PET SCAN DAY!!

It's finally here! The day we've all been waiting for …. PET SCAN DAY! Luckily, what I was told to expect and the reality couldn't be more different.

Since Dr. Kocs wanted this done as soon as possible, the scan was scheduled in mid-Austin. We had to leave by 6 to get to midtown for the scan. We get there about 6:40. That early arrival paid off.

For any of you getting one of these, it just doesn't get any easier. I think this is even easier, or at least more comfortable, than a CT scan.

• Make sure you dress in clothes that have no metal; this means you won't have to get into some goofy gown or hospital pants to do the scan; no changing clothes at all.
• They put in an IV and take a little blood.
• Can I stop here for a sec. What is it with the blood? By the time Friday gets here, I will have blood drawn 4 out of 5 days. Don't they share? Bunch of Vampires!!
• They put you in a little room with a recliner and … wait for it ….HOT BLANKETS; is this heaven or what?
• In comes the PET scan person with a huge syringe attached to a big round metal thing; its the radioactive dye they inject into my veins via the IV.
• The best part? The IV comes out after that! What?! A nice surprise! 
• Hope I don't glow too much;
• You may be thinking (or not) the glow is from my inner sparkle; it isn't.
• The glow is actually those little sneaky cancer cells trying to hide
• Sit in the chair for an hour, with my warm blankets, and vacillate between playing on my phone and napping.
• Then it's my turn! New warm blankets!
• The hardest thing is being still; it isn't hard being still until you're told you HAVE to be still. 
• My mantra for the morning was "be still, don't move", "be still, don't move" ....
• 20 minutes later I'm done
• Coffee time!

The 2 - 4 hour time line I was told to expect did not play out, nor was the test in a tube! It was in the donut thing. Even this die-hard claustrophobic can handle the donut thing! Whew! I had my knock-out pills prescribed for my upcoming MRI with me just in case.

If these results follow my recent experiences, I should know something late this afternoon. It is possible it will go into tomorrow. Hoping I hear something today. Honestly, I don't think the results will change the treatment plan. We'll see.

The following posts include a picture of the PET machine and some general information about PET scans in general.