Fort's Cancer Sux!!

MY DAY AT THE PET SCAN

So, with the help of the PET scan office workers at Kettering Hospital, I was able to give you a show of what its like to get a PET scan. Most of you will be fortunate enough to NEVER have to experience this, so Ill give you a little peek into "MY DAY AT THE PET SCAN"

For starters, I need to sign in. At this point its a fairly pleasant experience, as my history is fairly well documented at this office and theres really not a whole lot of information I need to submit. I was able to pretty much take care of it all at the counter:

After all the necessary paperwork is done, they take me back into a room where the nurse comes in and puts the i.v. in and puts me on a saline drip for 15 min or so. Im really just faking the painful scream. This shot was barely noticable. You get that with the good nurses.

Give yourself a moment to brush up on your PET SCAN knowledge:
(from www.radiologyinfo.com)
What is Positron Emission Tomography?
"Positron emission tomography, also called PET imaging or a PET scan, is a diagnostic examination that involves the acquisition of physiologic images based on the detection of radiation from the emission of positrons. Positrons are tiny particles emitted from a radioactive substance administered to the patient. The subsequent images of the human body developed with this technique are used to evaluate a variety of diseases."

Ok, did you read that part about "Radioactive substance administered to the patient"??? This is what I find fascinating. They bring this stuff into the room and they're wearing GLOVES and handling this thing like its got plutonium in it....and yet, they pull the needle from the encasement and INJECT IT IN TO MY BODY????? How is that ok? This is when I wish I had done better in science....because it simply does not make sense! Take a looksy:

Once they inject you, they turn out the lights in the room so its pitch black. A former co-worker of mine who works in the office, Amanda Brown, comes in to tuck me in and read me a bedtime story. I perfer the Berenstein Bears "Spooky Old Tree"....Then, as Stacy would say, its, Nigh-Nites!!!!
After I sleep for about an hour, the rad tech comes in the room, tells me to take off my bra and jewelry, and follow him. Below is the machine. What happens, is after the radioactive stuff has an hour or so to flow through my blood stream, the machine scans the body to see where there is abnormalities in where the "dye" uptakes. For example, when the cancer is growing, there will be an increased amount of blood feeding those cells. So if they see some "Splotchy business" where it shouldn't be, its not good. But also, the scans will have dark spots that SHOULD be there (Example: heart & some other organs)...its their job to figure out whats ok and whats not. Thats my armchair radiologist explaination....I do SEVEN scans that last about FIVE minutes a piece. So Im lying there with my arms up for about thirty five min... They put me all the way through the machine and "scoot" me out about a foot every five minutes until all the scans are done.

And just in case you were wondering....many of these rooms have stained glass ceilings or a pretty picture stuck in the tiles on the ceiling. Because theres really nothing that eases your cancer worries than a pretty picture: This one, I learned, Is of Brown County. If you look closely, you can see Alisa & Davids house:

After the knees thru torso scans are completed, they have to do one more on my head. I get to drop my arms and he secures my head down with a piece of masking tape, just to keep it still. Then I go back in for another five minutes where he scans the head....then Im all done!


I didnt take a lot of pictures of our weekend at scrapbook mountain. Actually I just took one because Jami insisted I put up a picture for the blog. Its was mostly the same people, same supplies, same setup, but different books. I posted a picture below of Jami, Stacy & I showing off some of the pages we completed. I got about 75% through a scrapbook of 2004, the year we got married. Now, what im asking you now, is to read the "highlights" of scrapbook mountain winter 2007 and finally, PLEASE answer the question at the bottom. Its in regards to how you prepare your oatmeal. And Its important.

Highlights of Scrapbook Mountain 2007 -

• For those of you at Breakfast Sunday morning and were witnesses to Stacy & I's debate on the name of the Mexican restaurant on Hunt Road. Stacy insisted it was called El Diablo and bet me $20 on it. I didnt know what I thought it was, but I KNEW it wasnt El Diablo. While we were driving home, It popped in my head. Its EL PUBELO. And when I said it, she knew she was wrong. Dinner for ME!
• Whats nice about this weekend is that all the food is prepared for you, desserts included - but they make them with low fat stuff, but its got the aspertame in it instead of sugar....so by Saturday night, we were all gassy because our bodies werent used to it. We all started cracking up and finally went to bed, where we all laughed so hard we farted and that just made us laugh harder and fart more.
• All of that led into another discussion, which Stacy confessed that she HATES the word "Fart"....she was actually referring to it as "The F Word" and said that she would rather say "The C Word" on a daily basis as opposed to "The F Word" (Fart)
• Sometimes stacy sleeps on her back, with her legs crossed indian style. The girl is quite limber.
• I believe aunt helen completed three pages. In three days.
• My question of the week is in regards to Saturdays breakfast. They were serving oatmeal, and when I got to the table, I see stacy pick up the pitcher of milk and drown her oatmeal in it. What the??? I have NEVER seen anybody do this EVER. Now, Im not saying that its completely insane, as I enjoy a glass of milk with my oatmeal but the only thing Ive ever put in it was a spoonful of butter....The answers we got from the table in regards to "How to you prepare your oatmeal ranged from "I dont even EAT oatmeal", to "Ive never heard of putting milk on oatmeal" to, "Oh yes, you HAVE to put milk on oatmeal, and you have to put enough in so that you can barely see the oatmeal" WHAT?!?!?!!??
• Oh yeah...another question of the day is also in regards to Stacy. When we went to bed, we had a discussion about wearing socks to bed. Stacy informed me, "My dad always said, you dont wear socks to bed." I think Merle Henry makes a pretty bold statement, especially in the wintertime. I kicked off my covers to reveal that I was not only sleeping in my socks, but my slippers as well. She looked on in amazement.
• One more side note in regards to the "Questions of the Week/Day" I had mentioned at the breakfast table that I was going to make the Monday "Question of the Week" in regards to how we all prepare our oatmeal, and stacy responded, "WHy dont you just ask Jami and give Aileen a call & find out." Ouch. Thanks to Jami and Aileen for making their mark

QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK

HOW DO YOU PREPARE YOUR OATMEAL???

What are your guidelines for feet while sleeping???

Have a great week!!!