I had my full torso Ct scan today. It was an experience. The scanner on the ward was awaiting maintenance so I was taken to the one in A&E. I had to lie on a bed which was then slid into the large donut shaped machine.
"That a nice piece of machinery," I said, "Is it new?"
The nurse smiled proudly and said, "Yes it is."
I was pleased to have such a state of the art machine for my scan.
I had to have a liquid pumped into my arm to show up all the blood vessels, veins, etc. When it started going into my arm I couldn't feel it go into the vein but was surprised to feel the tube bouncing on my arm as the liquid was pumped in. I couldn't see it because I had to lie with my arms above my head.
"You'll feel hot in places as the liquid goes around your bloodstream and you may feel you have wet yourself but you won't have." the nurse cheerily told me.
'Lovely,' I thought.
Sure enough I soon felt a hot sensation in the back of my throat accompanied by a strange taste, quickly followed by a warm feeling in my nether regions.
"I feel like I've wet myself," I giggled, "I do hope you're right."
"Don't worry," said the nurse, grinning, "You really haven't." She was right, I hadn't peed.
I went backward and forwards in the machine as the scans were taken. The machine would say, "Hold your breath," and the bed moved backwards and forwards, then "Breathe." it ordered. This happened several times and then it was over. I waited outside for ten minutes then the nurse came and took the drip thing out of my arm and that was it.
The hardest part was having to drink one and a half litres of water in the hour before the scan. Boy did I need the loo when I got home.
All in all it was an interesting, unexpectedly pleasant experience.
I had an appointment this afternoon for an ultrasound scan at a different hospital. I discussed this with the nurse and she's arranged for my hospital to send me an appointment at my hospital and cancelled the one at the other hospital.
