Cabo

It's Wednesday night already. I haven't been online since Monday--I know, it must be some kind of record.

Nik's surgery went well and you can read his update here at his Caringbridge site. This is him having a very green Popsicle. Soooo happy he is doing okay!

Today was a long one. It started at seven thirty this morning at the cancer center for my radiation treatment. I am definitely getting used to The Mask. Either that or my head is shrinking now. I actually think I've learned how to relax and make it more tolerable by making sure my shoulders are being stretched down as far as possible with the hand straps. This makes it less tight around the neck.

After radiation it was time to see my radiologist, who I see every Wedndesday after treatments. He always greets you with a handshake, which is lovely. And he always has on a gorgeously colored tie and shirt. His nurse today was another nurse that remembered me from 2007. I see familiar faces from then every time I go there.

After a short visit with the doctor it was back out to the lobby and signing in again on the paper sheet (not the computer, which I sign in to for radiation). I was scheduled to have a PET scan at nine. While waiting for them to bring me back for that, two women came in with a dog. They were twins, but one was a patient and the other was the owner of the dog. Right away when they came in, while her sister changed into her hospital gown (which usually means you're a breast cancer patient), the other sister brought the dog over to us and asked us if we'd like to say hi to her. Of course we did. She was a black and white border collie named Cabo (because they liked visiting Cabo San Lucas). What a sweet dog she was. We petted her for a bit and then she went back to her seat and soon her sister came out, but then soon went in for her treatment. After a while of chatting with the sister, about cancer and other things, Cabo decided she wanted to come back over to see me. I petted her and scratched her ears a while, then she went back and laid down to rest at the feet of her owner. A little later she did the same thing to mom. Then I heard my name being called.

PET scans are different from CT scans, though similar in that you usually have to fast (4 hours) and drink that delicious contrast mix. Pina Colada flavor today. Don't get the banana, I promise you won't be sorry. The contrast drink is a lightly flavored chalky concoction. For the PET scan you sit in a room by yourself, in a comfortable recliner and drink half of the bottle of contrast. Then the tech came in and gave me the Radiology Pharmaceutical shot. This takes time to travel through your whole body, so you sit in the room with the lights dimmed and drink the rest of the contrast and wait for them to come and get you.

When it's time, they have you visit the bathroom and empty your bladder. This was welcome since I had drank over sixteen ounces of water since waking up, as well as the whole bottle of contrast.

The PET scan is different from a CT scan in that you have to remain completely still and they wrap your arms up to your body, which help keep them still. This was not uncomfortable at all. At first I didn't like the head rest, which if you laid a certain way would come up over your ears. I adjusted so that it didn't do that. Your body goes through the donut shaped scanner and out the other side, then you are scanned in sections for about five minutes each section until your head comes out the other side. The PET scan is getting a more detailed and three dimensional picture. I don't really understand it.

Oh, the only crappy thing was that I had to take off my bra for the scan. You aren't allowed any metal at all, unlike the CT scan which you can wear a bra and pants with metal buttons and zipper, as well as jewelry. Though I had to take my earrings out for a CT scan recently, and usually if you have a zipper and metal button on your pants you have to slide them down around your hips. I guess it depends what part of your body they are scanning. I've had so many of these things I have lost count.

My blood sugar was low on account of the fasting and them wanting a low sugar for the PET, so I was a little shaky and hungry for lunch. I drove mom down to Hastings to meet her friend Rose for a trip to the casino, then I treated myself to some Culver's Cod fillets, yum!

P.S. If you are going to be at the Maplewood Cancer Center, please watch out for the goose poop in the parking lot!