CT Scan Fever II

That was an ordeal. Traffic was really light due to summer vacation and everyone in town taking the 4th of July week off from work so we got to NIH really early. Phlebotomoy only took 15 minutes and I arrived in the CT scan area at 8:15 for my 9am appointment. I sat and waited until 9am and then re-signed the waiting list. They handed me my super delicious berry-flavored barium to drink, which looks like watered-down glue. There were quite a few other people with barium and we were all making faces at each other as we drank. I noticed they had banana-flavored barium so maybe I'll try that in three months just for something different.

I was ushered to the back around 10am and handed a paper top and bottom to change into and given directions to the bathroom so I could change clothes. I asked for a medium and the pants were so HUGE that I had to hold them up when I walked down the hall. After I changed, I sat in a different waiting room with the same people I had seen in the main waiting room - except they had gone in before me. We were all waiting for IVs. I finally got into the IV area, and it went as well as I feared. My veins are starting to not work so well so she had to try twice. She was really nice and gave me some time in between sticks to breathe and she worked with my mom to find a good vein. After I finished with the IV, I went back to the waiting room to wait for the actual CT scan. Around 10:40, I finally made it into the CT scan room but I had to wait again because my orders had been cancelled so the tech had to go straighten that out before they could begin. The techs were not very friendly or helpful. I'm glad I'd already had a couple of CT scans back at Fairfax Inova because the techs there were friendly and explained what would happen before it happened. These techs didn't tell me anything and were barking orders at me, "lay down, put your knees over the cushion..." I was not impressed. Most of NIH is very good, but then I find pockets of departments where they just aren't people-oriented. I'm always amazed because we're all there because we're sick and you think they'd be just a little nicer.

I finally finished with the CT scan at 11am and went back to the waiting room to get my clothes from mom so we could go home (and have lunch). Mom and I ate at Hamburger Hamlet on the way home because I was starving. I hadn't eaten anything since last night and I couldn't wait any longer. I ended up picking the celery out of my tuna sandwich because I didn't know it came with celery. I'm not too worried since I'm not neutropenic this week, but I need to pay more attention in the future. I also enjoyed a big glass of lemonade and a few french fries.

I won't know the results until my clinic day on Thursday, but I'll post them as soon as I get home that day, which could be a little later because I scheduled a massage for Thursday afternoon. This time period before I start chemo is my only time when I am able to have a massage and I need a little pampering now and then because when it's rough, it's really rough.