Well, I went through a PET scan today. It’s apparently a little more advanced version of a Galium scan I got 4 years ago. Basically you get injected with some radioactive material and then sit in a scanner for quite a few minutes.
It really wasn’t too bad as these things go. After fasting all morning and drinking 32 ounces of water they set me up with an IV. As it turned out for some strange reason they wanted to inject on my left arm because my swollen node is on my right side, so they switched arms from right to left at the last second. The nurse remarked that my veins looked really good. They’ve come in handy as you get a lot of blood draws/injections with cancer and hunting for veins isn’t much fun. Apparently sometimes the chemo gives you weak veins, but I’m guessing that’s because a lot of people with cancer are older and didn’t have that great of viens to start with.
So they brought the radioactive sucrose and injected me. Then you have to wait for it to spread around the blood system, so you sit in the room in the dark. I brought a book, Enterprise Service Bus, with me, but apparently you just have to lay in the dark and do nothing, so no reading. After about 45 minutes they came in and led me into the machine room.
The PET scan machine includes a CAT scan with it as an all in one. I had to remove my wedding ring due to the metal in it which may interfere with the scan. They put you on the machine with an annoying neck brace and you can’t move for 45 minutes while they very slowly run you through the machines. Another exciting 45 minutes, but I bet you didn’t know that there are 142 holes in the speaker screen for the Philips PET scan machine.
Tommorow afternoon they can give me the feedback on the preliminary scan analysis. If it doesn’t light up, it’s probably just a branchial cleft cyst. If it’s not I’m about ready for another fight because the plan is still to make it to 101 and enjoy my great grandchildren. And I’ve got a great support network from Micki, Kassie, Molly, Kiwi, and Sophie to my Mom and Dad and all my brothers, Gibbscrew to Joan and Gary and a host of friends.