PET Scan for Lungs

[Frankie]

Finally, the postman brought my letter of appointment from the Lung Clinic at Fiona Stanley Hospital

18th April I had the PET Scan.

I caught the train up to FSH and to the clinic at 9am. I had been fasting since midnight.  i dont usually eat breakfast, but because I wasnt allowed to eat on this occassion I was starving.

Walking past the coffee shop, I could see people with no hair, people with scarves covering their head, and I found myself staring, (which i dont usually do), I realised that could be me soon.

 The PET Scan was explained to me  this way -- i have no food/sugar in my system as i was fasting, mallignant cancer like sugar, therefore radio active sugar syrup will be injected into my body.  And the cancer cells will grab more of the syrup than the healthy cells, and it will show as a radio active blob, therefore thats how they know if it is mallignant.

I had to lie in a room for 40 minutes.  I could not read, play a game on my phone, i had to keep very still.

I fell asleep, as the nurse had to wake me for the injection.

When injecting the radio active syrup, she did this from the passage way.  There was a hole in the wall with a tube, this tube then travelled through to the canula in my arm.  Once injected, I had to lie still until I have the scan.

I was told I was radio active for the next few hours, and if I see pregnant people, to stay away from them.

The PET Scan machine looked similar to the CT Scanner.

One of the nurses took me in there, and the radiologist asked me a few questions, then the scan was completed.

I had about an hour before my next appointment at the Respiritory Clince at 1.30, so went and had Subway as I was starving.  And my husband has arrived to be with me. I cry.

My breathing was good, I have strong lungs, not sure what this appointment was in aid of, but I passed.

Straight into my next appointment with the Lung Clinic, he has the results from the PET scan.

He shows them on the computer screen to me and my husband.  He shows how the throat is clear, and the rest of the body is clear, apart from the right lung.  It has radio active glows, I have a 4cm (its has grown) nodule, and the lymph node is cancerous.  Mallignant.

I hold back the tears and ask the doctor the questions.  Why are my breasts not radio active? I show him the notes from the SKG Scan saying I need a biopsy on both.  Doctor shrugs, nothing there is mallignant.

Okay, I will work on my breasts later, I have malignant lung cancer.

Everything is happening too fast.

Doctor books me in for a procedure where they put the camera down my throat, and take a sample of the tissue.

He wants me in hospital in a few days, Tuesday after Easter is over.

I fill in the paper work, and I am sent to the anaesthetist, and he explains what he will be doing in the procedure.

The nurse weighs me and measures my height. (I seem to have gained 3 kilos since being weighed for my PET Scan this morning, and grown 3 centermeters.)

I then have to go to pathology, and have my bloods tested, quite a wait here.

I make the pharmacy just before they close, I need to use claxane instead of warfarin before the procedure.  If i stop the warfarin, my blood will clot, so if i stick a needle of claxane in my belly each night it will stop it clotting.  My belly will be bruised.

Driving home, I realised I had spent all day at FSH. 

I have lung cancer, still iffy on the breasts.

I cry and stare out the window as my husband drives home.

Why isnt he crying?

I need to try and focus on camping this weekend.

What if this is my last camping trip.

What if I am not around next summer.

I help pack the car.