CT Scan Fun

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I had a CT scan today (well, technically yesterday). I did not enjoy it.

Prior to the scan, I was instructed not to eat and given two “berry smoothies” to drink (code for nasty ass barium sulfate solution thinly disguised as a palatable drink).

So I did that, drank one the night before and one a couple hours before the CAT scan, as instructed. Went to the hospital, waited in patient registration, then got called in per my turn.

This CT scan was ordered by my GI doctor as an ultrasound revealed what he thought were lesions on my liver that he feared were cancerous, but due to the imprecise nature of that particular test, he ordered a more precise one, hence the CT scan.

I hate that machine. Not only had I endured the consumption of barely palatable liquid berry flavored chalk, then they IV’d more tint into me that made my mouth feel like I’d eaten copper, then charged my groin with a hot (not in a good way) sensation that was really strange, to say the least.

Then I’m in this back and forth bed with a whirring machine that sounded like a dryer on steroids going back and forth over me, whilst being instructed by said machine when to breathe and when to hold my breath. It was very surreal. This thing is a gigantic plastic doughnut with a large spinning metal ring in it that I could see through a small window in it that just gave me the creeps.

I know, I’m a puss, but man…all I could think about was “when was the last time this thing had it’s maintenance?” as I am glancing at the gigantic 480V panel nearby that supplies it’s power. I kept thinking the metal ring, as fast as it was spinning, was going to break up and shred me.

Anyway, I hope I don’t have liver cancer. This was the test my GI doc ordered when he saw an abnormality on my liver on an ultrasound scan. Let’s hope. But man, that machine was super creepy, and having the tint injected via IV was NOT pleasant.

2

When will you get the results? I don’t know what I’d do in that circumstance. I’m not good at forcing down things my body doesn’t want.

StG

3

This is what I remember from my CT scan a few years ago–you feel like you’ve wet your pants.

4

Funny, I just had one this morning. I agree that I did not have fun (that IV stuff that was like pouring scalding coffee into my veins was weeeeeeeird). I didn’t take the whole process as poorly, I think mostly because I started thinking about “This machine sees inside me? friggin’ magnets, how does that work? This isn’t science; this is magic! DARK magic!”

Anyway, the thoughts of how we are living in the space age really was an effective distraction.

(PS. I know there aren’t magnets. Lighten up, all you Francises out there.)

5

I was hoping to hear from the doctor today. I’m tempted to call him in a couple of hours if I haven’t heard anything by then.

Yeah, it is a bit like that, isn’t it? That or you just drank a vial of adrenachrome.

Yeah, I kinda felt like I was inside HAL 9000 or something. “Breathe Dave”…“Hold your breath, Dave”.

6

Try a MRI sometime–a nice confined space tube, with a dozen pissed gorillas pounding the hell out of the outside with sledgehammers.

Oh yea, the thing is in a bath of liquid He, so if it springs a leak, your a corpseicle.
Ever see the video of the block of Al floating in the center of the torus?

7

And I meant to say, I hope your results come out positive. Or negative? I hope the results are good.

8

I’ve done PET/CT scans for stray tumors. I found them to be rather fascinating, but I didn’t have to drink the dreaded milkshakes. I only got injected with radioactive sugar solution. Inside a lead lunchbox was a small syringe wrapped with a lead cylinder the size of a can of soda. The machine wasn’t nearly as loud as an MRI. It looked like a cyberpunk polar bear.

9

Band name.

10

Yeccch on the smoothies. Here’s hoping they don’t find anything scarier than the barium stuff itself!

I had a CT that required the injectable iodine; no oral sludge but I did have to drink some bad lemonade at a specified rate beforehand. The sensation when they did the injection was exactly like I’d wet my pants. No clue why that happens but I’d heard it before.

The part that I did NOT expect was that at that same time, I experienced searing pain in one part of my back - an area where I’ve got some bulging disc issue that occasionally leads to pain. It was, fortunately, short-lived but it was pretty shocking.

11

I had my first head MRI in 2004, I was twice my current size and it was a very loud and claustrophobic tube I barely fit into, add the plastic cage put over my head and it was just awful. I had another last week, no tube and the head cage has been refined to leave the face part open. I was so relaxed and still the technician kept checking to make sure I was conscious. I came out describing it as a cross between my first video game console and my electro punk band (with vastly better drummer). It was a near pleasurable experience compared to the first.

