Vante got her I131 treatment today

Vante is doing great!

Before we left the house.  She was not a happy camper because I interrupted her morning sun-nap.

I just got off the phone with Bobbi from the hospital where Vante is getting her treatment.  Bobbi will be looking after Vante while she's there.  Bobbi said, while laughing, that Vante is a big talker but behaved well for the treatment.  Apparently she meowed the entire time and showed off her elaborate personality.

Here is what they did today:
-Injected some liquid under her skin that will cling to her thyroid.

Arrived at the hospital early, so we cuddled in the car for 15 minutes.

-They sat Vante on a gamma camera for several minutes with her front paws stretched out.  This took a photo of her thyroid & any other things in the area that the injected liquid clings to, like cancer.  Vante doesn't have cancer but she did have bilateral thyroid adenoma on both sides, which isn't cancer, but just of note.  (I didn't get details but will try to figure out what it means.)

-The doctor studied her thyroid level results, the gamma photo of her & calculated up the correct dosage of radioactive iodine to give Vante.  This is the same stuff that they give humans (except humans just drink it out of a glass).

-The radioactive iodine was given as an injection under the skin (like a vaccination) between the shoulder blades.  The medicine gravitates to the thyroid & whatever it was they injected earlier. 

Waiting in the exam room for the veterinarian.

The second they put Vante in her temporary home apparently she had her face in the food dish and was eating like a champ.  Which is good, because if she eats & drinks well then she'll be able to go home on Thursday.  Her temporary home is nice and quiet, she can't see other cats, and will be able to watch a cat video of birds, butterflies, and the ocean. 

They already know that my second hyperthyroid cat, Amelia, will be coming for the same treatment in 2 weeks.  They showed me around; it's a nice, clean and large facility.  I was impressed and quite pleased with the amount of time they spent showing me around and answering all my questions.  I truly appreciated that. 

Tomorrow they will call after they scan her to find out her radiation levels.  Then they can determine if she can go home early in the morning or later in the day.  They also said they would send a photo of Vante for her blog.  YEAH!

So Vante is doing great & she's in good hands. (I can't wait until she comes back home.  I miss her already!)

On April 11, 2013 this post was edited to correct a mistake.  The radioactive iodine treatment is called I131, not R131.  Thanks Billi for catching my mistake!