The CT Scan

The CT Scan
I went in for my periodic CT scan this morning. This is not one of my favorite procedures; but, I do prefer it over a colonoscopy procedure.

The procedure starts off with the patient or victim, depending on your point of view, swallowing just about a liter of barium sulfate. Barium sulfate is a marker dye. It has the consistency of runny wallpaper paste and tastes about as vile.

Today’s mixture had a slight hint of an apple taste. It was just enough to taste but nowhere near sufficient to overcome the taste or after taste.

So much of bans on cruel and unusual punishments.

The CIA should have used the barium sulfate instead of water boarding. It would be just as effective and hardly traceable.

Then it comes time to run you through the CT machine donut. It is painless for the most part. You also get another trace drug through an IV.

Setting up the IV was a problem. It took the technician three times and three needles before he could find a vein that he could use for the IV solution. This was an uncomfortable process. I did have a choice though; I could let him have a third stab at one of my veins or I could wait three hours for an IV specialist nurse to show up and insert the IV drip line. I so did not want to wait three hours plus I would probably have had to swill down the barium sulfate again.

Wonderful.

The IV drug makes your body warm up; don’t ask me why. It just does. These two drugs attach to any cancer cells. When they are bombarded by the CT emissions, the cancer cells with the drugs attached to them light up like Christmas trees.

When I had the test done in January, Dr. Karen said the results showed no signs of cancer in my body. I thought that was very nice.

But, after reading part of The Black Swan, I now realize that Dr. Karen should have said the test could not find any signs of cancer in my body.

Dr. Karen will give me the results on Friday.

Doug
Doug called this afternoon as he was coming home from a short vacation to check on the CT scan. I told him it went as well as they normally do.

We talked about the appointment notice that I got yesterday from the colorectal surgeons for a Friday in mid-September. This is going to be a pre-colonoscopy procedure appointment. I told Doug that I was thinking about changing the appointment since I have another one scheduled a week later on Wednesday.

I didn’t see any good reason to possibly ruin a weekend. I also told Doug that I was going to ask Dr. Karen what she thought about combining the two appointments when we see her on Friday. He thought that was a good idea.

I also plan to ask her about all of the tests the colorectal surgery clinic wants to run on me.

School
I was checking my school email before I finished on writing the blog entry. I got an email from my department chair about turning the coming year faculty development plan. I think the year started July 1.

So much for keeping on top of things.

I will talk to him tomorrow. Oh joy for me.


All things considered it could have been a worse day for me.


Be well and stay happy.