The Pet Scan

I told you that my plan was to try to get a PET scan on Friday.  There were no appointments open but Kayla and I decided that we would go and I would be what they refer to as a “checker”.  Checkers go to the desk where the procedure happens and then they wait with the hope that somehow an appointment would open up.

One of the reasons I really wanted to try for Friday to get in was this…the childcare kiddos are all sick.  Well as far as I know, I have two families that have escaped the stomach flu.  This flu has been so contagious that it has wiped out the kindergarten classroom at our local school.  One day the week before so many kids had it that there were only three kids left at school that didn’t have it.  They ended up cancelling kindergarten for the next day of school.

I have school aged kids that come before and after school and I was trying to avoid having it sneak into childcare.  So I was already closed Thursday so I could go to the doctor…closing Friday, might keep the flu away from our house and I was going to have to close either Friday or Tuesday anyway.  So we decided that it was a smart move to try for Friday.

We were up early and left here at about 5:30am.  We were at the desk and checking in at 7:50am.  We were told the day before that they start seeing patients at 8am on Fridays so we thought that would be a good time to come.  DARN.  There were TWO other people there in front of me as checkers.  Oh no!!  It was then that we decided the plan might not work.  UGH.

Kayla and I had plenty to do with…Me cross stitching…Kayla designing quilts and looking for houses for sale.  We tried to inconspicuously listen to the other people in the waiting room to try to figure out who else was checkers.

Eventually we figured out the people in the corner were checkers and at about 9am they got called to the desk and were told that an opening came and they would be called back soon.  YAHOO!!

What we didn’t know is if they were checkers #1 or checkers #2.  So we listened some more…at about 10am some people that were sitting next to us were called up to the desk.  It turns out they were checkers too.  I didn’t know if they were PET scan checkers or checkers for something else.  I decided to get brave.  I went over and asked.  They were PET scan checkers.  YAHOO.  They were told they would be called by 11am.

Okay.  This was more promising.  At 10:45am I heard someone was checking in at the desk for their appointment.  The lady at the desk had been asking everyone if they had fasted.  This person said that they hadn’t.  They had tea that morning.  Hmmm.  She ended up taking the person back and someone was talking to them.  I didn’t think anything of it.

Five minutes later I got called to the desk and was told that I would be going back for the scan soon.  YAHOO!!  I was getting in.  (Seriously, who gets excited to get a PET scan…I guess I do.)

So I got taken back.  I’m guessing most of you haven’t had one done…so I’ll tell you a bit about it.

Patients go back..
I was given an IV of a sugary substance.  Then I signed a consent form.

My tech was talking to me and asked me if I had fasted.  I said yes.  I followed the rules carefully as I didn’t want to screw up and not get in.  He said, “Ya, you’re lucky.  The person before you didn’t follow the rules and ate”.  Oh my…that must have been the person I overhead who had tea that morning.  I feel bad for them but I was happy for me.

Then I had to recline in a recliner with the lights out and try to rest.  No activity whatsoever…no phone…no magazine…no nothing.  While I was resting the sugary substance attaches itself to any cancer cells-if there are cancer cells.  I laid there for almost an hour.

While I was waiting, next door a tech was talking to a patient.  They said Mayo Clinic in Rochester does about 80-90 scans a day Monday through Thursday.  On Friday they only do 30-40 scans.  Oh my.  I was lucky I got in.

From there I waited for five minutes and was then called to the scanner.

I laid in the scanner.  I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of them.  I was in first for a neck to knee scan and then for a neck to top of the skull scan.  Total time was about 50 minutes.

It’s not painful at all….It is a little mind boggling to lay fairly still and just lay there.  For me, it is always a little too much thinking time.  I didn’t know what I’m suppose to hope for…Do I hope they find cancer so we can finally locate where it is?  Do I hope they can’t find cancer and I continue to do these tests?

I don’t know.

I know no results.  I’m hoping the doctor will call with them on Monday.  Until then I’m trying to not think about it a lot.  I have a life to live…things to do and people to be with.

As always…I’ll let you know more when I know more.  Thanks so much for the warm wishes, happy thoughts and prayers that are happening on behalf of the Kramer house.

…and an update on the flu.  Carver got it as did three others of my childcare kiddos.  UGH.  Hopefully I did the right thing and it stays away from our house.  I’m hoping they don’t pick up any new bugs when they meet with family and friends over the weekend.