I Become Radioactive- The PET Scan

My PET Scan is set for Friday, 1-23-09. The PET Scan will determine the location, and hopefully not locations, of my cancer and the actual size of it. Preparing for a PET Scan is interesting. The day before you have go on a no-carb diet which includes no drinking juices, coffee, milk, tea with caffeine, or any sweetened drink. So, it is herbal tea, water and diet soda pop. Eating is restricted to vegetables (yeah!), meat, cheese, and nuts. At least it is only one day and a breakfast of eggs and sausage wasn't bad.

The PET Scan starts with the injection of a sugar solution with a radioactive dye. Because the body has been deprived of carbs, it quickly absorbs the radioactive solution. The most actively metabolizing body parts absorb the most dye and show up brighter on the films. This means the cancer cells which are actively growing will stand out from my other body cells on the films.

After relaxing for an hour following the radioactive injection, I was placed on a large tray that moves into the PET Scan tube. The tube is narrow like an MRI machine, but it doesn't make all that noise, just a humming sound. During the hour long testing, where you can't even scratch your nose, the machinery is taking computerized pictures of my body. It was tiresome, but I was okay with my eyes closed trying not to think too much about it.

Following the PET Scan, I was given unusual instructions-- don't hug any pregnant women or children. For about 8 hours my body will be radioactive. The dye has a 2 hour half-life so it does clear out pretty quickly. I drank lots of water as instructed, but was disappointed when I didn't notice any glow in the bathroom even with the lights out.

Now for the wait to get the results. The PET Scan people get a report to my oncologist within a day. He will review the results and determine my exact treatment protocol. Viola and I are much more relaxed, but still keeping our fingers crossed that the cancer hasn't spread. I hear stories from friends who tell me about people that recovered well from Hodgkin's to a story of a person who needed a bone marrow transplant. That is a very unlikely outcome for me, but then this whole thing has been an unlikely outcome.

Time to relax, play my guitar and let the good energy flow.