Scanxiety

I went to visit my oncologist. She ordered a PET Scan for the end of September. This will be the first time I've been scanned since just after I finished chemotherapy. During my surgery they removed the tissue and tested it, so I know how well the chemo shrunk down the tumor in my breast tissue and lymph nodes. This scan will show that it did a bang up job keeping the cells from spreading anywhere else.

The worst part of the PET Scan is the diet. I have to be on a zero carb, high protein diet for the two days prior to the test. I can only eat meats, hard cheese, and a few vegetables. No fruits, no Diet Coke, no alcohol. It's rough. Then they inject me with radioactive dye, so I will be radioactive for a few hours after the test. The sheet that they gave me said "Sorry but no, you will not glow."


In addition to the PET Scan, they recommended that I get checked out by a dermatologist (always a good idea) and my optometrist, because being BRCA1+ is also linked to an increased risk of melanoma (apparently you can get melanoma in your eyes, I never knew that). Heap them on to the pile of doctors visits I already have.