I was told that based on the scan's focus, they have the patient drink a couple glasses of liquid with small amounts of iodine contrast mixed in. This contrast will work it's way through the body and during the scan a contrast IV with more iodine will further aid in blocking rays causing a bright spot to appear on the slides indicating an organ, abscess, tumor, lymph nodes, etc.
One of the main differences between a CT and a standard X-ray is that the table is centered in a doughnut shaped machine that rotates as your table is moved in the direction necessary to capture photos of your body in thin slices. When all the photos are taken, the radiologists and doctors are then able to see your body segment by segment to better evaluate and identify possible issues. Each organ, blood vessel, etc shows up in order of placement in your body.
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As you can see on the body, a slice photo is taken and to the right you are able to see organ placement.
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For you medical and non-medical fans alike, here is a standard CT scan photo of the abdomen with labeling.
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I was able to get in for the 9:30 am scan which I was happy for since they ask you to fast from food and water after midnight the day before your test and I was unbelievably hungry and thirst when I woke up. Due to the time necessary for your digestive track to process, we went in at 7:15 to begin the oral contrast. I was offered whole milk, cherry koolaid or water as my iodine carrier. Being a curious person I asked if it helps the test to choose either way and he told me that the whole milk's fat content helps the iodine stick to the GI lining for better identification.
Since I am dairy intolerant, I opted out and with the sugar content and tendency for there to be dextrin or dextrose in drink mixes I was concerned about tapioca in the koolaid so water it was for me. Apparently I was the first person he knew to drink it with water so he warned me it might taste metallic and to just drink it quickly.
If you've ever tried to strengthen your hair or nails by adding unflavored gelatin to your water, you know exactly how this tasted....all 32 ounces. Needless to say I will do whatever it takes in the name of health but he was correct and I chugged those down as fast as possible. So, we did one cup at 7:20 and one at 8:20 while being entertained by Meet the Robinsons and studying in the waiting area. Right when the show started over, they called me back and the tech talked through the process with me and gave me a pair of scrubs the size of Africa to change into. I'm just thankful it wasn't a high fashioned open back gown ;).
He helped me get comfortable on the scanning table and prepped me for the IV contrast. He told me it'd help highlight the veins, arteries and blood vessels. After getting all connected, we began the scan. The machine wasn't silent but it was a modest volume. Unlike an MRI, I was out in the open with the table moving forward and backward a few times. We were done in a matter of about 20 minutes and once I got changed I was treated to a peek into my body! He told me they normally don't allow the patient to see the slides but since I'd shown medical interest and promised not to ask specific questions that he really wasn't allowed to answer, he'd let me look. It was so cool to see inside my body and use my Anatomy and Physiology course knowledge to identify the organs as they appeared. I even noted out loud that my left kidney was really low and slightly larger compared to be right to which he replied "you know I can't say anything but yes that is your left kidney". His face reaffirmed that I had noted correctly the misplacement and slightly larger size.
As we were leaving, I asked when my doctor might get the results or when I could expect to hear back. They said it was normal for the radiologists to review and send off the results about 2-3 days after a scan unless they find something of concern. I didn't expect anything so my mom and I went to run errands and when I got home I decided to take a nap. About 10 minutes into laying down and falling asleep, the phone rang. Our phone will talk to us and read off caller ID and sure enough, it was my doctor. Mentally I just knew something was up but I let someone else answer it and finished my nap. We went to see the doctor a couple days later and he explained that the radiologists had found my spleen to be enlarged with a lesion and two spots on my liver. My kidneys, pancreas, gallbladder,stomach, and liver were otherwise fine except they were being pushed out of the way by my spleen. It clicked with me why my left kidney was larger and had shown up multiple slides before the other, it was being bullied! Ha!
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This is NOT my scan results but this is a photo of an enlarged spleen.
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I'm glad I didn't allow radiation or iodine concerns to keep me from getting my CT. There is a time for conventional medicine and God used it to aid my doctors in identifying an issue. Dr. O reassured me that the iodine passes out of the body within 24-48 hours and as long as I guzzled water for the following two days, my kidneys wouldn't be stressed. I didn't feel any side effects but I do wish I had followed the water drinking order more religiously. Pros and Cons aside, I'm blessed to be in an era where medical technology is readily available when we need it.
Have you ever had a CT scan? How was your experience?
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