The CT Scans

My Oncologists office set up my scans at the Hospital. I had good insurance at the time. I was self employed so I paid through the nose for it, but now it was paying off. It’s a sad commentary on our society, but it’s true. Life is better if you have money; you can look better, live better and be healthier. Maybe not happier, but healthier for sure. In the words of The Climax Blues Band…rich man wins, poor man pays

I called the hospital to adjust the time. I rescheduled my appointment for early in the morning on December 3^rd 1997.  I did this because you cannot eat or drink for the 12 hours before the tests and then you have to wait to eat until after the tests are complete. I had never taken these types of tests before but I knew that I needed to eat at a reasonable hour in the morning or at least by lunch. I eat breakfast every day.

I arrived at the Hospital, per their instructions; a couple hours before the test were to take place. I had to register, and then I just sat and waited for a while. It wasn’t too long and they called my name, I got up and walked over to the nurse who was waiting. I thought I was going back into the testing area. Wrong…she gave me these gigantic plastic containers of this white milky liquid. I asked her, what is this stuff? She told me it was called Barium and that it would create the contrast in the pictures that they would be taking. I had to sit and drink this stuff first before the tests. I had no idea that this milky liquid tasted so terrible, I wanted to gag, I wanted to throw up. I learned later on that I was drinking a metallic alkaline earth metal. It was awful and it just wasn’t a little bit of it, but two BIG containers of it. I finally managed to drink both of the bottles and was so relieved. I waited a while longer and they called my name again, this time to go back and start testing. I think the nurses like their jobs, because they really enjoyed the look on my face when they pulled out another bottle of Barium for me to drink. Here Steve, you have to drink another round right now before we test. They snickered at each other, ha ha ha ha ha ha. It wasn’t very funny to me!

I was escorted into this freezing room full of big computerized tube like machines and tables. I had to disrobe and put on that funky robe they give you. OK now I was ready (ready to puke that is). I had to lie down on my back on the very narrow table. It was like a conveyor belt so they could move me in and out of the doughnut looking machine. It was the scanner. Anybody claustrophobic? They were ready to start testing. The table started to move into the tube. I was slowing  being inserted into the doughnut hole. Now the CT machine started making a whirling noise. The table stopped and they gave me instructions over the speaker, Hold your breath and do not move. The CT machine started making a high pitch spinning noise. I thought I was in the Time Machine. I was lying there perfectly still holding my breath. Then over the speakers I heard Breath. They repeated this testing as the CT machine  slowly inched its way down my body towards my pelvis. It took about 25 minutes.

Now the nurse came out of the booth and brought over the IV apparatus. She explained that now they had to inject a special dye into my system as the doctor ordered CT Scans with and with out contrast. Turns out the Barium was just for my GI tract and this dye was for my neck, chest, groin etc. The nurse proceeded to insert a needle into a vein in my arm and then she started the drip. I  told her that my arm was warm and I was also feeling a little warmth in my chest. She explained there maybe some side effects. I asked her, what kind of side effects? She told me things like, Mild to life-threatening allergic reaction, Flushing/redness and hives, Shortness of breath, Nausea, vomiting, Blood clots and Dizziness. I was supposed to let her know if any of these  got really bad so they could treat me if necessary. As it turned out  I only felt a warm feeling come over me,  I also had mild tightening in my chest and it was a little difficult to breath. I was able to  deal with those side effects, so they repeated all the test again,  from head to groin. Then I heard the voice coming from the speaker, Thank you, all tests are complete.

Thank goodness we were finished. It wasn't that bad though, except drinking that awful Barium. I rose up off the table, went into my cubicle and dressed. I chatted a bit with the nurse and I left. Man I was hungry.

See you next time.