Hi Lulla2,
I'm not really sure what your doctor's reservations are about Dubai Hospital but I thought that the doctors, nurses and technicians there were really competent and very nice. They made a potentially challenging situation much easier. The hospital was a little disorganized and I had to follow up to make sure that things were done on schedule. It was definitely different from a private hospital. However, my overall experience with them as far as the RAI was concerned was good.
I was given 103mci of radioactive iodine, but that was based on the nuclear medicine physician's assessment of my requirements. (This dose was determined by the doctor at Dubai Hospital after my endocrinologist sent all my reports to them.) I don't think there is any limit on the dose they are able to administer.
I went through withdrawal prior to the RAI. My decision was based on my endocrinologist's recommendation. Dubai Hospital does not require withdrawal and tries to schedule the RAI according to the option you prefer. As I had decided to go through withdrawal, they scheduled RAI six weeks after the start of withdrawal. Had I gone for the shots, the RAI would have been scheduled sooner.
Although my doctor told me that patients' reactions to withdrawal vary and some of his patients don't feel any different after going through it, I definitely did not enjoy the experience :)
For me, the most challenging part of the whole experience was the time spent in isolation. Because my kids are very young, I had to stay away from them for 2 weeks. I spent 3 days out of those 2 weeks at Dubai Hospital. I was not in a hospital setting the rest of the time. Lulla2, I hope you go through a shorter period of isolation.
I hope this helps. I will be happy to answer any other questions you may have.
Hi Lulla2,
I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer about a year ago, and was able to get RAI at Dubai Hospital. I thought I would let you know in case you are looking for an alternative to going overseas for the RAI. As far as I'm aware, the only requirement is that you need to have a DHA (Dubai Health Authority) health card. If you're interested, it might be worth calling Dubai Hospital to find out.
Carambar, I deal with Dr. Baha, the endocrinologist at Mediclinic City Hospital and he's really good. He really takes the time to understand your concerns and address them thoroughly and throughtfully.
I hope this helps. Good luck ladies :)
Hi everyone :)
Although this is my first post, I have been reading the great advice that is offered by the ladies on this forum for quite a while. It has always been tremendously helpful and I am very grateful to everyone who shares their experiences.
I needed a total thyroidectomy last year and did extensive research. I was even considering travelling overseas. Fortunately, I found out about a great surgeon here in Dubai. He did a great job - I couldn't have asked for more. My surgery was performed by Dr. Abdul Aleem at City Hospital. As I had a malignancy, I am still following up with him (and with Dr. Bahaeldeen Laz). I recommend him highly. I hope this helps.
