PET/CT Scan

The PET/CT Scan was actually pretty cool.  I'm sure there's some good science-y way to describe it, but the way I understood it, they basically do a CT scan to get a picture of your overall anatomy and then overlay a PET scan that is looking for glucose uptake on top of it.  Since cancer likes to grow and eat glucose, it shows up as black spots on the PET scan.  (My scan was clear minus the cancer they already know about, so that was great news.)

However, in order to get the best results for the scan, you need to get your heart to not show up so it doesn't cover up any potential cancer near it.  And since your heart is pretty interested in glucose too, in order to, you know, pump, you spend the day before the PET scan eating a protein-only diet.  This is an awesome diet, because it basically broke down into three parts:

1. A selection of full-fat cheeses, with very explicit instructions about not eating diet cheese, as if I would.
2. Meats, poultry, fish
3. Bourbon.  And some other spirits.

I asked about the last one, and apparently lots of people are confused about the definition of protein and ask if they can have a glass of wine.  So they included the set of alcohol that people can drink.  Honestly, I could go with this diet for a while.  The chicken I had at lunch was boring, but I ate salmon that I'd coated with butter and broiled with a side of Brie for dinner, so that was awesome.

Then before the scan started, the nurse came out with a metal box that contained a metal syringe full of radioactive glucose.  Very Star-Trek-like.  She injected it, and I had to lie down and let it percolate for about an hour.  She had strict instructions about not reading or sitting up, just lying down and listening to music.  No NPR, unfortunately.  I did have a lovely selection of musical choices that ranged from meditative to classical to jazz to pop. Apparently the Eagles and "Most Relaxing Classical Music" were the most popular numbers.  Not a single person had ever chosen Clay Aiken.

Then into the scanner for another half hour of laying still, this time with Simon and Garfunkel's greatest hits, a CD I think I haven't listened to since high school.  It brought back some nice memories, and was actually pretty relaxing.

When I was heading out I was reminded that I should stay away from kids for the rest of the day since I was radioactive, and should make sure that pregnant co-workers did not sit in my lap. 

A couple hours later, I got the all clear from the scan and told my manager.  He said I looked like I was glowing.  I thought he meant happy, but he meant radioactive.  I'll go with both - this was definitely the best news I've gotten in the last couple weeks, so I'll take it.