The Three Little Tests

December 2, 2016 - December 5, 2016

After what seemed like forever, I finally had all three of my tests scheduled.

The first one was the genetic testing. My sister had this test done voluntarily and hers was a swab in the mouth. Mine was an actual blood test. No big deal, standard needle in the arm, draw some blood, done.

The PET Scan was next. I had never had one of these before and had no idea what to expect. I thought it would be like an MRI but it was quite different.

First thing is the nurse did was put me in this little room, in a super comfy recliner, and told me to find whatever television station I liked. Then she left. I had no idea why. Although everyone there was nice, no one actually explained to me yet what was going on or why I was watching Law & Order reruns. I decided to make the best out of it and kicked off my boots and cuddled into the chair until the nurse came back.

When the nurse did come back she finally explained what was going to happen. They were going to get an IV in so they could put some radioactive chemical in me, then I would sit for 45 minutes while that stuff went through my veins and then I would get the actual scan for about 20 minutes.

She put the IV in me, no problem and then opened a thick, heavy metal box. The chemical inside was literally guarded by the thickest looking metal container possible. I asked her what the deal with all the metal was and she said it was limit their exposure to it since it was nuclear. That made me feel pretty good about the fact that it was going through my veins.

The nurse then brought me a big cup of something and told me that I needed to drink as much of it as possible within the first 20 minutes of sitting there. Her exact words were "Don't make yourself sick, but try to get it down."

It looked like a very watered down vanilla milkshake. It did not taste like a very watered down vanilla milkshake. It tasted like a watered down gag me shake. I spent the next few minutes texting my mom and googling what the heck I was drinking. I found my answer on Google about the same time that I realized the answer was printed on the side of the cup. Barium. I was drinking barium. I don't recommend it.

The barium apparently coats your insides so everything is easier to see during the PET Scan.

After my 45 minute wait, I was put into the actual x-ray machine. The best part of this, I didn't even have to undress! As long you're not wearing any underwire bras, you're good to go in your hoodie and sweats!

You lay on a sliding bed that moves slowly into a covered x-ray machine. It's not painful. It's not entertaining. It's a very boring and uneventful test. The worst part, and the only uncomfortable part, is that you have to keep your arms above your head the whole time. This may not seem like a big deal, but circulation quickly goes away when keeping your arms in this position. I basically just kept my eyes shut and tried to count down the time that I was in there. I was not very successful in keeping count, but at least it kept my mind busy and somewhat off the fact that my fingers were tingly.

The third, and final test, was the MRI. An MRI on your breast is actually slightly amusing. First, they put an IV in your arm. Then they somehow expect you to gracefully get yourself in a face down position on the bed without bending the arm with the IV in it. The bed looks like a massage table with a empty space cut out for your boobies to hang out in. Once you're face down, the technician then has to adjust that space, and your boobies, so they are boxed in and ready to be imaged. Oh, did I mention that your arms have to be straight up over your head again? Only this time, since you're on your stomach, you're basically in the superman flying position.

They slowly move you into the machine and the technician tells you how long each scan will be. 2 minutes, 4 minutes, 7 minutes, etc. During these scans, you have to be perfectly still and try to breathe evenly. That's a joke. Trying to breathe evenly while laying with your rib cage expanded from your superman arms and your boobs being trapped in a box is pretty impossible.

I spent the entire time yelling at myself, "Stop moving, AnnaMarie.", "Slow down the breathing, girl", "You're going to get scolded by the technician if you don't slow it down!" It was a stressful test. At some point they put the magic chemical in my arm and then scanned me for another 8 minutes or so and then it was done. Fingers tingly, shoulders sore, but overall painless.

Next step was to hope the results came back quickly because I had an appointment with my oncologist later that week. Fingers crossed these tests didn't slow down the process.