PET SCAN

Yesterday was my PET scan, not fun at all. For those of you who have never had one, it sucks big time! Not only does having a PET scan mean something might be seriously wrong with you but the process is pretty lengthy and unpleasant. First, you cannot eat or drink anything six hours prior to the scan. This means I had to wake up Monday morning and NO COFFEE! I have to admit I am a coffee addict and not having a cup really pissed me off. I got to sit at my grandmothers and watch everyone enjoy D&D coffee, bagels and donuts. Of course they offered to skip their coffee and breakfast but I couldn’t make them suffer too, I’m not that bitter yet!

11:30 my mom and I were off to Dana Farber. First stop, the 9^th floor for some Ativan (the best anti anxiety med ever). The Nurse Practitioner gave me my medication and put an IV in. I have had many of these but this one hurt. When I got to the Scan I was absolutely starving and could have murdered for a coffee. There was a man in the waiting room with a subway sandwich and all I could do was fantasize about eating it. Please, if you are ever in a waiting room where people can’t eat….don’t eat or bring food J

12:45 I am brought into a tiny room. The nurse walks me in and looks at my IV, “Wow they decided to use the large one on you huh” So that’s why it hurt so much. Of course the IV wouldn’t work so they had to take it out and try again on the other arm, this time with a much smaller one. Once the IV was in the doctor opens a metal door and takes out a metal container that contains and needle with god knows what inside. As he is injecting me with this needle he asks me what I am doing after the PET scan, “I am flying back to Florida” I tell him. “Oh then you are going to need a letter for the airport”. A WHAT?? That’s right folks I was radio active and would set off alarms.

1:00 I have been injective with radioactive stuff and get to sit for an hour while it makes its way throughout my body. Last time I had to sit in the dark with no music, no reading and no tv. This time I was allowed to watch TV and got the toasty warm blankets so it wasn’t that bad.

1:30 the PET scan finally begins and I get to lie down in a machine with my arms over my head for thirty minutes while they search for cancer. Thank god for the Ativan because otherwise I don’t think I could have taken all the anxiety and stress, never mind how uncomfortable it is to have your arms over your head for a half hour.

So that is a PET scan in a nut shell. Now I just wait. I wait to hear if I can continue law school, go to the beach, visit friends, live life. This one test determines the course of my life. So, I humbly ask you all to keep me in your prayers. As soon as I get the results I will post them.