Has anyone not done their 6 monthly diagonistic scan after RAI

[Justin1967]

What are the choices if I don't do the scinitscan?
Thyrogen isn't available here am not keen to go through hypo hell again..  

[pep88]

I was on the fence about doing the RAI at all... My cancer was so small and had not yet spread...  My doctor was with me on that in his heart, but his "doctor" mind told him I needed to do it...  (poop!)  I mentioned the followup (scan) to him last week when I was in and he said, "Oh yeah, you'll need to do that in the fall..."  But my "follow-up visit" wasn't scheduled until October.  It's been almost year (my RAI was in November '07),  and I haven't done a six month at all...  I'll probably do a yearly thing.  But my doc doesn't seem concerned, and neither am I.  I feel confident that I have no metastasis and my numbers are good and reflect that.  I think if we had some reason, he'd definately be a bit more invasive/hands on.  The good news is he definately mentioned thyrogen shots and not going through hypo hell again....  YYYYYYEEEEEEEAaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Justin1967]

Hi there,, I'm all for thyrogen too.. but at cost I could get it sent over from Australia at a whooping A$1800 or US$1600 you have to really really need it..
Have I got a elevated Tg of 3.0 (unsuppressed) done pre-RAI to warrant a scan?
As far as I know I had follicular/pap cancers - multi-focal..

Justin

[shannon828]

My doctor doesn't do scans unless there is elevated Tg or something curious on Ultrasounds.  His exact words were that he doesn't like "needlessly exposing people to radiation".  I am not sure if this is a new or old protocol for Thyca management, but I am all for it.  Sorry about not having Thyrogen...I have to say, it's it an abolute Godsend.  I have not been Hypo once during my whole Thyca experience.  Not even a little!

[Liz94]

I had my first injection yesterday for my 6 month scan on Friday and I have to say, I'll never go hypo again if I don't have to. I would say if, I were in your shoes, that for me it would depend on my initial diagnosis.  What kind of cancer you have, how much of it, was it contained, etc.  Having said that, I think I'd be willing to go hypo if I had no other choice and it was the only means of making sure I was healthy. At least at the 6 month point. And maybe again at 1 year.