CAT scanned!

I am back in my room now, glad to report that the CAT has finally been scanned. Wait, I mean I've finally had my CAT scan. However, I got very close not having the scan today, at all. You may ask yourself why on earth would I not get that scan after I've been waiting for this since Saturday morning??? Well, the answer is because the technician running the scan was convinced that I MUST have that scan with prednisone and benadryl premedication and CONTRAST!

The young man was very convinced of this idea, even going so far as trying to call Dr. V (who apparently put in the order), and calling in the attending radiologist. The odd thing is that he made this suggestion after I had just fasted four hours and chugged down five glasses of some awful fake limeade type oral contrast agent. Premedication would have meant I could take the scan no earlier than tomorrow. When the radiologist came in, he asked me a few questions and I explained the situation to him. I said, listen, I've waited for this scan since Saturday. Furthermore, I've been in this hospital with unexplained post-chemo fever since last Wednesday. I'm just about well enough to go home, and now you want to try out whether I'm really allergic to the contrast or not??? I told him I had enough medical issues already, notwithstanding the crash cart they keep "somewhere down the hall" (oh the reassuring thought!).

Luckily, the attending radiologist (who would be reading my pictures) was a bit more level-headed. After hearing my story, he suggested that I could take another test to see if I had a pulmonary embolism. As he described the test I told him "been there, done that -- last week! -- came back clean." This is really to look for an infection source, and to see what that strange shadow from the portable x-ray was. Then the radiologist agreed that an IV contrast-free scan would suffice. 

Honestly, what was that technician guy thinking? That my various doctors weren't aware of the possibility of premedicating me??? My doctors had raised the possibility, but ultimately decided against it. So who is he to question their judgment? I felt as though I had to actively defend myself from his insistent onslaught. And if I hadn't been as steadfastly stubborn, I still would not have received my scan! Ridiculous...

As you can see, I'm a bit miffed at the tech. Ok, I'm pretty miffed. But at least I stood up to him. Now let's hope for good scan results with sufficient detail that will hopefully show me in good health. I feel decidedly un-feverish tonight, and hope that I will stay this way (although I should cautiously add that I haven't had my vitals taken since 4 p.m. since I missed the 8 p.m. rounds due to my CAT scan). Hopefully this will be my last night in the hospital -- and I'll be getting out just in time for my next round of taxol.

Tomorrow I am supposed to have another doppler scan to check on my UEDVT. Assuming the CAT scan comes out clean, and the doppler shows no further clotting or other problems, I may be on my merry way home sometime tomorrow. Can't wait for that!!!