Age, Gender Can Affect Risk To Radiation Treatment

I had I131 radiation for thyroid cancer in Sept of 2009. It destroyed the rest of my thyroid but also my ovaries. No one ever told me the long term effects of this treatment. I wish I knew what to expect.

I have got damage which was mentioned when i had the treatment. Both areas are touch sensative and has affected how my lung owrks oneside. When i get a cold/cough i now get bad chest infections. Starting to wonder what else is in the pipe line

I recently had to have metal stents placed in my trachea and left bronchus due to severe radiation damage. I had cyberknife to a 1 cm spot on my left lung in September ,2009. So much for "pinpoint" radiation. I am now coughing up pieces of the stent regularly. I also have to have CT's on a 3 month basis to monitor lungs for  BAC NSC recurrence. I worry about the radiation exposure but feel I have no choice.

I had pelvic radiation for bartholin gland cancer, 5 weeks, 5 days a week. I now have neuropathy in my feet. It is getting worse instead of better. I am on Lyrica but I am trying to cut back as I believe it is making me kind of spacey. So, cutting back has increased the pain I am having. I'm at a crossroads and don't know where to turn. I had surgery to remove the tumor so maybe if they had told me about this outcome before I agreed to follow-up radiation I may have changed my mind.