PET/CT #1 was a fairly straightforward test. Prescribed preparation included no food for 4 hours prior to the test and drink 16oz water before leaving for the appointment. My good friend Eileen, who has had more than her fair share of these scans, advised me to fast overnight and avoid sugary drinks and food - so I took her advice.
We arrived at American Radiology on time. Unfortunately there is a full house this Monday morning so this will not be a quick appointment. After 30 minutes the PET/CT tech led us back. First order of business is to "void the bladder". This was followed by drinking a 16oz (?) pina colada flavored barium mixture to coat my insides. A few minutes later there is a 5 minute IV to inject the nuclear material (8.4 mCi F-18 FDG). Here's a quick description for those interested:
FDG Basics
FDG Basics
I then sat in a back room in a large recliner with a blanket to keep the body from working to stay warm. The intent is to relax with little to no movement. The goal is for the the overactive cancer cells to consume the radioactive glucose as much as possible.
The previous scan ran a little long so after an hour the tech checked in and had me drink another 8oz of barium pina colada cocktail. After a total relaxation period of around 75 minutes, I was ready to go. This GE PET/CT a sizable imager. I laid flat on the imaging table/bed, which is initially located completely outside of the imaging tube, with my arms above my head. First the CT scan is run as a calibration cycle of sorts. The CT imaging ring is at the front of the tube and imaging occurs as the bed moves into the tube. The whole CT imaging process takes a few minutes. Then the PET scan starts. The PET imaging ring is at the back of the tube so the bed moves farther into the tube. My head is out of the tube for most of the PET scan as it scans from head to mid-thigh. There are a number of imaging cycles (I lost count) and each takes a around 5 minutes as the bed moves slowly through the tube. The only movement allowed is breathing and blinking your eyes. I almost fell asleep because it was a calming experience for me. Other than being subjected to the fluorine-18 radioisotope, X-rays and Gamma radiation, the only discomfort is a sore shoulder from having my hands above my head.
From walking in the front door to leaving the facility the total time was just under three hours. I expect the next one to take closer to two hours.
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| Still Dressed for Success! |
The previous scan ran a little long so after an hour the tech checked in and had me drink another 8oz of barium pina colada cocktail. After a total relaxation period of around 75 minutes, I was ready to go. This GE PET/CT a sizable imager. I laid flat on the imaging table/bed, which is initially located completely outside of the imaging tube, with my arms above my head. First the CT scan is run as a calibration cycle of sorts. The CT imaging ring is at the front of the tube and imaging occurs as the bed moves into the tube. The whole CT imaging process takes a few minutes. Then the PET scan starts. The PET imaging ring is at the back of the tube so the bed moves farther into the tube. My head is out of the tube for most of the PET scan as it scans from head to mid-thigh. There are a number of imaging cycles (I lost count) and each takes a around 5 minutes as the bed moves slowly through the tube. The only movement allowed is breathing and blinking your eyes. I almost fell asleep because it was a calming experience for me. Other than being subjected to the fluorine-18 radioisotope, X-rays and Gamma radiation, the only discomfort is a sore shoulder from having my hands above my head.
From walking in the front door to leaving the facility the total time was just under three hours. I expect the next one to take closer to two hours.
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