Time to be Radioactive Again

On Tuesday, I will have a full-body PET scan. I’ve had one before, almost exactly a year ago. The purpose of the scan will be to “light up” any myeloma tumors anywhere they might be in my body so we can see them. We already know there is one at my C7 vertebrae. Most likely, I will learn the results on my next appointment on November 30th.

The last time I had a PET scan, I got sick from the radioactive fluorodeoxyglucose, the substance most commonly used in PET scans. Dr. Joudeh thought it was probably because I had also had a skeletal survey consisting of 25 x-rays the day before. Although I’m not getting another skeletal survey this time, I’m apprehensive that I might again feel nauseous after the scan. Cautions afterwards include staying away from children and the highway patrol. You may remember my post last year with the piece of paper the technician gave me warning that I would be radioactive for 24 hours and that it might trigger a police radar detector. I still find that mildly amusing.

I also have an appointment scheduled with a neurosurgeon on December 2nd. He will look at my MRI and PET scan results and determine whether he feels a biopsy is warranted.

Of course, I’ll let you know how these appointments go.