radioactive (wo)man!

i had my PET/CT scan yesterday. it was quite the experience. i wasn't allowed to eat that morning or drink anything besides water. after i arrived at the doctor's office and filled out a questionnaire, they hooked me up with a saline IV. the tech warned me i would be injected with radioactive material in order to produce a better picture for the PET scan.

so, the tech left to go get the radioactive material, and when he returned, he was all hazmat-ed up (not quite THAT bad), and was carrying a little lead box that looked like a lunch box. he unlocked the lead box and i peered inside. the lead walls of the box were at least two inches thick. inside the box was a large syringe encased in lead. needless to say, i was a little nervous. all this lead protection exists to protect the carrier of the radioactive material, and they want to inject this inside me??

after i was injected, i was left to sit for an hour. then, the tech returned and took me into the scan room. the PET scan basically involved me laying very still for about 30 minutes while in a small, narrow, enclosed tube (read: lindsay has a slight case of claustrophobia).

it should take a few days for the doctor to get back to me about whether the tumor on my lung has changed shape or size. until then, i get to do my favorite thing: WAIT.

out.

- L