CT scan, chest X-Ray today...

KathiM
KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I'm off to my scans this morning. My oncologist really didn't feel like it was really important, but is willing to do whatever it takes to make me happy...

CT scan, abdomen and pelvic; X-ray for the chest (I had so much radiation to the chest with the breast cancer, she wants to keep it to a minimum).

I'll keep you posted...I'm NOT looking forward to the Redi-Cat...I hope they have berry!

Hugs, Kathi

Comments

  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #2
    Good luck!
    although I am sure they will all come back fine, prayers for you! As far as the CT contrast... I asked my tech the last time about the flavors (they always have the banana smoothie, which i don't mind at all). She said they actually did a test with various flavors (berry, orange cream, some others) and they found that the sweet ones, although they were more popular taste-wise, had a higher incidence of causing nausea and vomiting of the prep. So, they only provide the banana smoothie. Apparently that test was done sometime when i wasn't being scanned, so i can't confirm, but that is food for thought as to why it's hard to find other flavors besides the banana smoothie! Of course, now that i'm looking at your post, perhaps you are referring to something a bit different. I always have to pick up the prep the day before because it has to be consumed 30 minutes prior to the scan, which is when we have to report. In fact, with the multi-phase I had to consume one 1 hour prior, then another the traditional 30 minutes.
    mary
  • ldot123
    ldot123 Member Posts: 272
    #3
    msccolon said:

    Good luck!
    although I am sure they will all come back fine, prayers for you! As far as the CT contrast... I asked my tech the last time about the flavors (they always have the banana smoothie, which i don't mind at all). She said they actually did a test with various flavors (berry, orange cream, some others) and they found that the sweet ones, although they were more popular taste-wise, had a higher incidence of causing nausea and vomiting of the prep. So, they only provide the banana smoothie. Apparently that test was done sometime when i wasn't being scanned, so i can't confirm, but that is food for thought as to why it's hard to find other flavors besides the banana smoothie! Of course, now that i'm looking at your post, perhaps you are referring to something a bit different. I always have to pick up the prep the day before because it has to be consumed 30 minutes prior to the scan, which is when we have to report. In fact, with the multi-phase I had to consume one 1 hour prior, then another the traditional 30 minutes.
    mary

    Contrast
    Hi there.

    Good luck, I am sure everything is fine. I go for a CT scan in December and have to drink contrast the night before. I'll ask about flavors. Does the contrast normally cause nausea?

    Lance
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #4
    ldot123 said:

    Contrast
    Hi there.

    Good luck, I am sure everything is fine. I go for a CT scan in December and have to drink contrast the night before. I'll ask about flavors. Does the contrast normally cause nausea?

    Lance

    contrast troubles
    I never have any problems and I don't think the majority of people do. Just adding a comment to the whole flavor issue, since I asked the tech after reading comments about it here. Until she made the claim to having done the test on various flavors and the results they saw, I hadn't EVER heard of the contrast making anybody sick; although i HAD heard a lot of complaining about the taste of the banana smoothie :)! Personally, I like the banana smoothie; probably because most times I've had to take it was after fasting for some other procedure (colonoscopy and surgery) so ANYTHING tasted good! And since a CT scan is easy for me in comparison to the PET (I have to take Ativan, i am claustrophic) I have additional good connections to that contrast!
    mary
  • angelsbaby
    angelsbaby Member Posts: 1,165 Member
    #5
    test
    good luck with that test. My husbands pet scan went ok until he got home and vomited for 10 minutes but he's at chemo right now again they are short handed at the chemo place that really upsets him because he does not want to be there any longer then he needs to. he was ok with the short staff at first but now it upsets him to where he dosn't want to go back there. I hope your tests come back with good results don't get our results until we see the doctor next tuesday take care

    michelle
  • betina61
    betina61 Member Posts: 642 Member
    #6
    Hi Kathi! any reason that
    Hi Kathi! any reason that you ask your Dr. for these tests? But anyway sending you my best wishes that everything will be fine.
  • msccolon
    msccolon Member Posts: 1,917 Member
    #7
    angelsbaby said:

    test
    good luck with that test. My husbands pet scan went ok until he got home and vomited for 10 minutes but he's at chemo right now again they are short handed at the chemo place that really upsets him because he does not want to be there any longer then he needs to. he was ok with the short staff at first but now it upsets him to where he dosn't want to go back there. I hope your tests come back with good results don't get our results until we see the doctor next tuesday take care

