Question about a "health issue" I know a person who had to undergo

[madmom]

a stress test and had some kind of radiation treatment (this has to do with a heart malfunction) Anyway she told us that she was told that she can't have anything to do with her young children for 24 hours. Can't hold them, set beside them, basically has to stay away from them. Is this true? Is this something they would tell a mother after having one of these sorts of test done. I'm sceptically because this particular person shuns parental responsibility as much as possible under "normal" circumstances.Anyway just curious about this. Thanks for any insight.

[Captain Hilts]

1. I know an elderly man who had one and got arrested in PA Station, NY 'cause the nuke alarms went off

[hunter]

2. It sounds like a thallium stress test.

She'll be radioactive for a little while.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4743

[xchrom]

4. oh now that's interesting. nt

[xchrom]

3. is this because radiation did something to her immune system? nt

[supernova]

5. You're fed a radioactive dye

that will show up on their equipment. It's not poisonous, just cool-looking so that they can check for blockages and damaged veins.

But I know of no cardiac test that involves staying away from your children. Perhaps she's stressed out about her health and needing a childcare break while she's dealing with testing/diagnosis?

[kjackson227]

6. Yes, this could very well be true because I had a neighbor who...

received radiation treatment, and she was told to remain in her room, and her husband had to slip her meals through the door for two days. I guess because of the radiation.

[uppityperson]

7. It all depends. I had to avoid holding children close after getting my thryoid nuked.

It depends on what, etc, where the radiation is. If she's not supposed to be close to kids for 24 hours, wonder if she's supposed to use her own toilet also (if excrete it through urine).

I was mean, put glow in the dark makeup on my face, then showed my kid my glowing thyroid. Took less than 3 seconds to figure out I was messing around.

[murielm99]

11. I had to avoid children and pets after getting my thyroid

nuked, too. They told me to flush the toilet twice when I used it, and to sleep in a separate bed.

One of my friends had to avoid her family during her radiation treatments for cancer. This sounds pretty normal to me.

[uppityperson]

12. That is the one. It is normal, but a bit weird to do.

my kid was momentarily stunned with the glow in the dark makeup on my neck though.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. I only know about isolation for radiation of the thyroid gland.

[enlightenment]

9. I had a bone scan a number of years ago that used a radiotracer

(radiation). I was told it would excrete into my urine and I should wash my hands carefully after voiding for the first 24 hours after the test. I was also asked if I was breastfeeding, for the same reason.

Perhaps they're just being extra cautious?

[The Magistrate]

10. After One Cardiac Test, Ma'am

Which required ingesting a radioactive marker to display circulation patterns, my question to the nurse elicited a response to the effect that sitting my grandsons on my lap would not be a particularly good idea over the next few hours. Apparently with that test some low level radiation would persist in the system for a bit, and growing children are a little more vulnerable to long term effects from this sort of thing. It is by no means a great risk, but if your friend had an imaging examination of this sort, some hyper-cautious type could well have told her something like what she says she was told.

[Warpy]

13. I have never heard of this

although most patients getting the test don't have very young children at home.

The amount of radioactive material is quite small and should be eliminated quickly.

I don't think I'd breast feed for a couple of days, though.

Do have her clarify the restrictions with her doctor.