re: Pending Ablation

Way to go, Jim!

You definitely are moving in the right direction.

I would guess it'll be at least 2 weeks before your TSH might be high

enough, but you never know - it doesn't move in a linear way; you could

jump up 10 or more points at any time.

Keep us posted -

jimj88 wrote:

> & :

>

> You rich and famous kid actors, I just got my blood work back from the

> hospital and the TSH is 18.6; Free T4 5.2; and the Tg is not back yet,

> as it is done in Halifax and not here in Charlottetown. The TSH is up

> substantially from September 16, 2002 (.96) but not near enough for an

> ablation. The Free T4 has dropped from 18.8 on September 16 to 5.2

> today. As they had to order the I-131 today to be here for next week,

> I doubt that it will be ordered until next week. I am planning to go

> back in to the hospital next Tuesday (Monday is Thanksgiving up

> her)and have the blood drawn again. We are moving in the right

> direction.

>

> Jim

[Guest guest]

:

My blood was taken again yesterday (5 weeks of synthroid and 3 weeks

of cytomel) and the TSH has risen from 18.6 (October 8) to 38.4

(October 21), while the Free T4 has dropped from 5.2(October 8) to 3.4

(October 21). The Tg is back from Occtober 8 and it is 117, which is

up from 100 on September 16. Remember it takes me longer to get the

results of the Tg as it is done in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while the TSH

and Free T4 is done here in Charlottetown, PEI.

Anyway we are definitely moving in the right direction and I still

have a week to go (which will be 6 weeks of synthroid and 4 weeks of

cytomel), so the TSH should rise some more while the Free T4 should

drop further. I don't feel the least bit hypo yet, but then again I

don't really think I have ever experienced the feeling (as so many of

you have described it) so I do not know what to expect. If this

ablation takes like I hope it will then by the time of my next scan in

6-12 months, maybe I will experience " hypo hell " ,as my friend here

describes it. Cheers and thanks for all of the guidance, help, moral

support, etc. which really helps one get through all of this. I am

trying to follow the LID very closely these last seven days. No more

Fleichman's margarine!!!!

Jim

> Re: Jim - Re: Pending Ablation

>

>

> Way to go, Jim!

>

> You definitely are moving in the right direction.

> I would guess it'll be at least 2 weeks before your TSH might be

high

> enough, but you never know - it doesn't move in a linear way; you

could

> jump up 10 or more points at any time.

>

> Keep us posted -

>

>

>

>

> jimj88 wrote:

>

> > & :

> >

> > You rich and famous kid actors, I just got my blood work back

from the

> > hospital and the TSH is 18.6; Free T4 5.2; and the Tg is not

back yet,

> > as it is done in Halifax and not here in Charlottetown. The TSH

is up

> > substantially from September 16, 2002 (.96) but not near enough

for an

> > ablation. The Free T4 has dropped from 18.8 on September 16 to

5.2

> > today. As they had to order the I-131 today to be here for next

week,

> > I doubt that it will be ordered until next week. I am planning

to go

> > back in to the hospital next Tuesday (Monday is Thanksgiving up

> > her)and have the blood drawn again. We are moving in the right

> > direction.

> >

> > Jim

>

>

>