Need help in no-salt diet prior to Radiation Pill

[Sierra Sue]

I am new and have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  Had total thyroidectomy. I have to be n a salt free diet prior to receiving the radiation pill, and have no ideas for what I can eat and not eat.  I have been reading some of the q and a, and everyone is so helpful and so nice.  I am so glad I found this site since I am new to computer use.  I hope you can give me some suggestions as I have to start the diet andquit taking the pill on January 26th.  I am an anxious person, always have been, and this whole thing has me so scared and nervous.  Thank you so much.  Sierra Sue

[dmcttnj]

Hi Jez777

thanks for your comment. I had total thyroidectomy, now doing the diet on 8/6, then the pill the following week. I'm nervous and want to know what and how exactly you felt during isolation. What did you breakfast lunch and dinner consist of, and did you lose weight while on the low iodine diet?

thanks so much Diane

[pep88]

I was very nauseous after the first day.  For me it was kind of like being sick to my stomach, with a "heartburn-like" overtone.  Got way worse after I went home.  Hurled my Thanksgiving dinner last year.  Yippee!  Good news is, it doesn't last very long.  I also had a ton of swelling after the first day.  Looked like a linebacker.  Prednezone for a couple of days took it away eventually.

Some people have no problems whatsoever.  I wouldn't worry.  Some people get themselves so worked up that they can't swallow the pill.  Can you say "haz-mat" team?  Keep calm.  It will be fine.  Take lots of books and your phone.  They'll put it in a ziploc bag and you can text and talk on the phone.  And there's always tv or dvd (if the room they put RAI treated patients in, has one....  Good luck.

To: Sierra Sue,
Just wanted to re-iterate what Utahmomma said about it being a low Iodine diet and not a no salt diet.  Kosher or non-iodized salt is fine.  Therefore, if you avoid the foods on the list and make your own from scratch (such as bread), the LID is fairly easy (minus the cheese! UGH!)  Good luck to you as well.

[lam348]

Hello my name is Lisa and I have had a total thyroidectomy. I have to go for RAI in 2 weeks and was wondering if anyone can tell me how they felt with RAI. Did they have any side effects? I will be hospitalized for 3 days and no one is allowed to be near me. This is what is going to kill me the isolation, but I was wondering if you start to feel sick with the RAI. Please respond. Thank You Lisa

[EmpatheticJenny]

Oops! I should have read everyone's comments more carefully before adding a suggestion about a low-salt-diet resource. I see that it is a low-iodine diet Sierra Sue needs help with, not low-salt. Oh well, my "Welcome" was appropriate no matter what and quite sincere.

[EmpatheticJenny]

Check out this website: www.lowsodiumcooking.com. It is run by a wonderful person who sticks to an ultra-low-sodium diet because of a certain form of heart disease. Regardless of the reason for wanting to keep sodium to a minimum, the strategies are the same, and this website is a great resource.

[EmpatheticJenny]

P.S. to Sierra Sue: Let me add my "Welcome" to the one extended by utahmomma (who is loaded with caring and common sense--I can tell from her posts--so you are in great hands). Even if you were not an anxious person, it would be normal to be scared and nervous about what you are going through. I am glad that you found the forum. It can be a great source of strength. Good luck, and let us know how you are doing!

[utahmomma]

It's the # symbol and I was able to just cut and paste the link.  Let me know if you have problems.

[Sierra Sue]

Could you please let me know what that symbol is between raihtm and diet.  Thank you.  Sierra Sue

[Jez777]

I found the cookbook posted on thyca's website to be very useful, I am on the last day of my isolation period. The whole LID (low iodine diet) was definatly a cake walk compared to any other dietary restrictions I've ever been on. I'd advise you as much as possible to prepare your foods in advance and stock pile some of your favorite snacks that are allowed on the diet, again the websites are really good for this. You'll feel the effects of going off your meds in a few days and as you near the date of your RAI you will feel pretty worn out, but its all for the greater good and after 2 weeks of a bland diet, you would have gained a whole new appreciation for normal food. Keep you eye on the prize and take it one step at a time. Best of luck.

Jez

[utahmomma]

Welcome,

Did your hospital give you a low-iodine (not low salt) diet outline?

If not here are some links to some pretty good ones.  My hospital had me avoid a few things that aren't on these lists (bananas, calcium, etc.) so you still may want to check with your hospital's nuclear medicine department.

http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/thyroid/raiprep.html
http://www.thyca.org/rai.htm#diet
http://www.thyca.org/Cookbook.pdf

Since you are new to computers you just want to copy one of the links above in your browser window and follow the link.

Good luck.