PET/CT Scan

Today's update isn't much of one. I had the PET/CT scan, and that's about it.

I tried calling my dermatologist, Kimberly Kortuem, M.D., and the oncologist she recommeneded me to, Thomas Amatruda, MD. But by the time my 'fancy pictures' were likely ready, it was late afternoon.

So, the waiting game continues. In the meantime, I've been amusing myself with the temporary title "Radioactive Man". Since I've still got leftovers in my system, I have to do crazy things like avoid children and double-flush for 24 hours.

I believe it is this that I've got in my system:

The only other obstacle to a wider dissemination of PET-CT is the difficulty and cost of producing and transporting the radiopharmaceuticals used for PET imaging, which are usually extremely short-lived (for instance, the half life of radioactive fluor18 used to trace glucose metabolism (using fluorodeoxyglucose -- FDG) is two hours only. Its production requires a very expensive synchrotron as well as a production line for the radiopharmaceuticals.

The tech told me the half-life was 110 minutes, and they called it a radioactive sugar solution.

I really enjoyed my Culver's Bacon ButterBurger Deluxe after not having much of an appetite this past weekend. And I can still have some beers (until they tell me otherwise) while I watch the Monday Night Football season opener of the Vikings at the Packers.

The girls are watching the game at a friend's while I hang out downstairs and putz around with the computer -- the only thing extraordinary in that is that the girls usually come down and join me during the evening. Tonight has been "too quiet".

That's about all I've got for now.