Scans

Well, its that time again, Our daughter has bi-annual scans for her medical condition (see related articles on Neuroblastoma, Living with a child with cancer and other links.).

Starting the day before testing we have to give our daughter some protective iodine drops that protect her thyroid from the damaging effects of the Radioactive Iodine dye that will be injected into her little body.

This year they are doing things a bit differently but its still very traumatic for all of us. We have to be at the clinic, which is an hour and a half away, by 9:30 am on Tuesday morning. We will be "prepped" for an IV (they give her emula cream which numbs her arm prior to the insertion of the IV) and then they will draw the lab work and weigh her and such. Then we are off for a CAT scan. She is very good for that part.

After the CAT scan we will wait for Nuclear Medicine to call us and she will go back and they give her a radioactive injection. The injection (through her IV thankfully) turns her red from her toes to her nose and she will frequently vomit as the Radioactive Iodine goes through her system.

Then its off for an ECHO and and EKG. She hates it when they remove the pads on her skin that connect the leads, I don't blame her! It hurts!

After that we go and wait in clinic to see the doctor and get preliminary results for that days tests. Sometimes we have to wait for several hours as the results are compiled.

If all goes well we get the IV removed then and have to return the following day for the most important test, an MIBG. The Radioactive dye from the previous day has by now gone all through her system and it lights up ANY cancer cells. Our daughter has to lie still on a table for over an hour for this test (we do not sedate her for these as that would mean leaving the IV in overnight and its a pain to do that). Our daughter gets to pick out a video to watch during this test. We sit close and hold her hand and remind her to remain still. The machine is similar to a CAT scan machine and it shows a negative image on a computer screen. The scariest part of this test is that if the cancer has returned, we can see it immediately on the screen. This is basically our preliminary results as we won't get final results until the following week when the doctor calls us back.

Providing all goes according to plan this might be our last scans. This puts us 5 years into remission and our doctor is debating whether or not we need to continue this regimen or if we just need annual lab work. Since our daughter is the 6th case of this type of cancer in our family we have extended the testing longer than normal.

Please keep us in your prayers this week and I will update this blog with our preliminary results as soon as I am able. Thank you all and May God richly bless each and every one of you!