EXCLUSIVE: ‘Radioactive’ woman kept at arms length from her family after rare diagnosis

During my treatment for thyroid cancer, I was locked in a lead-lined room for two week-long stints while a radioactive pill I took (delivered to me in a lead-jar by a scientist dressed in a full radioactive suit) ablated me from the inside out.

I was allowed short visits from family where they had to stand on the opposite side of the room. Once they were gone, the big lead-lined door was rolled closed again.

The doctor had to phone me on a dedicated landline in the room each day rather than coming in to see me.

At the end of the treatment, the scientist bought out a Geiger-counter and I had to stand at the end of a string we stretched between us to ensure I was safe to leave.

It sounds crazy but it worked. I’m sure that this lady was probably treated in the same sort of room that I was.

Radium just decays to alpha particles (helium nuclei) like the ones in your smoke detector. Alpha particles are in background radiation and are stopped by a piece of paper. Its a bit over the top to say it would harm others but must be safely administered to the patient.

Firing alpha particles at gold foil was the first experiment to determine the size of an atom.