Gallium Scan Post Chemo

The good news is I am getting my energy back slowly but surely although the nausea is still bugging me. Today, I just had my gallium total body scan to assess and evaluate progress made this far with the chemotherapy. The machine you see was just doing all sorts of things. You are pushed in and out of the doughnut hole. At times the machine pulls you out and goes into 3D mode. When that happens the two square things you see in the image start rotating around you. Anyway, the whole process is just so fascinating. It took longer than the first one but no pain no gain as I have learned over time. I tell you, when I was doing this test, there was a moment, I just closed my eyes because I thought wow! this machine is just going to smash into my face.

Of course it won't. Just allowing my imagination to run amok! The two squares rotate very slowly right in your face taking 3D images. The process though painless is kinda uncomfortable in a claustrophobic way. And by the way, you get wrapped up in a kind of a velcro straight jacket that is just so weird. Trust me, you are not able to move even an inch while you are inside this thing. Anyway, since this was my second time doing this test, I didn't freak out so much. This straight jacket, I hear is supposed to help you stay still while the scanning is taking place. Now, I await a date with my fabulous chemo Oncologist to advise me how much progress has been made so far. Other than that nothing much to report. Just stay tuned.....

Gallium Test

Today is one of those not so great days - I am just feeling so much pain in my back and the exhaustion is just killing me - I can't even blog. So, no more bitching about radioactive or nuclear material imaging tests. I will keep it brief. Here is the good news - remember yesterday my Oncologist was concerned about the cells in my chest and wanted this Gallium scan done urgently so that he can determine whats going on in there. So, I told you people, this guy is just amazing! After coming home feeling really down because I was not sure if this test was going to be done in a timely fashion, granted this is beyond my doctors' control, it happened sooner than I anticipated. To cut a long story short, I received a call this morning that the part one of this test had been scheduled for this afternoon. A Gallium scan is a nuclear medicine test that uses a special camera to take pictures of specific tissues in the body. This test involves at least two separate visits. So, my first visit today I received an injection of Gallium radioactive (a type of metal in a liquid form) intravenously. I will return for the second part 48 hours later which is Friday to have the scan done. The only interesting thing was the notice posted right in the tiny waiting room which reads, "If you will be crossing international borders in the near future be sure to inform your technologist". Well, apparently you need special documentation declaring your recent nuclear medicine test to avoid for instance, the homeland security nabbing you ha ha ha. Nuclear imaging test can trigger homeland security detectors. Wow!