Where to stay after RAI?

Wow! What a controversial mess! I think I touched a little bit on this in earlier posts. It's a very touchy subject and scary to me. It used to be a requirement that people who recieved RAI did so as an inpatient and were kept until their radiation levels were at a safe level. The hospitals still keep some patients and still treat them the same. They have special wings where nobody is allowed to visit, any personal belongings that go in cannot come out. They wear specials bio-hazard suits to enter and clean up and they store your bedding and utensils for at least 3 months before washing. They pass food through to you from a distance and they measure your radiation level with a long stick. They also have to make sure all rooms surrounding you on all sides are clear as radiation does not have walls. Well, in recent years they have relaxed some of these requirements and now most of the time RAI is done on an outpatient basis. So they are actually sending patients home to take their own pre-cautions. So what if you live in an apartment? What if you have a childs bedroom under you? Some people travel distances and then have to stay in hotels. And because the hospitals aren't required to keep you then of course insurance companies are NOT going to pay for it! So where do we as radioactive patients go?? Here are some sites if you are interested in this at all. Sorry, again my blogger account is not cooperating so you will have to copy and paste until I can figure it out. http://www.ascopost.com/articles/march-1-2011/how-can-patients-who-receive-radioactive-iodine-treatment.aspx, http://www.inspire.com/groups/thyca-thyroid-cancer-survivors-association/discussion/after-rai-ok-to-stay-in-hotels/?page=last#replies As for me I am going to try to get admitted and hope that my insurance will cover it. If not, I will stay in a tent! Not really. I guess we will have to figure all that out when the time comes, like everything else lately, one day at a time.ASC Post article