experience all that you can. How about a MUGA? Multi Gated Acquisition Scan is a time-proven nuclear medicine test designed to evaluate the function of the right and left ventricles of the heart. It is also called radionuclide angiography, as well as gated blood pool imaging. This modality uniquely provides a cine image of the beating heart, and allows the interpreter to determine the efficiency of the individual heart chambers. MUGA scanning may be a valuable adjunct to the echocardiogram. Thanks Wikipedia.
What was involved today was an IV (no fluids) set up, draw some blood, take blood and do magical things to it so that radioactive isotopes attached to the red blood cells, inject blood back into me and then scan away. This scan was very quiet and I was not inside a tube. Rather square things rotated around me. Took about 30 minutes for the scan part and 25 minutes for the magical blood part.
Worse part? I was in a pissy mood. I'm at that point where I'm done with people messing with me. The technician didn't look anything like George Clooney but, he sounded just like him. Freaky really. He asked me how are you doing today? Why do these fuckers ask you this? Let's see I can think of a million six other things I rather be doing (a million six is a reference to a Steve Martin joke). I said "I'm not fit to be with humans". I think he tripped. He takes me into this room where I plop myself promptly in the chair of torture. That chair is always the obvious one in the room. He asks "have you already had chemo?" I outrageously say"Dude, doesn't the hair scream I just got done with chemo?" He says "yea uh, well umm, when were you finished?" June 24th. He proceeds to tell me this is a really easy test blah blah blah the floatation devices are located under your seats, emergency exits are located...blah blah. I am the queen of scans. I don't care that I haven't had this exact one before, I know the drill. I know what to expect. But, what I didn't expect is that the queen didn't get her gown. Nope. No gown was don for this scan. I got to wear my very own clothes. How refreshing.
Tomorrow I'm going back to radiation and I have my second herceptin infusion.
Good news is the numbing cream worked really well. It was OK last week but, today was great. I think I know now how much to put on (lots) and I need to cover a larger area. I'm set for tomorrow with the cream. Should work better this time.
Since Thursday night I have felt like I have been having hay fever. I'm convinced now that it is the herceptin. Benedryl is helping but I hate the way it makes me feel. Tonight seems to be better. Will talk to nurses tomorrow. Feeling like you have hay fever is not an uncommon side effect. Usually side effects lessen as your body adjusts. Just saying there is hope I won't feel like shit for an entire year.
Yea I'm just little miss sunshine today.
Is it Friday yet?
You and me were Sisters-in-Grumpland today! All the way to the park I kept thinking, "I am unfit for social interaction!" and I spent the majority of the afternoon walking around and around the park and lake avoiding talking to people. Near the end Anna did get me to cheer up a bit but I'm still in a pretty funk mood right now. I sure hope that tomrrow is better for the both of us!
ReplyDeleteSometimes we are just unfit to be around humans. At least you had the option of avoidance!!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are both feeling better! Pam, you are missed at park! Hope you can make it back soon.
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