What a Ride: PET/CT Scanned!

I used to watch commercials of people riding a narrow and lightly padded rail into the center hole of huge and long doughnut shaped diagnostic machines wondering what that would be like.


Well, for the second time I was privy to the secrets written on the inner surface of those long and white tubes.  There's a funky little red light up there and something behind a clear plastic shield that rotates at swift guillotine like speeds.  I remember thinking that if that shield wasn't there someone would be temped to stick they're fingers into the path of that blade.  Whoops!

This was the first time I slid in feet first, and I remembered commenting to the tech, a young dark haired woman who's accent gave her away as a native North Carolinian, that I felt less claustrophobic going in that way. 

My arms were up over my head and I was wrapped up in a blanket and padding with my trousers down around my knees so that the metal part of my jeans would not interfere with the scan.  I slid in and out of the machine, like some Popsicle stick sliding into and out of some whale sized toothless mouth.   It would stop.  Start.  Find a new position.  Move again.

My shoulder muscles started to ache, and my post nasal drip tickled the back of my throat until my eyes watered.  And I coughed.  All the while trying to be still.

After we were finished, my britches pulled up and about to go to the CT part of that another young woman came up to us (the tech was there) and told us that the CT scan had been canceled because it was not necessary.  They had called the scheduling doctor to confirm the appointment.

The Tech explained that the PET scan was also a CT scanner;  although without contrast.  But enough to do that job.

When you think about it, they already know where the tumors are.  Or were.

I knew what I was missing - an hour of drinking bitter and unnatural tasting contrast and then have more put in through my vein.  Relief is not the word.  It isn't strong enough.

Remembering that I had to wake up early to take my thyroid pill and not drink anything after 6:30 this morning.  No breakfast, no metformin. No water. They tested my  blood sugar and it was 147.  Waited more than an hour after after the injection of the radioactive dye until I was plugged into the doughnut.

Thank God that's over.  I hope I never go for that ride again.