I am feeling the cumulative effects of chemo. I'm tired out and I've got a couple mouth sores (not so bad I can't eat, just a pain). I'm going to work on building my reserves back up. Lots of healthy eating, napping and walking.
The next couple of days will be a little nerve wracking. My PET CT on Monday will tell us a lot about what comes next for me. My fingers are crossed things look good. As long as things aren't growing I'm doing pretty good, but the best case would be that they can't see anything on the PET CT. That won't mean there is no cancer left, just that it is too small for them to see. PET CT's take "slices" every 2-3mm so tiny spots can be missed.
If you haven't ever had a PET CT, they're kinda cool. It's really two scans PET (positron emission tomography) and CT (computerized tomography) combined in one. They inject you with a radioactively labelled sugar (18F-FDG). This sugar is just like a regular glucose molecule except one of the -OH groups is replaced with a radioactive isotope of Fluorine. Cells in your body that are metabolically active will take up this sugar. After they inject you with the sugar, you just sit and relax for a while. Since you aren't exercising and using any of your muscles, and cancer is very active, the areas of cancer suck up the sugar faster than everything else. As the radioactive fluorine in the sugar decays it emits a positron. The big machine you slide into during the scan detects the positrons and correlates them with the CT. A CT scan is really just a very fancy set of X rays. When combined the radiologist can see the hot spots from the the PET scan and can see where those hotspots are located within your body/organs with the CT scan. The images are really pretty cool. Maybe I'll include some in my next post.
After the PET CT you'll be slightly radioactive. It won't last long. The half-life of this isotope of fluorine isn't long (an hour and a half or so). The notes you get will instruct you to stay away from babies and make sure to flush the toilet 2x after you pee for the next 24 hours.
I'll post again on Tuesday or Wednesday, after I get the results. Visualize clear scans!
Eileen,
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you enjoyed some nice summery weather in the UP - it's been rather warm here too.
It's wonderful that you understand the chemistry behind the scans and see how cool & powerful this technology is. It must seem a little less scary but still pretty nerve wracking. Hope you can find some good movies to watch or a good book to read to pass the time.
Ah yes, please do send some scans - we're all imagining beautifully clear scans...
Love, Ellen
Hi, Eileen,
ReplyDeleteGlad you both had a great trip to the UP, it's gorgeous back there this time of the year. Erik and I will be thinking of you on Monday and sending good vibes your way! Please do let us know if you or Keith need anything. Take good care, Maryann & Erik
I will be with you in spirit tomorrow, visualizing clear scans and with all fingers and toes crossed.
ReplyDeleteIt was great having you here over the holiday -- pretty quiet now. But that gives me time to visualize those perfect scans! :) Wishing you calm, relaxing times, and happy results for the hard work you have put in, (actually both of you) have put into fighting this cancer. Take a stroll, breathe deeply, know that we're sending good healing thoughts your way! P & A
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you and Keith had a relaxing time with summery weather in the UP.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for such a clear description of the PET CT. Speaking as someone who has not been in a science classroom in decades, I think I almost understand (I probably really don't, but I can pretend, ha ha!...)! It is unfathomably nerve wracking, but a clear grasp of the technology adds a small degree of comfort and ‘coolness’ to this process. Yes, definitely, post the scans!
I am and will be thinking of you. Probably darn-near impossible, but I hope you are able to do some things to relax and keep your mind occupied over the few days.
Here’s hoping for sparkling scans and a visit with an over-the-top giddy oncologist!
Take good care.
Love, Jane