Amy's Cancer Story

My mother-in-law graciously agreed to go with me on the day’s adventures as a designated driver.  I was nervous about the PET CT Scan that I had scheduled for today.   We headed to Fox Chapel to see my surgeon, Dr. Goldstein,  for surgery follow up at 8:20 am.  She said everything looked great and as far as she was concerned with surgery healing, that I could start chemo.  She gave me some exercises for my arm to get it moving back to normal from the lymph node removal in my arm pit.  It does not feel so great but should get better with time.  She gave me a big hug and told me she loved me.

Next we headed down the turnpike to Monroeville.  We got there in plenty of time.  The UPMC facility there is beautiful.   You would think I was checking out a house.  The decor and colors were amazing, very comforting.  You felt like you were at home.  The room that the PET CT scan was in was all hardwood – very impressive for a medical facility.

I had to get all the metal off the scanning areas of my body and then head to a holding area with recliners.  Everyone was very nice.  The nurse gave me an IV.  I made it clear, as I always do, not to let me see anything or I will highly likely pass out.  You would think I would be past that by now with all the stuff I have had to go through.   Then I had to drink a tall glass of some kind of orange drink.  Then another 30 min later I had to drink another.  Then after a hour of sitting there I was ready to go across the hall for my scan.

The scan was done from the top of my forehead to about my knees.  I was injected with radio active dye and something else for these tests.   The dye for the CT makes you feel like you are burning up for a minute or so and then goes away.  The next scan was about 24 minutes and I had to stay very still.

The orange drink that I had before the test, was full of a lot of sugar – yuck.  The sugar will cling to any cancer cells in the body and the scan would pick them up.  Hopefully it does not find any.   While I was waiting for the test, there was no one around to talk to, and I started to panic a little.  I was thinking about the results of the test.  Sometimes that is the worst part – waiting for the results – hoping there is nothing more than I know that I have to deal with.

On the way home we got some lunch at Quizno’s.  My mother-in-law does more than just take me to appointments.  She’s wonderful.  She would do anything for you.