CT Scan--Take 50?

Craig had ANOTHER CT scan today. It was meant to be a quickie--get in and get out--gig, lasting only a few hours from barium chug to the scan. Instead, it was a considerably longer process given the fact that, oh hey--bird on a wire--can't use the hickman for an IV line like it is supposed to be used. Better to, instead, try to dig for a lost and forgotten vein buried underneath the skin.

Craig and I arrived and waited in 'CT scan central' until he could push enough barium to make a difference with the CT scan. After swallowing nearly half of one bottle of the apple flavored (salty) shake, Craig began feeling nauseous. Fortunately, this was just before he was due for a host of anti-nauseas. I set up shop in the waiting room and, one after the other, pushed the meds. This may have seemed bizarre but we were in company of the Bold and the Beautiful; disgruntled office clerks; loud talkers; folks attached to wheezing, portable oxygen tanks; and the like. So, I think we were the least distracting of the lot! This just in: privacy refers to visual and auditory access, both of which folks enjoy having SOME ability to regulate in the form of furniture, privacy nooks, etc etc. Guess they missed the memo. The open "in your face" room configuration reminded me a bit of a Beetlejuice scene.

Fortunately, Craig was eventually called back. I waited in the "gown waiting area" for some time before a quirky gentleman whispered (literally) along the (not all that surprising) news that they were having difficulty finding a vein...six times over. What WAS surprising was that they weren't using his Hickman line, which is specifically for that purpose along with infusing saline and/or TPN. The infusion rate was not appropriate, evidently. Hmmm. In any event, they tried and tried with several nurses, but no dice. I finally was able to join Craig and saw him--his arms extended with cotton ball track marks up and down each arm. His pink chair was only a few shades lighter than the rims of his eyes. I'd be tearing up too, shoot. He told me what had happened and then said "it's a good thing I'm sedated or things would have really gotten ugly". I added "it's a good thing we changed your fentanyl patch, too, to cut some of the pain". He agreed and went on to say that they not only pricked him six times or so, but they dug and dug for an available vein. It turns out, Craig is pretty dehydrated. That coupled with the chemo-collapse of his veins made it seem like digging for fossils.

They gave up trying to do IV contrast and settled for the barium Craig had ingested--nearly one bottle, which is impressive given the past vomiting issues.   

Here's to hoping it's enough to have a clear read.

Here's really to hoping that the read this Thursday is in our favor. We could use some good news...

~E