In-service training day for teachers today after the half term break. I went into school to clear away a few personal belongings and make some space for Esther to set herself up as the new class teacher.
Barbara accompanied me to the bone scan appointment at noon. Once again, the receptionists in Medical Physics were welcoming and friendly. Barbara recognised one of them. (She knows everyone, from Les and Les in The Lyndhurst to Roz with the purple hair at Asda!) This lady had been a parent of twins Barbara taught 20 years ago in Tilehurst.. so they had a natter. Then Barbara gave the physicist a run for her money, and interrogated her about how the radio-isotope was going to show up cancer in the bones.
Well, apparently, the radioactive thing is injected in the veins, sloshes all round the body and settles in the bones all over, after about 3 hours. The scan picks up 'hot spots' where the marker shows that there's increased bone density or extra growth. This may indicate cancer, but has to be carefully interpreted because it may mistake things like arthritis and bone scarring from previous fractures. Cancer can appear anywhere, in any bones, but it may often appear in the spine and ribs.
The physicist took a blood sample for another cancer hunting test, injected the marker, and sent us away till 3.30. So we went and played at being Ladies Who Lunch, in town on the riverside. Could get used to this bit..
The scan at 3.30 was a lie down affair; I had to keep still for 20 minutes while the bed slid slowly out from between the scanner sandwich things. The results will be interpreted by a radiographer - not the operative who took the scan (she was saying nothing!), and will be available in a week, for my consultant to share with me.
I got Barbara to take a photo of me on the scanner couch, and she and I had a quick look at the fuzzy grayscale pic of me on the screen. The operative wouldn't let us take a photo of the image, and we aren't trained radiophysicists - but - we both concurred that there was a fuzzy black triangular shape in the bikini area!! :) Note to self; have a little tidy up when you get home!
Will and Ben met us after school in the hospital, and got a free Radiation in Medicine lesson from the very kind resident medical physics geek while waiting for my scan to finish.
So - all in all not a very stressful procedure today , but it's little things like these hospital appointments that keep reminding me I must be ill, or they wouldn't be faffing around doing all these tests.
Asda on way home; fajitas for tea.
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