What happens during the scan?

[Liz94]

A week after my RAI I'm having a scan. What exactly is this going to show? Can someone explain the process to me?  I know I'm taking the RAI to target remaining thyroid tissue and kill it off, right?  I'm so in the dark here.  So what does the scan show?

[utahmomma]

Joni and Liz:   Hey - that's the entire point of going through this . . . um, "stuff".  :-)  You get to share with others.

Whittie - even if your entire body lights up, it's okay.  That's the radiation *killing* any other thyroid/cancer in your body.  Lighting up like a Christmas tree is okay.    My thyroid bed was so bright that they had to have me come back two days later for a followup scan - the cancer that was growing had absorbed so much radiation they couldn't see if there were any other bright spots in my neck.  :-/

Liz - they will scan you from head to toe (literally) so they will find any *thyroid* cancer (only thyroid) elsewhere in your body.  My followup scan a few months ago showed a bright spot in my head - had to have a followup MRI which didn't show "anything substantial"  I get another followup the end of 2008.

[Joni65]

You are so WONDERFUL for giving us all this advice and education!  It sure does make the anxiety of this whole mess seem so much easier to deal with!

GOD BLESS YOU

Joni

[Joni65]

WOW I did not know that one week after the RAI we have to have a scan!  I learn something everyday!
Joni

[Liz94]

So how do they determine if you have cancer elsewhere in your body?

[whittie918]

Thanks utahmomma, I was wondering this myself.  My scan is this Thursday.  I'm kinda nervous that my lungs will light up.  Deep breath, remembering your sisters success stories. Wont listen to the bad stories.

[utahmomma]

The scan is looking for radioactive areas - and because the radiation is connected to the iodine it will be where they thyroid/cancer tissue is.  The scan's pictures look like a huge constellation - bunch of bright spots (look like stars) and an outline of your body.  The brighter the area, the more radiation (thyroid tissue).  It is very common to see a bunch of bright spots in the bladder, liver, and intestines - that's how your body is getting it out of your system (that doesn't mean you have cancer there).

The scan is painless - you just have to lay very still for about an hour while the machine slowly(!!!) scans your body.  You'll be on a medical table and a huge metal plate will slowly be passed over your body.  You can't move your head while it is over your head/neck but after it gets to your chest you can turn your head (and, if you ask the technician nicely they may have the screen turned so you can see it).