    michelle

    onc's office short on staff
    Michelle, I am so sorry to hear your husband is having a problem with staffing issues when he goes in for chemo. Like it's not unpleasant enough they have to prolong the issues by not being on top of changing the drugs, etc. Do they have another office, one that might be better staffed as far as chemo treatments? If not, you might want to consider finding another oncology office or even a treatment center that has a better patient/staff ratio. The issues that make a survivor not want to go back for more chemo are enough just with side effects like nausea, etc. without adding to the problem! My oncology office is so conscious of those kinds of issues that when I complained about the smell of the rooms making me nauseous they started spraying down the place with a very light scented air refresher! I remember talking about the smell of the building beginning in the stairwell and she said "so you're the one responsible for the new air fresheners!".
    mary
  • VickiCO
    VickiCO Member Posts: 917
    #8
    Holding good thoughts!
    Kathi,

    Here's hoping you get the 'all clear' today! When I had my CT they gave me contrast that tasted like Sprite on steroids! I hate lemon/lime and this just made it worse...but I didn't get nauseous. Banana Smoothie? Yuck - that's worse than the lemon/lime! Now, if they could only make it like a chocolate milkshake!

    Vicki
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #9
    No results yet....
    Sigh, all they had was bananna. I managed to get it down. They DID offer an alternative for next time. It's something they give to the kids (and, after all, I'm just a big kid..lol!)...I will bring my own grape juice (24 oz) and then they add the contrast to it...

    The tech was telling me that we oncology patients are considered VIP patients....instead of paper covers for our feet, we get warm footies, and we also get a bit more TLC during the scans...I thanked her for that...we go thru enough....

    The contrast I drank today was different than I had 4 years ago during diagnosis. I had to take that one home, too. And there were 2 bottles I had to drink. I think the studies are different when there is active cancer as opposed to just follow-up. Or maybe, now that I think about it, I had more contrast injected today...felt like I wet myself..lol...I remember making a male tech blush once by saying "Mmmmm, feels good...can we do some more????" (Always the smart alec...tee hee!)

    Of course then, to add a twist, they had lost my X-Ray order...lol...a call to my oncologist fixed that...and I was done in a second...

    I asked for these follow-up scans because the recomended routine set up by the NCI says yearly scans for the first 5 years...I was overdue by about 6 months. This is all for peace of mind, I have no symptoms. I DO, however, still have osteoporosis in my back, my oncologist tells me. Another gift from the beast (well, actually, the chemo to fight the beast...). According to the scan, I have the backbone of a 75-year-old woman...

    But at least, according to my mom, I have the face of an angel....rofl!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • VickiCO
    VickiCO Member Posts: 917
    #10
    KathiM said:

    No results yet....
    Sigh, all they had was bananna. I managed to get it down. They DID offer an alternative for next time. It's something they give to the kids (and, after all, I'm just a big kid..lol!)...I will bring my own grape juice (24 oz) and then they add the contrast to it...

    The tech was telling me that we oncology patients are considered VIP patients....instead of paper covers for our feet, we get warm footies, and we also get a bit more TLC during the scans...I thanked her for that...we go thru enough....

    The contrast I drank today was different than I had 4 years ago during diagnosis. I had to take that one home, too. And there were 2 bottles I had to drink. I think the studies are different when there is active cancer as opposed to just follow-up. Or maybe, now that I think about it, I had more contrast injected today...felt like I wet myself..lol...I remember making a male tech blush once by saying "Mmmmm, feels good...can we do some more????" (Always the smart alec...tee hee!)

    Of course then, to add a twist, they had lost my X-Ray order...lol...a call to my oncologist fixed that...and I was done in a second...

    I asked for these follow-up scans because the recomended routine set up by the NCI says yearly scans for the first 5 years...I was overdue by about 6 months. This is all for peace of mind, I have no symptoms. I DO, however, still have osteoporosis in my back, my oncologist tells me. Another gift from the beast (well, actually, the chemo to fight the beast...). According to the scan, I have the backbone of a 75-year-old woman...

    But at least, according to my mom, I have the face of an angel....rofl!

    Hugs, Kathi

    I wanna be Kathi when I grow up!
    You have such a great outlook. The face of an angel, yes. And the spirit of one too! I, too, have experienced the VIP treatment from not only the techs, but other patients as well. When they had to squeeze me in for the liver ultrasound at oh-God-thirty in the morning, there was another patient ahead of me. He graciously agreed to wait so they could take me first and I could make it down to Denver (an hour away) for my next procedure. And when they called me in, he squeezed my hand and said "Good Luck Honey." One of the few times I didn't mind being called honey! LOL!

    Vicki

Discussion Boards