Day + 50 PET SCAN
Sue & I are back safe & sound from our trip to Sherbrooke, Quebec. We stayed at a couple of very lovely campgrounds along the way & really enjoyed travelling with our small truck camper.
On Thursday, August 31st,the day of the PET Scan(http://www.petscan.ca/petinfo.htm), we arrived at the hospital around 10:30am(didn't want to be late).....took care of the administrative details like obtaining a hospital card & providing the necessary paperwork from Nova Scotia MSI showing that they would pay for the test.
While waiting for my appointment time, we sat out in the parking lot with the truck camper popped up & visited with our friend Lucien who drove down from Montreal for the day. At about 1:45pm. we started to make our way to the building where the PET machine is located.....filled in some forms .......at 2:30pm. the technician brought me to a room to hook my arm up to an IV Cath....tested my blood sugar level....then injected me with the FDG subtance....which is basically a radioactive sugar. After this ingredient was injected in my body, I sat around for approximately 1 hour...to allow time for the substance to find it's way to areas in my body that have fast growing cells...ie. cancer. After an hour, I was taken into the room with the machine.....I lay down with my hands over my head....& was told to lay perfectly still. I was laying on a movable bed that slides through 2 different cylinder sections. The first section is where the 2 CT scan pictures were taken.....the second cylinder is where the PET pictures were taken...there were approximately 8 pictures taken over 25-30 mins. Afterwards, I waited for a few minutes while the technician checked to make sure the test was readable.....then I was done.
We checked into a motel near the hospital, went for dinner with Lucien & then to sleep early. The next morning we were up early & on the road by 7:30am.....we took a scenic drive from Quebec - Vermont - New Hamshire - Maine & ended up in Cambridge Narrows, New Brunswick. We stayed Friday & Saturday night with our friends David & Sandy....headed home Sunday.
I have not heard the results from my PET Scan yet...but expect to hear from my Radiation Oncologist soon.
I went for bloodwork today & will see my hematologist on Friday morning to discuss some of my questions.
That is all I have to report for now....
On Thursday, August 31st,the day of the PET Scan(http://www.petscan.ca/petinfo.htm), we arrived at the hospital around 10:30am(didn't want to be late).....took care of the administrative details like obtaining a hospital card & providing the necessary paperwork from Nova Scotia MSI showing that they would pay for the test.
While waiting for my appointment time, we sat out in the parking lot with the truck camper popped up & visited with our friend Lucien who drove down from Montreal for the day. At about 1:45pm. we started to make our way to the building where the PET machine is located.....filled in some forms .......at 2:30pm. the technician brought me to a room to hook my arm up to an IV Cath....tested my blood sugar level....then injected me with the FDG subtance....which is basically a radioactive sugar. After this ingredient was injected in my body, I sat around for approximately 1 hour...to allow time for the substance to find it's way to areas in my body that have fast growing cells...ie. cancer. After an hour, I was taken into the room with the machine.....I lay down with my hands over my head....& was told to lay perfectly still. I was laying on a movable bed that slides through 2 different cylinder sections. The first section is where the 2 CT scan pictures were taken.....the second cylinder is where the PET pictures were taken...there were approximately 8 pictures taken over 25-30 mins. Afterwards, I waited for a few minutes while the technician checked to make sure the test was readable.....then I was done.
We checked into a motel near the hospital, went for dinner with Lucien & then to sleep early. The next morning we were up early & on the road by 7:30am.....we took a scenic drive from Quebec - Vermont - New Hamshire - Maine & ended up in Cambridge Narrows, New Brunswick. We stayed Friday & Saturday night with our friends David & Sandy....headed home Sunday.
I have not heard the results from my PET Scan yet...but expect to hear from my Radiation Oncologist soon.
I went for bloodwork today & will see my hematologist on Friday morning to discuss some of my questions.
That is all I have to report for now....
posted by Angie | 7:53 pm
4 Comments:
Angie: So happy to hear that you are doing well. Wasn't that great that you & Sue were able to take that trip - I imagine the scenery would be absolutely beautiful at this time of year. And I bet Jessie and Jasper were ecstatic. Wishing you all the best with your PET scan and hope all goes well for you.
Brenda & Gerry
Hey! Glad to hear your trip was good. Sounds like a lovely vacation - 'cept for the PET scan. My fingers and toes are crossed hoping for good results.
Hi Angie: Glad to hear you're back from PQ and had a good time. Hope you get some good news soon. Sandy B.
Angie, sounds like a great trip! I'm so glad you and Sue mixed pleasure with the business of the PET. You know what we call the feeling we have in the days before getting a PET or a CT over on the message board your sister found? Scanxiety! I hope you didn't experience too much of that, although I'd think it would be pretty unavoidable. You need affirmation that it all paid off!! I'm glad you had a PET/CT combo scan; I've had 7 PETs now and have found that one to go the quickest. (It's also the newest technology, so I find that comforting.) ;)
Lorraine and I go to a hotel near Emory tomorrow night, on Monday morning I'll get a temporary catheter put in my neck just for collection next week, collection will begin on Tuesday, and then on the following Monday I'll start 12 sessions of radiation. I'll finish radiation on Tuesday, and the following Monday I'll go into the hospital and get a PICC line put in for 6 days of high dose and then Day Zero will be on October 17th! Woo hoo!!
In other news, I'm almost completely hairless now! (My eyelashes are putting up a good fight, God bless them.)
I hope this finds you well and getting stronger every day. How's your energy and stamina now?
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