I had my pet scan today and boy, that was a really painful ordeal! I just couldn’t be on my back without being in unbearable pain. Normally a pet is about 45 minutes, something I couldn’t do. But they have a new machine and it was supposed to be cut down to 15 to 20 minutes, but I couldn’t get by a couple minutes, never mind that. The tech called the physicist in and we tried various things, positions were very limited by the test, but he found a one inch pad which helped as the hard board backing of the machine killed me. We also tried my belly but that didn’t work. Then we tried some rolled towels in various places around the small of my back, upper thighs etc. and managed to get it to the point where I thought I could bear it. It was very hard, and mid way through I almost gave up, but I kept myself going, moaned a lot (and got reprimanded by the tech because I think he thought I was moving my mouth/face but I wasn’t) and eventually I got through it and it was done. I am exhausted!
Anyway I got a call from my med onc, who for some reason is the dr the radiologist called even though the rad onc is the one who ordered the scan. The results are that there has been some improvement, but since my pain is getting worse they suggested an MRI to look for nerve damage,edema, some cause of my increased pain (not sure what they will do about it but one step at a time as my med onc told me today). I’m not sure how I will get an MRI (45 minutes or so) without being knocked out completely though, but I see my pain management dr. on Thursday so maybe he has some ideas. I haven’t talked to the rad onc yet, but she’ll call either later today or tomorrow once she gets the report.
So all in all, good news, in that the cancer continues to lessen, albeit slowly, and there is more of an attempt to deal with finding the exact source of the pain. And it looks like we can begin to start planning our summer trips, first a long weekend for A. and I while Z. is in camp (she leaves this Sat. and I have done nothing to get her packed and ready. I’m really just overwhelmed with everything right now) and then our trip to Hawaii for the three of us later this summer.
Did your pain doc have any ideas?