PET Scan

Thursday - February 6th - PET Scan Day

18 Days Post Diagnosis

This sucker looks like its straight out of a space movie.  I think the torture of this lovely device is more so the NO EATING all day long.  I was given strict order to only eat protein and veggies the day before - only protein the day of until 8am - then no coffee or food (only water) after 8am until the procedure is complete (about 4'ish).  How I keep all of this info together in my brain, is beyond me! 

I will be hooked up to an IV with fluorodeoxyglucose (hardcore sugar base solution).  I have to hang tight for an hour or so until its fully in my system.  What this will show are the more "active cells" (the tumor) devouring the sugar solution and what other parts of my body are eating it up as well. These cells will show as "hot spots" on the images and this will be considered my BEFORE photo prior to starting chemo.  I will take an AFTER later on to see how the chemo is working!



PET Scan Experience:

Definitely NOT my favorite thus far!  It makes an MRI seem like a cake walk.  The breakdown... 

- Show up, get an IV 

- Escorted to this trailer outside with radioactive chemicals (that they will inject INTO me)

- Park my ass in a recliner, in a sterile room. No reading material or TV

- Sit there for 90 minutes with NOTHING to do. I was not aloud to even exercise my eyeballs with some reading material due to the muscle energy it would use. Are you joking!  

- Room has to be kept at 73+ degrees and I am NOT aloud to become cold.  Insert 4 freakin' blankets on top of me and now I am sweating like a pig. 

- 90 minutes are UP. Drain my bladder. And head to the PET machine

- Laying down on a skinny bed they swaddle me tightly with my arms to my sides and legs straight for 90 minutes. 

- Butt goes numb. Face starts itching (go figure). Hands lose feeling.  I want to scream!!!

- All done. Never again. But I will be back :(  ARG!

My first chemo starts tomorrow.  I am to report to the Cancer Care Center at 8:40am and will not be leaving until 4:30pm - Ouch!  Because this will be my 1st treatment, they drag out the doses to avoid allergic reaction.  Hence the ridiculously long day.  

Now, I am trying to see this as the "Chemo Vaca" and here is why... I am a do'er. I go go go (thanks mom for passing that trait onto me) and I cannot sit for very long.  On my chemo days I have no choice but to sit in a recliner and watch movies, read, knit and talk to visitors for about 4 hours.  I'm sorry but WHO wouldn't dig that!  As a mom of two little boys I am most certainly going to make my Chemo Vaca worth every second.  

The "Chemo Vaca" Schedule will go like this:
4hours long - every 3 weeks - for 18 weeks.  However, every week I will be going in for 30 minutes to receive Herceptin (for my HER2 positive diagnosis).  Once my chemo is complete (mid June) the Herceptin will be switched to once every 3 weeks to finish out 1 full year (Feb 2015). Brain overload yet?!

The "Ideal Situation" as it stands right now:
I met with my new surgeon on Monday in regards to my mastectomy and ovaries.  IF my BRCA1 gene comes back negative the hope is that the chemo will shrink the little bastard (tumor) atleast 50% or more.  At that point I will be a candidate for a lumpectomy and breast conservation + radiation to my chest for 6 weeks. IF my BRCA1 gene comes back positive, everything must go.  I will have a bilateral mastectomy but might way my option of nixing radiation.  I am given until 40yrs old to have my ovaries removed but obviously the sooner the better.