Bone Scan- I am Hulk

A bone scan (bone scintigraphy) is a nuclear medicine procedure that creates 3-D images of the bone. An x-ray shows what the bones look like, a bone scan shows how they work. A radioactive tracer is injected into the body and is absorbed more by active cells (ones that are being broken down or repaired) and emits gamma rays. The rays are detected by a gamma camera and sent to a computer to create the images. The scan can highlight different areas of bone activity and detect changes in bone metabolism showing fractures, disease, infection, and in my case, if the cancer has metastasized (spread) to the bones.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bone-scan/about/pac-20393136

What to expect

There’s no eating/drinking restrictions or prep for a bone scan. OOPS, looking back into the prep, I just now realized that you should tell them if you have taken any bismuth (Pepto) or barium as it can interfere with the scan results. I had my CT scan two days before and had to drink the barium chalk shake. I wonder if that matters. Too late now to tell them, so it’s good for you to know at least.

The procedure actually has two parts. The first part is the IV injection of the hulk juice. I was pretty pumped finding out I’d be like a super hero (Go gamma rays!), until the IV. It’s like any other IV, except watch out, it burns. Then they tell you to go have fun and come back about 4 hours later. I tried to make the best use of my time while in town that day so I piggy backed it with my echo and chemo port pre-op appointment. I’d rather go to Costco.

They tell you to drink a liter of water before you come back. The plus is that you get to pee, as they want your bladder to be empty before the scan. So I may or may not have caught that little part, that you were allowed to pee prior to coming back. Let’s just say that would have been especially good to know so you can avoid the potty dance.

You can stay dressed for the scan but need to remove any metal bits. It’s not the best day to wear underwire if you don’t want to take it off. After that, there’s nothing else to do but nap. In fact, it’s encouraged. The room was dark and there was this aquatic scene, like a fish tank background taped up to the halogen light above my head to stare at. I can’t remember if they had offered music but I didn’t have any so I just laid still. It’s a big, non-cozy machine you have to lie in, but it’s not too claustrophobic because you start feet first, and the machine moves so unbelievably slow.

The tech left the room and so I was basically there with my thoughts for the hour. I was trying to think warm, fuzzy thoughts, rather than glow stick radiation popping up all over my body for the camera to collect. Until my alarm went off. A vibrating, loud humming, chair rattling, never stopping pick up the kiddo from the bus alarm. I had arranged for a neighbor to pick her up, but I didn’t remember to turn off the alarm. So for about the last 15 minutes of the scan it went blaring off, and never shut off. It felt like eternity. Needless to say no more napping for me. I called out randomly in the dark for the tech (Hello, hello, anyone???) but they stranded me there. They left the room, like really left, because there was NO ONE to turn off the friggin’ alarm. I totally wanted to get up but I didn’t want to have to do the whole thing again. It was a long 15 minutes of my life. Don’t forget to turn off your alarms!