My results were clear (other than old injuries that were reported in 2004). I hope the same applies to the OP.

12

Just an anecdote, but I once had a pelvic ultrasound due to post menopausal bleeding. The verdict from the ultrasound was “endometrial hyperplasia” (a thickened endometrium) indicating possible endometrial cancer.

I then had a d&C and it turned out that I actually had a uterine polyp and the very thin endometrium quite consistent with being 10 years post menopausal.

My trust in ultrasounds and their interpretation took a pretty big hit after they scared the crap out of me with that little adventure.

13

Have had lots of them, CT W/WO contrast, PET & ways from Sunday, old MRI in the big flat pancake machine that goes “KaWhumP” and will tear metal out of your body and some of the new kind.

When getting the smoothies, I learned at ask for the chilled banana ones. They are not bad.

The iodine dye makes me throw up if they dilly dally too long. I request a waste basket beside the slab tray I am on whenI come out because it is always a toss up if I am going to throw up or not.

The machines don’t bother of scare me but putting my arms over my head is problematic as I have some artificial parts that don’t work well when trying to do what they ask. Places where I am a frequent flyer, they know & remember me and we all work to make it go smooth. They even laugh at my lame jokes and tell me they are having a hard time finding a big person to help me up. Afterwards, the littlest female in the room yanks me up with ease. Fun times for me.

14

I had one recently on the sinuses of the face. Thankfully,I did not require the lovely beverage you describe. Mine was a five minute affair.

The MRI’s I have had on a knee or shoulder were much more discomforting. The shoulder one at the first place told me to fold my arms over my chect and not move. I never learned how to breathe without my chest moving. I left there in tears. The Dr. prescribed Valium and sent me to another facility where I was instructed to have arms at my sides. Modern medicine is weird.

Best wishes for a good report.

15

I had an MRI last fall after my breast cancer diagnosis, the first half without contrast and the second half with. When they injected the contrast, I detected a metallic taste that lasted a few seconds, and also a weird sensation in my bladder. I was face-down and they gave me headphones (I chose classical music) and it was not a frightening or unpleasant experience.

More recently, I’ve had two CAT scans to map out my radiation, and those took literally seconds and did not involve contrast. They did put stickers on my body beforhand, which were removed afterwards.

16

I am a bit claustrophobic, Doctor prescribed valium. I was having shoulder pain. They somehow got my wiggly self down on the table thingy and convinced me to be still. As soon as the whir started I went to sleep. I woke about an hour later. Mr.Wrekker was frantic, he thought they lost me or killed me or something. They were just letting me sleep it off. He tells everyone I broke MRI machine and they were holding me for ransom.

Good luck FGE!!

17

Had plenty of CT scans over the years, they never bugged me at all. I couple of passes and you’re done. The contrast is odd feeling, I’ll give you that, though. As for the spinning part giving you the creeps, maybe this will make you feel a bit better. No?
I always like that video. What’s interesting is showing people a video of a CT scanner and then trying to convince them that an MRI, despite all mind numbing racket it makes, doesn’t have any moving parts (so to speak).

@nearwildhaven, I would have much preferred to have had an MRI scan facedown. Part of the issue with them is seeing the top of the tunnel inches from your face. Knowing that you can’t sit up. Knowing that it would be really difficult to get out on your own if you needed to. I’m not claustrophobic, not until I was in there anyways. Don’t get me wrong, I think the scan took 30 or 40 minutes and I was fine, but everytime I thought “hmm, I wouldn’t mind taking a little break” I knew that would mean starting over.
And can we talk about the “how you doing in there” / “I’m good” / “STOP MOVING you’re making the images blurry” [stop asking me questions then, just get on with it] thing.

18

I’ve had a bunch of CT scans and am growing progressively more allergic to the contrast dye (throat closing :eek:). They give me Benadryl and something else prior to the scan. It works fine, but now I always need someone with me because by the time they’re sure I’m not going to have a reaction, I’m asleep and can’t drive home. PITA.

I’ve had more scans without drinking the crap than with it. There’s a clear one like thick water that I much prefer over any of the others.