Bone scan coming up

Tomorrow I have a bone scan, the one that usually happens every six or so months. This time it will be an F-18 bone tomogram, which involves an injection of radioactive dye into the blood.

To do this the nurses in the Ambulatory Infusion Center will access my port. After I receive the dye injection, we allow time for the dye to spread throughout the body (a wait of usually more than one hour, so I'd better bring a good book). Lastly the scan itself, which for me means lying on my back on a scanner bed with an eye mask over my eyes so I can relax and practice my yoga breathing. The technicians usually let me bring my own CDs, so I subject everyone to Broadway show tunes and try not to tap my toes while in the scanner bed. The scan itself takes about an hour but the whole procedure takes up most of the day.

I was smart and scheduled the bone scan for the day before I am supposed to get my monthly Zometa. When the AIC nurses access my port tomorrow, they will be able to leave it accessed for the drug the next day so I only have to get stuck once. I am so in favor of only being stuck once!