Wednesday 05.27.2009 Testing, Testing...

I was surprised that I didn't sleep very well. I was awake when the alarm came on at 0630. Time to get up....

I got ready to go. Daniel was still in bed. He offered to go with me, but I could tell by the way he spoke that he really didn't want to. I knew that it would be a long appointment; I wouldn't be having any drugs that would make me unable to drive, and he doesn't do well waiting. I told him I could go by myself, thanks for offering. Off I went.

I got there and checked in, she made a copy of my driver's license. I'm not sure what I think about that. There are enough of our "numbers" out there in our files without adding another. Anyway, I waited until about 8:25 before being called back.

The girl who opened "the door" was using some kind of assistive device that I had not seen before. A three-wheeled, almost tricycle like, handlebars and hand brakes, and along the horizontal bar was a padded cushion. She had a "walking boot" on her right knee to foot, and rode the thing with her knee and shin on the cushion, holding the handlebars, pushing like a skateboard. It was kind of neat, but I'm sure it was a challenge during the workday. It did have a basket on the handlebars and the ability to lock the brakes.

Her name was Lisa, and she was going to put my needle in, inject the radioisotope (MBD technecium?), and do my bone scan at noon.

She told me she had broken her foot 11 weeks ago, that this is what she's got for the healing process. She gets rechecked in two weeks to see if it's healing or needs surgery.

In the meantime, she did a good job putting the IV needle in. First poke in the right antecubital (inner elbow). She taped it with the plastic tape, then the clear 4 x 3 dressing, injected the isotope, flushed the needle, gave me a bottle of Mixed Berry barium stuff to drink, and led me to the waiting area. Thank you Lisa, see you later.

I sat in the waiting area looking at magazines, people watching, trying not to hear their conversations, drinking the stuff. 0930, the first bottle done, I went to the window for the second bottle. It doesn't taste real bad, but not all that yummy, either, and by the second bottle it's losing it's appeal. I got it in by 10:30 when a very pregnant girt called me through "the door" for the CT scan of chest, abdomen and pelvis.

I forgot her name, Darby or something. She was very nice. She asked if I needed to use the restroom, as we were going past it. I did, then she led me to the CT room. Forms, questions: surgeries? New answer for me--yes; mastectomy or lumpectomy?--lump and nodes; chemo? radiation? Ohmygosh. This is my new normal. Even when well we can't get away from the C word, put it behind us. Breathe.

She had me lie on the table that goes through the circle. I kind of remembered the machine, although the one I had in November of 2007 was at a different facility. She hooked up the iodine solution to my iv site, put a bolster under my knees, told me to follow the directions when the machine tells me, and she went wherever she goes. I heard her say we were starting and the table slid into the circle. Whirs and clicks and hums and I slowly move through the thing from sternum to pelvis. After a pause of several minutes, the table moves and repositions at the sternum again. I think I went through 4 times. On the third time I heard her voice say she was injecting the solution now. I looked up and saw the cylinder and watched as it pushed the 100 ml of stuff through within 30 seconds or so. I could taste something, though I can't describe what it tasted like. And I could feel within my body as it circulated--it dilates the vessels so it feels "warm"--within seconds. That sensation only lasted a few minutes, and the table was moving through, taking another series of pictures. I think it went through once more, then we were done.

Darby (?) came back in, unhooked my iv, flushed it, took the bolster from under my knees, and directed me to the waiting room.

I could drink something now, and I went out into the main hallway looking for the coffee shop. I found it and got a 12 ounce brew. I took it outdoors and sat on one of the benches out there. It was humid and still, high 70's, the air fragrant with lilac and other spring smells. I enjoyed my coffee, saying a prayer of thanks.

I stayed outdoors until about 11:30 or so. The bone scan was scheduled for 12 noon, but I didn't want to miss my turn if it turned out to be early. I put in my earphones and listened to some soothing praise music.

Just as the last of that music played, I was turning off my device, and Lisa came to "the door" and called me back.

She offered the restroom as we went by, and I took advantage of it. We then went into a larger room with a different kind of machine, different than the bone scan machine that I had had in November at Ingham. Anyway, I got up on the table, she said it would take about 50 minutes. First thing she did was take out my needle. Thanks, that's been aching since it was inserted. She was very careful to not let any blood get anywhere, probably because of the isotopes in me. The tapes took off a thin layer of skin in just that short time. (I had forgotten about that) She attached arm rests to the table, then asked if I needed a blanket--I told her not right now, thank you, but I might at some point. She laughed and said no problem. She dimmed the lights and said we were starting. Ok, thanks.

There wasn't much noise. The plate of the machine hovered about a foot above my head, with the crosshairs lined up at the very top of my head. It started moving in small increments every few seconds. I closed my eyes.

I might have dozed off, as I remember jerking and thinking my left shoulder hurt and I can't move. I raised my head a little to see that the plate was over my feet, so I thought I was about done.

Lisa came in a few minutes later, saying we were halfway done. Oh. She offered me the blanket again, which I accepted this time. She covered me up as she explained that the plate thing would now move below the table and scan from the backside through. Oh. Thanks. She went out again saying we were starting.

I know I dozed out this time, as it seemed only about 5 minutes or so. I heard her come back in; my shoulder was aching and I was hot. "Done," she said. "Thanks," I said. Good. She took the blanket off and I got off of the table. Whew. That was a long day. It was 1:05. I stopped in the bathroom again on the way out.

Out in the van, I called Daniel to let him know I was done and on my way home.

I stopped in to check on the Sebring--it was in the paint booth. They've found more damage, like a transmission mount, I think that's what he said, and that part came in today. The paint guy came out and said he "took care of the stone chips" on the hood, as well as the minor damage that was done there. The owner, Dave, said that it might be done Friday. Ok, thanks.

At home, Daniel wasn't feeling too good, sore and tired. He had done our laundry, and I was surprised that he went in and laid down shortly after I got home.

I fixed myself something to eat and had a quiet afternoon. Daniel didn't wake up until almost 5, but felt better when he got up.

The rest of the evening was quiet, watching the rains come and go, and the hummingbirds inbetween showers.

Tomorrow is a workday for me, and Daniel's first workday.

Thank you for your energies, for being there with me today. I'm surprised at the feelings that were brought up today.

Hugs.