Preparing for Christmas in Hawaii is fun!

Decorate your tree and sit back and relax…..and wait for your medical appointment!

 

Preparing for a PET scan can be just as painless. Future you will be happy if you’ve planned ahead. Plus, if you don’t prepare properly, there is a possibility they will reschedule the scan! As usual, all my advice comes with the warning to check with your own doctor!

Let’s talk about preparing for a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) It starts 24-48 hours before the scan. The actual scan calls for injecting a radioactive tracer into your bloodstream and waiting to see where there might be areas of unusual metabolic activity (like Cancer) The PET takes place in Nuclear Imaging rather than Radiology. (I have addressed the day of PET in a previous post, but I’d like to focus on the 24 hours prior to Pet in this post.)

The PET starts 24 hours before the actual scan with a sugar free diet (as much as possible) to starve all the body’s cells of sugar. For me, it’s like the Atkins diet for Pescetarians. Cancer cells love sugar! Well….all cells need sugar!

Here is your  twenty-four our hour count-down for diet and wardrobe:

T-24 Breakfast– scrambled eggs and coffee (enjoy that coffee because you don’t get it on the day-of treatment. No OJ either!)

T-21 Morning snack-hummus and veggies (no fruits–way too much sugar)

T-20  Lunch-spinach salad with the lowest sugar dressing you can find (Blue Cheese or Caesar) and hard boiled egg and cucumber.

T-16 Snacks! Lightly Salted Almonds!

 

T-13 No workout today-you don’t want to strain any muscles before the scan and accidentally cause a false positive. Some websites suggest not to exercise 48 hours before scan. Check with your physician.

T-11 Pack a small bag for the scan room. Usually chilly, I bring a sweater that I can wear in the scan and warm socks. No Metal anywhere though! Women, I wear a tank top under my clothes so I can wear my own clothes rather than a hospital gown. Bring something to read or your Bullet Journal for planning or a book (The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman will transport you from whatever you are doing!) . I usually don’t bring an iPad.  I don’t like to leave it in a locker and the hospital is not responsible for your valuables. Leave all jewelry at home!

T-10 Dinner-Salmon plus stir-fry mushrooms, zucchini, red pepper-Dessert is fresh watermelon. Did you want wine with dinner? NO-cannot-no alcohol!

T-8-Sleepy-time! Get plenty of rest the night before. No time for insomnia…(we’ll do that in another post!)

T-4 Sorry, no breakfast today. No Coffee either! Get over it! It’s for a greater good. Drink plenty of watery water this morning. You’ll want to wash that radioactive tracer out and dehydration is  no fun. Wear comfortable clothing today! Today, it’s okay to wear yoga pants or leggings and a t-shirt or sweater. Steer clear of zippers and metal attachments. They cannot enter the machine and then you’re back to wearing a hospital gown.

T-2 Blood test to see if your blood sugar is in an acceptable range. This is like the lie detector test to see if you consumed too much sugar in the day prior. Safe range is 80-150 mg/dL

T-1 Injection time-the tracer will need 45 minutes to circulate through your body. Some doctors allow reading and/or listening to music, but the policy at our hospital is do nothing. I usually fall asleep in the comfy chair while waiting

Finally!-Scan time…Relax as they roll you into the tube. The tech will position you and ask if you’re claustrophobic (little late, right? I would ask your doctor for meds prior, if this is something that bothers you.) I work on meditation skills while I’m in the tube.

Then, done! Time to go out for a meal! Results are not immediately available.

What is your favorite book to make long waits short?