Wednesday, November 28, 2012

#2 The 1/4 Gallon Challenge

I was sent to a small diagnostic imaging lab to have my CT scan worked up.  When I arrived,  I checked in and was promptly given two large jugs of "Vanilla Smoothie" and a straw.  You can call it whatever you want but Barium Sulfate isn't what champions are chasing their Wheaties with.  I could smell it wasn't quite right and decided there was no way I could win the challenge with a straw.  I hit it as fast and as hard as I could while trying to ignore my body's 6th sense.  I can't say that they tasted badly but when Barium hits the back of your throat, your body seems to hesitate to move it further along the path. I don't know what to compare it with but it might be like trying to down a jug of eggnog that has just started to go bad. Heavy,  I can still feel and taste it when I think about it.


The rest of the scan seemed to move along like clockwork.
  • Undress
  • Dress with a paper gown long enough to keep your belly button modest
  • Lay down
  • start IV
  • Start up the CT scanner
  • Start the Iodine IV (pretty funny feeling exhaling after they started the iodine)
  • Hold Still
"We will send the images to your doctor sometime next week.  Enjoy your weekend!"

The following week at the oncologists office I was told that they had detected a mass in my pelvis just left of my bladder, which measured 10X8 CM and that there were multiple lymph nodes involved.

We scheduled a Mass Biopsy to figure out what it was and a PT Scan to see if there was more.

**** Reality Check*****  Felt pretty heavy.




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