Another MUGA Scan

Jim and I were so efficient today. I had a MUGA appointment in Timonium, and we had other errands in the general area, so I went to MapQuest and plotted out a point to point plan, starting from home to each of the stopping points and back home again. I figured Jim could drop me off at my appointment and he could carry on with the errands, come back and pick me up, and we'd go home.

Of course, nothing is ever as simple as that. First, Jim ventured off on the scenic route to Timonium instead of using the MapQuest highway route, and I panicked. I needed to be at my appointment at 2:15. He did get us there by 2:15 - just - and I went in. Long story short, it was the wrong place! I needed to be at their other office on York Road, about 7 miles away. I called him on the cell phone and told him about the mixup, and he came back a couple of minutes later and picked me up. We plugged the new address into Buttercup (GPS) and off we went. By this time I was a mess of upset. We finally arrived onto York Road, but had a few problems locating their address. Had to turn around and go back, and I ended up walking all around the building to find the entrance. It was just after 2:30 when I signed in, all flustered and a bundle of nerves. A few minutes later, Jim walked in. He had decided to stay with me for moral support instead of going on the errands. I convinced him that it would be better to go ahead with our original plans, since my appointment would be at least an hour and a half long. He reluctantly agreed, and after all that, I didn't get called in until nearly 3:00! So much for all the rushing around.

The first step in the MUGA scan is that the technician starts an IV and removes a small quantity of blood, which is then labeled with a radioactive isotope, and after a 20 minute wait, the labeled blood is re-inserted through the IV and into the vein. As I walked over to get onto the table, the technician said wait, you're bleeding. I looked down and blood had soaked through the gauze and was dripping all down my arm. YIKES! Back to the chair where she replaced the saturated gauze, put more pressure on the vein and cleaned me up. What a mess. I'm fine with needles, but I don't look at them, and as long as I don't see the blood, I'm fine. I tend to freak out when I see my own blood dripping.

Inside the machine, which is like an MRI machine - a tube - I was lying there with my hands over my head, with the machine nearly touching me all around, and I had an itchy nose. Naturally. I managed to wiggle my hand down and scratched my nose, then I got sleepy and nodded off. Woke up when the machine started beeping that it was finished.

The good news is that it appears that my MUGA percentage went back up again, so I should be able to have my Herceptin treatment next week at the Oncology office. I got out of there about 4:15, Jim was waiting for me, and we came on home. All the errands were taken care of, and Jim made himself a big Manhatten.

PHOTOS: More photos of Cape Cod. 1, 2, 3) Jim's brother's house on the Cape where we stayed. 4, 5, 6, 7) Photos taken in Sandwich. No. 5 is an old grist mill. 8) Jim taking the plunge in the ocean at Red River beach.