The drive to the SLC VA hospital was uneventful. It’s really weird not seeing any snow on the ground this time of year. The roads were dry except at the very top of Malad Pass.
Tony has had several PET scans. This specialty is called nuclear medicine. Usually, everything is already prepped before they take him back. Today, however, he watched as a little box was brought out. By the way the tech carried the box to the chair, it was evident that the box was heavy. Inside the box was the syringe filled with radiopharmaceuticals that were injected into Tony’s body for the imaging.
A quick search confirmed that the box was a thick, lead-lined container (often encased in stainless steel) called a “lead pig” to protect staff from harmful gamma radiation.
Tony asked one of the techs to show him the scan when it was done. He was relieved to see no metabolic activity below his collarbone. We see Tony’s oncologist next Tuesday to hear the official results.
While Tony was in the scan, I got a call from my primary doctor’s office. As part of my annual physical last month, they ran the blood test that looks for cancer markers on ovarian cysts. What a relief to hear that it came back negative.
This was welcome news after a disappointing appointment at the urologist’s office yesterday. I went in thinking I was there for them to remove the stent they put in following the kidney stone surgery a week ago. I was so looking forward to some relief, as it is very uncomfortable. They recommended that the stent stay in until after the next procedure at the end of the month. (Good grief! Couldn’t they have told me so over the phone?!) They loaded me up with prescriptions designed to make the situation tolerable, and I’ll keep being salty for the foreseeable future. 🥸
After a quick stop at Trader Joe’s, we met up for lunch with Tony’s brother, Scott, and sister, Debbie. Thanks for lunch, Scott! Red Robin was extra delicious today with good company. It was fun listening to the siblings recount childhood memories.
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