Some people (like me), do not develop thyroid problems right away. 4 years out mine is still doing its thing OK. But it is a function of how much of the radiation field included the thyroid gland and volume of exposure it got. Some people do not develop their post radiation thyroid deficiency until years after radiation treatments, a combination of old age incompetence (when many glands in your body are not producing like they did in your younger years) and the damage from the radiation. The most common symptom is chronic fatigue. Blood work will determine if the fatigue is due to anemia (a CBC test) or from lower levels of thyroid production. Luckily this is one of the damages that can be easily reversed by a daily dose of synthetic hormone.

Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.