My adventures with the PET SCAN
OK, as of Monday I never hear of a Pet Scan. I looked it up on the internet. It's some cool looking imaging system that uses nuclear something to record a image. OK so I show up for my appointment and am promptly taken in at 4pm. The technician says to me I'm his last patient. Good. I think, I'll be out of here in time to go ride my bike... he then says it will only take 2 hours. What? for some image? What da...?
Anyway, he puts me in this big chair, inserts another IV (great 4th one in 5 days) takes first a blood sample and then he washes the line with saline and injects some radioactive stuff. I now have to just sit for an hour while he radioactive stuff courses through my veins. Geez how boring. He leaves the room and it's just me and all the ceiling tiles which I count over and over again. Thank goodness I get a call from my friend Richard. Not certain if I am suppose to be using my phone in there but at least it broke up some of the time.
The technician comes back in and I say "bye" to Richard. OK he says, use the bathroom cause I need for you to lay quietly for an hour. OK ready to go. He places me on this metal table, puts a cushion under my legs and then asks that I place my arms to the side. He then places this weighted blanket under and over my arms, pinning them down. I am swaddled, cannot move. My entire face now starts to frantically itch. AARRGGGHHHHHH I'm in Hell! OH? did I mention laying on my back on a metal table is not comfortable!?
So he shoots me through the machine. I barely fit. Yes I am a large person but not that large. Can't imagine how a guy with broad shoulders would get through the tube. He now leaves the room and I am left with my thoughts and listening to this horrible new age flute machine which drove me crazy. Didn't help the music also had babbling brooks sounds. So now I have to pee! I would much more have liked to jam to some alternative rock.
An hour just laying there is a looooooooonnnnnngggggg time. I wish I could fall asleep but that's not my gift I was wired and wide awake. My face continued to inch. First my nose, then my cheek, next my chin. I just focused in on trying to make my face stop itching. Strangely the most soothing thoughts were those of Pip, the wonder cat. I imagine myself stroking his fur and that calmed me down, then like magic, some imaginary fur would fly up, land on my nose and that darn itching would start all over again. Drats!
After an hour the machine was done doing what it does (whatever that is) and I was released from my cocoon. OK 2 test down and only 3 to go. Whoopee!!!! God loves to test my patience!
