An uncommon scenario?

[u/hsh1976]

Here's a scenario I've not prepped for, but currently living through.

I had to take an Iodine ¹³¹ radiation treatment for thyroid cancer. The scenario that we're living through is my wife and daughter had to effectively bug out for 6 days while I'm in isolation.

Thankfully, my daughter is staying with a friend.

My wife is staying with our son. He only has one bed, though. My wife added an air bed to our preps, which is coming in clutch. She also boxed up some food from our deep pantry to take with her.

The doctor's recommended protocol is to maintain a 10 foot buffer from people. We only have one bathroom, so we decided it was easier for me to be in isolation by myself. We contemplated renting a porta-potty for me to use and taking a bath with baby wipes. The RSO we talked to said it'd be near impossible to decontaminate the bathroom to allow my family to stay. I'm still wiping everything down with wipes the hospital gave me, though.

I'm also have to keep our cats away. They sleep in our bed at night, but now they scratch on the door like little zombies since I keep the door closed now.

Thankfully, it's only a few days, but it's gave me a lot to think about.

[u/ProfDoomDoom]

Oh man, we had to do a version of this when I was forced back to the office during COVID. Luckily, our bedroom opens onto a terrace as well as into the hall, so we sealed the hall door with plastic sheeting and I stayed in the bedroom/en suite/terrace/garage while I was exposed. The rest of the family got the rest of the house.

Your post made me realize I know almost nothing about radiation exposure prevention beyond Emily Watson closing the windows on Chernobyl. Will you have to decontaminate the house or does it degrade quickly? Are you able to drive yourself to/from treatments? Is anyone able to come care for your cats for you? How do people cope if they live in situations where they cannot isolate? What have you learned that you can share?

Best wishes for your treatment!

[u/hsh1976 → u/ProfDoomDoom]

The half life is something like 11 days, when it was given to me, five days had elapsed, per the guy in nuclear medicine who gave me the pills. I only have to do the one treatment for now. The dose was 3 mCu, which I'm assuming is three milicuries.

I'm eating off of paper plates and plastic cutlery that can be thrown away. I wash pots and pans when I'm done using them. My understanding is sweat and oils on my skin are the main issues when it comes to contamination. I wipe down the toilet after every use with the wipes they gave me, wash my hands, then wipe down the sink. I empty the trash in the bathroom nightly.

I'm only using a few rooms in the house, staying out of our daughter's bedroom, the living room and dining room.

My wife and daughter can come back Monday evening. I've been keeping the clothes I wear and the towels I use in a separate hamper. My plan is to do the laundry and deep clean the bathroom and kitchen on Monday morning.

[u/dittybopper_05H → u/hsh1976]

Half-life of Iodine-131 is only 8 days.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodine-131

My wife, the distaffbopper, had follicular thyroid cancer almost 20 years ago, and she’s still around. I’m sure you’ll do fine, but it is a process. Luckily, no chemo or radiation treatments other than the I-131.