The CT Scan
and other expensive machines I want to check out at Kaiser
Last month I shared a story about a BOMO (bruise of mysterious origin) that led me to schedule time with my oncologist. I was fearful that the BOMO’s location on my rib cage beneath the breast where the tumor was removed might be a sign of cancer recurrence. Thankfully, we concluded that the bruise was just a side effect of one of my dangerous hobbies, jigsaw puzzling. As a result, I’ve decided it is time to correct my form. If I want to take this sport seriously, there can be no more leaning my rib cage against the table as I reach for pieces while seated. Amateur hour!!
You may recall me sharing that on the visit where she confirmed the bruise was nothing to worry about, Dr. F decided I should get a CT scan because the lymph nodes in my neck were swollen. In my BOMO piece, I shared that my doctor, “warned me to be prepared because CT is quite a sensitive test. Given that and the fact that I am 48, there were sure to be abnormalities. [And] Those may require further testing.” This is an example of foreshadowing…
I am sure you’ve been waiting at the edge of your seats to know what has happened since then, aside from me writing posts about pretend TV shows, “the algorithm,” Taylor Swift lyrics, and my 21st wedding anniversary. Let me fill you in on this slow-moving journey.
June 12 – noticed BOMO on rib cage but decided to focus on 2-week trip to Japan
June 29 – emailed Dr. F a picture of bruise and asked if she should see it
July 1 – email from doctor’s office to schedule appointment for July 5
July 5 – appointment with oncologist where she notes she will order a CT scan
July 9 – order received by Kaiser imaging department, enabling me to schedule
July 18 – 8:30 pm CT appointment, tech said that results would take 1-2 weeks
You have to arrive 1 hour early to the appointment to drink a contrast solution
Got there earlier so popped over to urgent care about a bug bite on my leg that I hadn’t left alone. Left with a prescription for antibiotics. Not yet healed.
July 29 – email to doc to ask if she received results since it had been 1.5 weeks
July 30 – CT report loaded into Kaiser’s online portal
July 31 – phone tag with Dr. F to hear about CT report and what is next
August 1 – call with Dr. F re: CT and the subsequent scans she is ordering
August 2 – 2 of 3 follow-up orders received by imaging and scheduled for August 9 and 10
This past Tuesday when I received a notification by email that new test results were available from Kaiser, I promptly logged into the portal. On reflection, I don’t necessarily recommend reading your own CT report without a doctor to help interpret. I was ready for it to say something like all clear, even though the doctor said it would find things. Well guess what? It found things.
I sent the report to K and my parents. My dad’s take was that these were things we needed to look into further since they had been identified by CT but were most likely nothing. As a writer, I concluded that the CT report was a blandly written document. Its author did not use a thesaurus or otherwise try to add variety to the language. Hypodensity was used three times (!!) to describe things on the liver, the pancreas, and the ovaries. That night I enrolled in a vocabulary lesson from Dr. Google to learn some words that I might have preferred not knowing, for example: non-specific pulmonary nodule or hepatic hypodensity. Ultimately, Dr. Google seemed aligned with Dr. Dad, using phrases like “mostly benign” to describe these kinds of nodules and hypodensities.
On Wednesday via phone tag and Thursday via conversation, Dr. F said much the same. She ordered MRIs of the liver and pancreas, an ultrasound of the pelvis/ovaries, and a six-month follow up CT to check on the non-specific pulmonary nodules. She made me feel better, sort of, when she said, “I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” She has to hedge because we don’t know what the f*&% any of these things are.
So now I am back to waiting while trying not to worry about it too much. I just want to worry about it the right amount, you know? So, I have one week to go until the next couple of tests. And then, well, more time to wait for test results and any follow ups needed. For the ovarian ultrasound next Saturday, I need to drink 32oz of water one hour before the appointment and then hold it. Sounds comfy! Or like an accident waiting to happen. At that point, I guess someone can order a scan of the bladder.
What do you like to do while you’re waiting? I will be spending this next week enjoying the Pacific Northwest in Seattle and on Vashon Island. Family – please keep me occupied so that I can worry just enough.
