CT Scan
Well, today I went in for the CT Scan. I have never really wrote anything about the scan so I decided to do it in details and chronologically. (It’s a really warm day consider we are in the middle of the winter. Temperature is around 60′s)
14:10pm Arrival at the hospital and check in with the receptionist.
14:11pm Filled out questionnaire. Basically general patient information, health condition, medications, and allergy.
14:16pm Chilling at waiting area.
14:20pm picked up reading material. A integrative medicine/treatment brochure. Remember what Julia and Denis said about reflexology, meditation, music therapy, etc.
14:25pm Received oral contrast dye. It’s a big plastic jar containing 1000ml of raspberry ice crystal light flavored solution. (The label says MD-GASTROVIEW 25ml, Diaterzoate Meglsod soln 66%-10%, STERIL WATER 1000ml) As a smart mouth, as always, I asked for strawberry, kiwi, banana flavor which obviously got turned down haha the funny thing is that the nurse was seriously replying to me that there’s only one flavor. I told her I was kidding. We were requested to drink up about 80% of the solution in 20 minutes! I got brain freeze from gulping down about 800 ml of iced drink… should of asked for room temperature instead of iced. If I remember correctly they use to give us 1 hour instead of the current 20 minutes to take down the solution. hmm… I also took the last dozes of prednisone and benadryl. I just realized that It’s like a bar/loung in that waiting area, everyone’s holding a drink and sipping haha oh I must say MSK outpatient center is really really really nice. I can say it’s can be considered a 5 star “hotel”. All the staff are friendly, ppl greet you at the main entrance, all smiling. The waiting area is big, spacious and comfortable. Bathroom are clean, doesnt make you want to hold ur “stuff” until you get home.
14:40pm Finished drinking the solution. Started to feel the effect of benadryl, zzzz……
15:10pm Still waiting, getting really sleepy
15:55pm Called in to change into hospital gown
Afterward changing I couldn’t record exact time of events so all are approximate.
16:00pm Finished changing, waiting in another much smaller waiting area (3 chairs)
16:10pm Got called to the IV room. Very small room for IV preparation (sticking that big needle into the vein) I have had this in a long time. I think I fear the big needle eeek. I think the nurse who does it make a difference, some make you feel comfortable so make you feel tense. btw, I keep forgetting I should remember to drink a lot of water within 24 hours to get the vein “pumped” up so they can find it more easily. Also the vein you can see is not necessary the vein they poke. They will tap your arm to agitate the vein and they “feel” the area to find the big vein. I like having the IV around the inside elbow area on the left arm. hates it most on top of the arm or hand! The nurse thought it’s the first time for me becuz they didnt see any old needle spots. I guess I heal really well 
To be honest, I was feeling nauseous after she missed the vein the first time. I don’t know if I reacted that way becuz she told me some ppl do feel nauseous and subconsciously my mind just follow what she instructed haha what i fear the most is when they stick the needle in and “wiggle” the needle around inside the skin trying to find the vein. oohhh it hurts just thinking about it hahaha
16:25pm Got to the scanning room. Basically a big machine with a round hole in the middle. The patient lay on a movable “bed” with feet toward the hole. The bed inserts you into the hole as the machine scans you. Mine was chest, abdomen, and pelvis area. They scan it each area one time without injection contrast dye through the IV. The second time around they do the injection. You feel this warm heat coming from throat all the way down to the butt hole right after they start the injection. While they scan, the operator will tell you to hold the breath and then release/breath in between. The entire scan goes really fast, must be less than 20 minutes.
16:45pm Finished scanning
16:50pm changing back to street cloth
16:55pm Leaving the hospital
Ok, that’s the run down of the CT Scan process.
Side note: I couldn’t sleep last night I think it’s the effect of Prednisone, it keeps you “energized”. I don’t even feel that tired after going through today’s scan, just a lil out of it from the benadryl, that’s all.