February 6th. PET Scan.

I was instructed not to eat for 6 hours preceding. Should have done this in the a.m. but it is a 2 ½ hour process and I needed to go to work so the appointment was set at 4 p.m.

Interesting procedure. After they take a bit of my blood and find my blood sugar is low enough (I am frakking starving by now of course) the technician comes in with a lead encapsulated box which holds a lead encapsulated syringe.

This syringe holds radioactive sugar and as he injects me with the sugar he explains that cancer likes sugar en that the sugar will attach itself to cancerous cells and since it is radioactive it will show up nicely in the screen.

I have to sit perfectly still for another 45 minutes though because movement will improve the uptake of the sugar in the muscles and he does not want that. No TV, no book. Nap time I guess. Too hungry though. Next time I go in the morning!

After 45 minutes I get wheeled into the room and get to lie on a thin bed. Since I am a rather large fellow I need to keep my arms stretched out overhead. The CAT scan was done fast but this is a very slow process.

The machine starts to scan you from the base of the skull and will go down to the legs. I ever so slowly slide out of the machine and 30 minutes later I can move my arms to my chest. Wonderful. How many times a year do I have to do this?

The results will be made available after 48 hours he says. He looks tired. At least that's what I tell myself. I hope it is not worry I am seeing.

I am still waiting to hear back.