Re: Different colors of dose

[John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>]

The dose of 27 mCi sounds high.  However, if that was

the dose, then your EDE was 0.594 rem.  Obviously, the

technologist was not aware of comparable doses, but

that is not unusual.  They function is really to

administer the dose and interact with the patient

during the scanning so that an acceptable diagnostic

image is obtained. 



I assume that you have had surgery to remove your

cancerous thyroid.  For an athyroid patient, 225 mCi

of I-131 will give an EDE of about 90 rem.  



The term "safe" is a relative one.  It should be

considered based on risks vs. benefits to YOU.  You

already have diseases that if not treated will shorten

your life and reduce its quality.  While medical

exposures do increase risks of future cancers, the

question of comparing them to your exposure risk at a

nuclear facility pales in comparison to the risk of

not treating your diseases.  I hate to use the term

"apples and oranges," but the two situations are

radically different in the benefits derived.



I wish you the best in your treatment.



--- Donna O'Kelly <djokelly@MAIL.UTEXAS.EDU> wrote:

> 

> 

> I have been a member of this list for almost two

> years now and never felt 

> the need to post until now.  In the last six months,

> I have been diagnosed 

> with two primary cancers, kidney and thyroid. 

> Luckily - both were caught 

> early, so I expect to be around for a long while.

> 

> My issue originates from my going to get a bone scan

> (27 mCi Tc-99m-MDP) 

> and the rad tech telling me I'm not getting any more

> dose than if I stayed 

> out in the sun for an hour.   How do you even begin

> to counter that?  (A 

> Landauer OSL on my hip over 3 days gave a dose of 67

> mrem).  Secondly, is 

> the fact that this 27 mCi is completely "safe" for

> me for medical purposes, 

> but if I wee to encounter this same isotope and

> activity at my facility, it 

> would be regulated and *I* would become a radiation

> area and visitors 

> wouldn't be allowed near it.  But since I got it

> from a medical facility, 

> it was okay.  I dunno is the 140 keV gamma from

> safer if it is given to me 

> in a medical facility???  I think not.  There's so

> much hypocrisy to the 

> whole thing in my mind.

> 

> What about from CTs of the head, neck, abdomen and

> pelvis?  Again, no harm 

> since it's a medical issue - but I encounter it at

> work...and it's just a 

> horrible thing.

> 

> I won't even go into the 225 mCi I-131 I'm getting

> ready to ingest..

> 

> I think this is a discrepancy that should be pointed

> out and addressed with 

> folks across the board.  I've certainly incorporated

> this information into 

> the tours that I give at my facility.

> 

> Thoughts anyone?

> 

> Donna J. O'Kelly, Ph.D

> Laboratory Manager

> Reactor Health Physicist

> Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory

> The University of Texas at Austin

> J.J. Pickle Research Campus

> 10100 Burnet Road, Building 159

> Austin, TX  78758

> 

> office:  (512) 232-4174

> fax:  (512) 471-4589

> 

> http://www.me.utexas.edu/~netl  

> 





=====

+++++++++++++++++++

""A fanatic is one who cannot change his mind and won't change the subject."  Winston Churchill



-- John

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist

e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com



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