Shortage of Radioactive Iodine supply in UK/Europe

I firmly believe it's up to each person to decide whether private care is right for them or not, but when somebody is proposing to go abroad for RAI, I feel I have to chip in with a few additional things that need to be considered if anybody was thinking of going in that direction.

When I was at that phase in my thyroid cancer experience, I was on a few American TC forums (shudders now looking back at what a dumb thing that was to do) and it was not at all rare for people to travel out of their home state to get treatment. Routinely people would spend a couple of days in a cheap motel without telling the hotel they were radioactive and then fly home, radiating away on the plane.

Consequently, this is something I feel quite strongly about. I hate to imagine the people who could have been put at risk by that sort of behaviour.

1. Can you be absolutely sure that the hospital can 100% guarantee that they will have the iodine capsule available when you go? - just imagine flying to Turkey only to find that they don't have it or had to give it to a local patient instead of you.

2. Can you be absolutely sure that they'll have the thyrogen injections available at the right time - and build in 2-3 additional days before treatment to give time for getting those jabs?

3. IF you are asked to do a low iodine diet (and I know it's rarer these days than in the past that people have to do this) can you find accommodation that can meet those needs?

4. Have you built in the cost of isolation accommodation after you're out of the hospital? For anybody with the high-risk issues ZS1 suggested, longer (1-2 week) isolation would probably be recommended as it's more likely the body will suck up and retain the iodine. If you're going with somebody, that means both of you will need separate rooms and the person having treatment owes it to hotel staff, to be honest about their situation to avoid putting housekeeping staff at risk. If you were at home, you'd be advised to wash your sheets and other laundry separately from the rest of the family.

5. You need to allow enough time for radiation to drop to a low level before you get on a plane. You cannot maintain a 1m distance from anybody on a plane so it's really important not to put others at risk. You can't exactly ask the check-in staff to seat you away from any woman of child-bearing age who might be pregnant, for example.

If people want to go to Turkey for plastic surgery or Romania for dentistry, or even India for a hip-replacement, I say that's their choice. But the special nature of radioactive iodine means such choice have consequences that you can't entirely control and which could hurt other people. 

Apologies if anybody is offended. It's not my intention.

Hi , , , and barbaral

I have ended up having my RAI capsule last Thursday (3rd attempt) and returned home yesterday. I believe mine was a small dose and had no ill effects at all. I was a little tired and sleepy on Thursday, the rest of my stay was very uneventful.

I had my scans yesterday and now anxiously awaiting results.

Hope everyone else has also had theirs or received new dates at the very least.

Hope everything will be alright. best wishes for you.