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September 2012 Moms
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Oops- radioactive device?!?!

tinyhumantoetinyhumantoe member
in September 2012 Moms
So.... I accidentally handled a radioactive implant device that is implanted in the tissue of cancer patients. I didn't know what it was at the time.

I felt really lethargic for the rest of the day and was so tired when I got home that I seriously had to put Winnie in her crib and let her hoot and holler while I conked out for an hour. I've never felt so exhausted in my life. That's why I researched the device I handled and found out what it was.

Nothing I can do about it now. I have a splitting headache and was just curious if anyone knows about these things.
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Re: Oops- radioactive device?!?!

  • tinyhumantoetinyhumantoe member
    edited August 2013
    I handled it at a site visit, so not at work but for work. I will record the event on Monday but have created email record tonight.

    @bobkat22 thank you for your suggestions. I did some googling... I'll call my radiology tech friend in the morning - duh, maybe my brain DID get zapped ;)

    Here is what I'm thinking. The radioactivity was low enough to have been implanted in a living person. My exposure was pretty limited. I'm thinking I'm ok.
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  • KellersPragKellersPrag member
    @tinyhumantoe I agree to find out if you need to do anything ASAP. My friends sister took a radiation pill and had to spend a week quarantined, during which time she had to bleach the bathroom or some shit. Hope it wasn't anything too bad!!
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  • Bighair12Bighair12 member
    BobKat22 said:
    I would call your doctor and ask if there are any precautions you need to take. I know when you take radioactive medicine you have to follow certain protocols with food and going to the bathroom for so long afterward. Was this something you handled at work? If so, I think an incident report needs to be filed. You need to have on record what happened. ETA- @ambekirt might be more helpful. She deals with radiation.
    @bobkat22 this is because the radioactivity is settling into the areas to treat in the body.  

    @tinyhumantoe I am hoping that it would be low enough in radiation if they are just having it around to be handled.  When I worked in Nuclear Medicine all of the radioactive material that could be handled was in a locked room and not easily accessible.  Keep us updated. 
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  • tinyhumantoetinyhumantoe member
    @ambekirt it came from the body of a deceased person who had passed from cancer. I believe that if she was not in quarantine and had been released from the hospital prior to her death (and allowed to be around family), I'm fine. Though I'm sure they calculate the shielding effect of the tissue, if any? The bottom line is there is nothing I can do anyway, so now that I'm confident of that I guess I can stop worrying.

    My dad had his thyroid zapped and had quarantine until his Geiger counter showed safe levels.

    Anyway, I might DD this later. :D
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  • Par13Par13 member
    It's been eons since I've worked Nuclear Phamacy, so I'm a bit rusty.
    What was the radioisotope? Most of the radioactivity would have been absorbed into the patient's tissue within the first few days of treatment. So, unless his implant was just placed, your exposure was probably low.

    If it was iodine, then get your thyroid level checked.
    Also, is there anywhere is your work that you can get your radiation level checked by a dosimeter (is that what they're called, I can't remember)?

    DS: 9/18/12 - 40w5d // DD: 05/17/16 - 40w


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  • Bighair12Bighair12 member
    Geiger counter would detect if it is on her hands still. But yes it would have mostly been absorbed by the patient. Especially if it was a seeding procedure.
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  • tinyhumantoetinyhumantoe member
    @ambekirt thanks for the info! It was the strangest looking device I was collecting with all the metal implants. It was very delicate and I was pretty sure it was an implant from an alien abduction. When I found out it was a cancer patient I was like.... Oh....great. I know what seeds are and am embarrassed I didn't know there were wire forms of that treatment. Now I know :)
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  • tinyhumantoetinyhumantoe member
    Fwiw, the professionals didn't know what it was. I just spoke with them and we got confirmation.
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  • BlueViolettBlueViolett member
    I agree with PP, you should double-check your exposure risks for this particular device.  Do you now know the type of device that was implanted?  If so, you should be able to contact the manufacturer and find out the amount of radiation the device was emitting.  I would also go to the doctor as soon as possible for radiation exposure. 

    I hope you feel better soon!


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  • Bighair12Bighair12 member
    @blueviolett the amount that those seeds actually emit especially after being in a patient for quite a bit of time is very minimal.  And when exposed to radiation like that it is days before any symptoms if any would even show.  
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  • tinyhumantoetinyhumantoe member
    Maybe it was miso pills that made me tired? I had to take 3 doses. Hmm
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  • BlueViolettBlueViolett member
    Oops, sorry, I didn't realize you already figured out what the device was. 

    And I'm very sorry THT you're feeling sick. 


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  • CheenomaeCheenomae member
    THT, I don't mean to get too personal in your business, but I'm thinking maybe if you bled a lot from the effects of the Miso pills, perhaps you're iron is low right now and you're feeling lethargic from that? Maybe take it easy, if you can, and give some time for your counts to come back up. I hope you feel better soon!
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  • tinyhumantoetinyhumantoe member
    @cheenomae yes I bet you are right! And you're not getting too personal :). I guess I remember being this wiped after having W, but I figured it was more lack of sleep and less recovery. Also, I'll remember to take my vitamins. Thank you ;) I really wish a grandma would come and take Winnie for half a day so I could nap!
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  • tinyhumantoetinyhumantoe member
    @bunkinmama :-*
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