Last week I spent about 42 hours in the hospital in Honolulu for the iodine radiation. Interesting experience- first I had to keep to an iodine free diet for 2 weeks prior to the hospital stay. This diet sucked-that is the only word for it. I had to cook everything from scratch from mayo to bread. I even made tortillas from scratch! The 2 days prior to my hospital stay I was collecting gear that I could bring into the hospital that I did not mind turning radioactive. I packed old t-shirts, shorts some cross sitch and of course my i-phone. I had to go into the clinic to have TSH shots on Sunday and Monday at 2:30pm. Fun times, the first injection did not hurt but started to later and then left a huge bruise while the second injection neither hurt nor left a mark! So after 2 weeks on this diet I took the long 20 minute flight to Honolulu and got the Kaiser hospital. Needless to say I was told that this hospital was so much better than the one here in Maui and not to my surprise it was terrible! We arrived at 2:00 and I was to take the radiation at 2:30. Well here it was 4:20 and they were just coming in to give me the very unecassary pregnancy test. Mind you I had not eaten since 9:00am! Then after a severe headache and a crying bout at the nurses station I was finally given the pill at 5:15pm...now I had to wait an hour to eat. 6:15, dinner did arrive, it was gross but at that point I would have eaten road kill. So no pain just a few chills and bouts of sweating while sleeping elevated. Night 1 was the pits! The next morning 5am the nurse came in and quickly dropped off some juice and crackers. I asked for a banana because of a few calf cramps and was assured it would be brought to me at breakfast- cool! That was until they forgot to bring me breakfast- at 9:30 I started an inquiry and everyone said "you did'nt get your breakfast?" Humm, no! If there was one thing you would have thought they would have learned - feed this girl or she will eat you alive = big fail! So after my banana and oatmeal came I did a quick workout to help sweat this stuff out. 30 seconds on 30 off jumprope for 10 minutes then a round of tabata squats- 20 seconds on 10 off, 8 rounds. Good sweat, shower and then to drink more water (had 8 pictures total by the time I left), watch some TV and do some cross stitch! Thursday morning was so much better, I was out by 9:30! We made a quick run to Target (since we were in Honolulu) and we were home later that afternoon.
The following week was interesting as my poor hubby had to sleep on the sofa since I was still Radioactive! Needless to say I am very thankful that the cancer did not spread and that the treatment I had to undergo was painless (with exception of the iodine diet). So the last ordeal is to get this my thyroid medication levels back to normal. This I know takes time and time is something I thank God for!
