CT
Scan:
The CT Scan is one of the first tests
that you will do after diagnosis or as part of the diagnostic
process. For me, it was both.
The CT or CAT (computerized axial tomography)
Scan is extremely common these days, so you may have had experience
with this before. It is similar to an MRI in it's results. The
scan takes pictures of the inside of you allowing the technicians
to see if there is anything unusual.
Some of the more common questions about
the scan include:
- What is the CT Scan used for?
In the beginning it is
used to determine the size and location of the cancerous areas.
For instance, how many lymph nodes are affected and how large
are they? If there is a large mass scans can be used to chart
the progress in eliminating the mass. At the end of your treatment
you will have another CT Scan to use as a base for future scans
so that the doctors can be sure what is scar tissue and what is
cancer tissue.
- Is it painful?
For most people, no. Some
might have an allergic reaction to the dye/contrast that is injected
through the IV. In my case, I was fine until I had a scan with
both contrast and barium (the barium is used for abdominal scans).
The combination of the two made me very hot and nauseous. If this
happens to you do not hesitate to wave your hands and get the
attention of the technician immediately. They do not want you
to be sick and can help you quickly if you let them.
One member of the Hodgkin's Mail List
offered this as a helpful hint for nausea from the IV: If you
have a CT Scan done and feel sick to your stomach (nauseated)
from the IV solution here's a hint that I hope will help you as
it did me. Open one of the alcohol wipe packets (you know, the
little 1"x1" sealed things). Take out the alcohol soaked
gauze wipe and take a sniff of the gauze when you feel nauseated.
It sure took away the nausea from me and I thank the nurse who
told me about this hint. I hope it works for you!
- How is it done?
This is another test where
you lie on a "bed" and the machine moves you to where
it wants you to be. Your only job is to lie still and hold your
breath when they tell you to. An x-ray tube will rotate around
you taking pictures of the internal anatomy from different angles.
A computer then puts these images together so that the technicians
can read them. When the test is complete your pictures should
be ready within minutes.
- How long does the test take?
Thirty minutes to one hour
depending on how much of your body is to be scanned.