Bottoms Up!

I have completed 4 cycles (8 treatments) of chemotherapy and am at the testing phase. Last week I got a CT scan. Today I got the PET Scan.

This morning I took a drive out to a local cancer center. I mean HUGE cancer center! For such a large facility, you think they would have an office with the CT/PET machine in it. Nope. I went in the office to sign in, then they drug me around back to a mobile tractor trailer unit for the scan. The last PET Scan I had was at the Naval Hospital, so this civilian stuff is very new to me. They put me in a chair and used a square needle to run an IV! I wouldn't have complained so much but the lady was playing a game of darts with my vein already. I could not eat or drink for this procedure so that in itself set her up for failure. I convinced her to try my hand and seconds later she was using saline to figure out if she got it. I smelled the saline (most taste it I don't) and confirmed the hit. Shortly after her blood sugar testing she retrieved a silver ball from a vault and injected radioactive sugars in my IV. Can you see me now?

As a reward she gave me a drink. Portsmouth Naval Hospital gave me some different tasting off brand of Tampico juice stuff last time, Virginia Oncology provided me with a bottle of "orange/ pina coloda-ish" barium to chug. At least she was kind enough to give me a big straw for the thick white stuff. After the appropriate amount of time, they took my IV out and she inspected my barium bottle. I informed her that my Mom taught me it wasn't polite to slurp therefor the bottom still has a little in it. :) It worked!

They pushed me through the machine testing my eyeballs down to my knees several times. That was the easy part and some great prayer time. Results to come on Thursday which is also the beginning of Cycle #5.

I'm glowing. Can you see me now?