Every time I have a new procedure, I document it on here for the benefit of anyone about to have one. My most recent experience has been a CT-PA (CT - pulmonary angiogram). These are done to check all the blood vessels in the lungs when there is a suspicion there might be blood clots forming.
To backtrack a little, I have been living with the consequences of an immunotherapy related adverse event since mid September. My immunotherapy (now stopped) was Pembrolizumab, a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor. By removing PD-1, my immune system saw various organs normally held in privileged status as being threats, and attacked them. I knew within 24 hours of the attack that my kidneys and thyroid had been damaged. Damage to my lungs has emerged later. It’s not clear whether it has been there since September, but masked by the steroids used to treat the kidney problem, or a more recent attack. Either way, I had been struggling with breathing under exertion, and whilst the primary diagnosis was pneumonitis from the IRAE, the team needed to rule out other causes including pulmonary embolism. Hence the CT-PA.
The CT-PA, like many CT scans, needs contrast dye. So step 1 was to be cannulated. The scan was quite a short process, lying on the bed with arms over head. A couple of short breath holds, then the insertion of the dye. The usual warm feeling rushing all the way through. Then another breath hold and that was it. Results were back with my oncologist within the hour. No blood clots, no need to take any more blood thinning injections. Unfortunately there is a need to take more steroids to help with the pneumonitis. So I am to remain on 20mg prednisolone until my symptoms abate with a review in 2 weeks time.
