Scan update

Yesterday I had my (annual) PET/CT scan. I had to fast from midnight the night before. I checked in and was immediately given valium to insure that I didn't move while the glucose was spreading throughout my body. There's nothing like valium on a completely empty stomach! I was woozy within moments.

Then the tech tried to insert an IV. Twice. She tried to use the veins in my elbow and in my hand. Unfortunately, neither one took. And of course, since I was fasting AND had taken valium, my vasovagal reflex kicked in and I felt very faint. Thankfully a nurse was able to access my port. I developed a huge bruise on my hand which topically applied arnica cream has reduced nicely.

I drank a lovely barium concoction, was injected with the radioactive dye, rested quietly in my valium haze for 40 minutes, and drank another large container of barium. Then they brought me to the scan machine. It's shaped in a ring form. I laid down on the sliding gurney, put my arms overhead and clasped my fingers together, and slid through the doughnut hole. The actual scan seemed to take about half an hour, and the whole process was 3 hours from start to finish.

By this time I was really hungry, so Rik and I went to Glo's for his second and my first breakfast. I felt as though I deserved an indulgent meal, so I had Eggs Florentine (poached eggs atop spinach and an English muffin, covered with hollandaise sauce) served with terrific home fries and some decaf coffee. Rik had Smoked Salmon Benedict and lovingly shared his hollandaise sauce with me.

We were home by 2 PM where I sacked out on the couch in a valium- and carb-induced haze for the next few hours. Although I wasn't actually asleep the entire time, I felt as though I could barely move. I get the scan results from my oncologist next week.