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chozen
07-05-2011, 08:07 PM
we are going to visit my fil soon and he just finished radiation treatments, how long after last treatment should we wait before bringing lo's around him? we will be staying at there house.
ellies mom
07-05-2011, 08:31 PM
It depends on the kind of treatment. With external beam radiation therapy, there is no problem. With internal beam radiation therapy, the patient is usually hospitalized while they are "radioactive".

This website has a pretty good explanation of the internal radiation issues (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/coping/radiation-therapy-and-you/page4). So the first thing you need to know is what type of treatment and what the doctor recommends.
hillview
07-05-2011, 09:13 PM
I would ask his doctor or NP. It does vary quite a lot.
/hillary
chozen
07-05-2011, 10:02 PM
it has been alittle over 2 wks since his last treatment do you think this is enough time? the treatments were for a growth he had in one of his lungs and they removed part of his lung.
ellies mom
07-05-2011, 10:53 PM
it has been alittle over 2 wks since his last treatment do you think this is enough time? the treatments were for a growth he had in one of his lungs and they removed part of his lung.

Was the treatment a same day treatment where he went in, laid down on a table and they "shot" radiation at him and then he went home (external)? Or did they place rods/pellets into him for a short period of time while he has in the hospital (internal)?

With external, the patient is not radioactive. With internal, the patient is usually only radioactive while the pellets/rods are in place but body wastes may be radioactive for a longer period. Usually by the time the patient is discharged, the only precaution if any is to not share a bathroom with pregnant women and small children for a short period of time. I don't know how long that precaution is in place. His doctor would have told him.

If it were my FIL, I wouldn't really worry about it. If there was only one bathroom at their house I might double check the bathroom sharing recommendations. But I am pretty sure that after two weeks it wouldn't be a problem.