PET Scan

Got to the hospital around 12 today in pouring rain.  Of course the parking lot was full so I had to walk a good distance to get to the Out Patient area.  Luckily, when I got there, the first person I saw was one of my dear friends, William.  He has retired and is a volunteer at the hospital.  He helps by ferrying people through the maze of hallways to their proper destination.  William was happy to escort me to the Nuclear Medicine area of the hospital.


The Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan I was having today was to see if there is any new cancer growth detected.  If I light up like a Christmas tree...or even a night light, it's a game changer.  No surgery will be done and we will go to Plan B.  But, back to the test, basically, the scan is a nuclear medicine imaging machine that will show three dimensional pictures of my body.  Always thought I would make a good fold out, just never thought of it this way.  


First, I was given an intravenous tracer medication that apparently emits some type of special rays (probably enhanced my natural aura!) that can be detected by the machine in areas like a cancer growth.  The machine in turn, will make images in 3-dimensional form to be read and analyzed by computer and the doctor. 


In doing my research, I thought it interesting that the first place this was first done was the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, then at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, way back in the 50s.  Both cities we know well due to my daughter Lauren getting her master's degree at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and now teaching at Washington University in St. Louis.  


Then, I had to sit for one hour and do nothing.  I say that, because I put my earphones on to listen to a little funky music on my iPhone.  The hospital has a camera monitoring the room and the nurse came in and told me I couldn't listen to music cause it would induce too much brain activity and the glow in the dark stuff might all go there.  Oh well...Sam Cooke can certainly stir up some good brain activity!


Afterwards, I was taken to the PET machine and locked in.

My head was put in a holder so it wouldn't move during the procedure.

My arms were strapped in and legs elevated.

The test took about 45 minutes.  I was tired by the time it was over.  Couldn't eat anything for 6 hours prior to the procedure, so that meant last night's dinner was my last meal.  Of course, I can miss a meal and it probably won't hurt me.  

Hopefully, I will hear from the scan next week.  I will let you know when I do.  Until then, we can only hope and pray that all will be clear and no new growths have appeared.


Here's to good sleeping till then and another good pull on the wagon.

PCQ