If you grew up near or live near the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant (in the Buchanan/Cortlandt/Verplanck/Peekskill area of NY/Westchester County, or across the Hudson in NJ) and have thyroid cancer or thyroid problems, you may want to volunteer to share your story for an upcoming documentary film. The filmmaker is looking to make contact with thyroid patients - and thyroid cancer patients in particular -- for a film that looks at the possible health impact of Indian Point. If you have a story to share, please email me at thyroid.guide@about.com with "Documentary" in the subject.
Photo: clipart.com
Ms. Shamon:
My wife is an avid reader of your site and we have lots of respect for your positions on thyroid disease treatment. With cooperation from her doctors, she has been dealing with the disease 100% better since following lots of the information you publish.
It was to my surprise, however, to read this note that she just passed on to me.
To be honest, if you want to be fair to your readers you should ask that filmmaker to interview:
1. Thyroid patients who are neighbors of the 100 other operating nuclear plants in the US.
2. Those who are residents of Colorado
3. Those who are frequent flyer’s
4. Patients of are radiologists, radiology assistants, dentist assistants…
I could keep on going listing patients that COULD be exposed to harmful levels of radiation. To be exact, those in groups 2 and 3 above receive more radiation exposure than the other two combined! Do you get more complaints about thyroid disease from Colorado residents? Of course I don’t expect you to answer that more than I expect that filmmaker to deduct that living or growing up near the Indian Point Nuclear Plant in NY can induce thyroid disease.
Having your site associated with a filmmakers non-scientific study cheapens your credibility which we all have in high regard.
There is lots of good scientific data on the effects of low radiation exposure published on the web. If any of your readers wants to know and understand those effects, or lack of, I suggest they just “google” it and, like always, read several papers or summaries on the subject to avoid getting misinformed one way or the other by the writer.
As a scientist and engineer, I truly respect your site, I do not consider it witch science. Please keep it that way by supporting good science and not here say.
Juan Cajigas
Nuclear Engineer
Juan — I think you have misunderstood the issue. The producer wants to do a documentary about Indian Point in NY, and whether or not THAT PARTICULAR PLANT that is/isn’t connected to environmental health risks, including thyroid, in people who live(d) near that particular plant.
A documentary is not a scientific study. And it is not my place to direct the film maker re: gathering her info. She is a responsible film maker and will be speaking with nuclear engineers, experts, physicians, researchers, and such. She has come to no conclusions. She is trying to present the full picture.
This is one small facet of her research, and she asked me if I could help her connect to people with thyroid issues who live(d) in Indian Point area. Given that I have a large readership of thyroid patients, I am facilitating that connection.
This is not a film on “The Many Sources of Radiation Exposure” or “Thyroid Problems Around Nuclear Plants Throughout the US,” or “The Radiation Risks of Frequent Flying” or “Radiation Risks in Radiologists, Radiology Assistants & Dentist Assistants” or “Thyroid Problems in Colorado.”
Documentary filmmakers are not doing scientific studies, and disagree with you thoroughly that helping a documentarian connect to thyroid patients to hear their stories — as part of her larger body of research on health and environmental impact of Indian Point — “cheapens my credibility.”
I am a native to N. Westchester, recently diagnosed with Hashimotos – I was told my blood levels would be watched and if need be I could be placed on medication. I am not a big supporter of drug therapies so in speaking to many woman from all over Westchester I find many have thyroid problems and have been on medicine for years. I have been wondering if Indian Point might be plying a role with this increase in thyroid issues. Glad to hear someone is going to investigate further.