Radioactive Girl!

Thankfully since I had an ultrasound done a few weeks ago I don't have to do all the normal paperwork all over again.

We get called back and start going over everything. So for the next seven days I have to:

• stay at home, isolated from the general public
• maintain a distance of at least six feet from others in the house (impossible with my old dogs so it's total isolation for their welfare)
• sleep alone
• no travel with others by automobile for longer than 2 hours and must sit as far away as possible
• drink plenty of fluid. This helps move the radioactive iodine through the body.
• no strenuous activity that may result in excessive perspiration
• shower one to three times a day
• prepare food only for myself
• no kissing
• no sex
• limit visitors, for short periods of time (15 minutes) and maintain distance of at least six feet
• avoid contact with kids and women of childbearing age
• to help avoid damage to the salivary glands take sour candies (I have a butt ton of these!)

After all was reviewed and all questions answered the time has come. Stephanie instructs me on how she is going to give me my capsules and what I am to do with the vial and taking the capsules. She then, using tongs, hands me my clear vial with two long, blue capsules in it. I wasn't sure I was going to get the cap off the vial. I finally get the cap off, I forgot to take a sip of water first (like any sane person knows they should do before taking a capsule) so the capsules stuck to my tongue...blah! Done! They are down!

After paperwork is sorted we are escorted from the building and we head home. Once home, I head up to my room where I will be for the next seven days.

In the whole grand scheme of things cancer wise, as hard as total isolation may be it's not like daily visits for radiation or spending 4-8 hours a day at a cancer center having chemo infusions.

So, here I am. Alone in my room. My only contact is the occasional delivery of food and/or beverage and video chats with Jeff. This will be life for the next seven days.