Follow up, follow up.

I have to admit that I'm quite concerned about radiation exposure that I had before and after my diagnosis, so should I be tested for other kinds of cancer on a regular basis? No one checks my blood count or anything else, I only have follow up for thyroid cancer.

I'm honestly more scared of getting other kinds of cancer than thyroid cancer coming back for the third time. My doctors already gave me the impression that I could just live with it rather than undergoing more radiation or surgery. And I mean, I have had a disturbing amount of radiation exposure--to make a point we calculated an estimate of how much radiation I've had, which comes out to be like 35.75 mSv (excluding my massive dose of I-131, airplanes, and environmental factors)...it ended up that I might have had more radiation exposure than those who were victims of Chernobyl (33 mSv). That's too scary for me to handle. Anyway I'm curious to know if anyone needs to be closely watched like I think I do. Thanks for listening!

Some medical scholars suggest that we should learn to live with cancer. When I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer I debated with myself to go for TT or not. I am in my 60's and I decided to go ahead. If I were in my 70's, I might choose not to.

If you are still young, give yourslef a chance. Of course, it also depends on what kind of cancer you are dealing with.

Good Luck.

Thank you McTai! I'm 21, my doctor told me I can live to be 100 with thyroid cancer anyway (I've had 2 surgeries so far and it's "cured" for the most part), but the problem is, with all the radiation exposure I've had before and after my diagnosis, I'm at risk for other cancers, but no one is keeping an eye on that. It's a worry that never really goes away, just knowing what i've been through and that all the radiation exposure I've had all adds up. I'm not sure why my doctor isn't concerned.

HI, Shortstuff, I know you will be o.k. You are only 21, such a young person who indeed can live up to 80 if not 100. You know thyroid cancer is a slow growth kind and mostly it spreads to lung or bone and perhaps lymph-nodes if they have been metastassized. Too much radiation surely in not good but it has to be accumulated in a big big amount. I have been going through a lot of radiation, x ray, scan, PET... recently again and agian and I know it may not be good but when thinking the positive against the negative, I still went ahead.

You should not worry about what will happen. Radiation can only lead to a limited type of problem not major cancer and it takes a long long time if it will ever happen and I doubt it will ever occur.. YOu are going to live a long time. Enjoy your life and take your mind out of the cancer shadow. God bless you.

aww thank you for the reassurance and kind words! I know way too much about these things because my dad is a doctor. My dad still worries about it as much as I do so he said it wouldn't hurt to watch my blood count once a year. I know I wouldn't be as lucky as I was with thyroid cancer--noticed a lump in my neck in 6th grade and never told anyone, swollen lymph nodes in 8th grade, couldn't bend my head down in 9th grade, and finally in 11th grade I found it was cancer and it spread pretty badly--so at least I'd be on top of things lol. 

Anyway, your post really did make me feel so much better! I've had countless x-rays with and without the lead jacket, ct scans that proved nothing, spect scans, etc. plus a large dose of I-131 so I'm relieved to know that I don't have to worry in the present time. <3 Best wishes to you as well McTai!

Hi, Shortstuff:

Glad to hear you are in a good hand especially having a caring father who is also in medical field. I undertook a lot of radioactive examinations too but I am pretty sure everything will turn out all right, either you or me and others who suffer from thyroid cancers.

I am a professor in a medical college and my daughter is also a physician and many of my cousins, uncles are also physicians who gave me a lot of information too. We are in the same boat. Lift your head high for the healing is on the way.