CT and Bone Scans

belleb
belleb Member Posts: 170
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

I am being sent for a CT scan and bone scan next Tuesday, January 14, (after I have a lumpectomy w/sentinel node dissection this Thursday, January 9). I know this is ridiculous to worry about, but they've told me there are injections that need to be done first. I am a WUSS and hate shots - how bad is it? And how bad is the dye they inject into the lymph nodes before surgery? Can anyone tell me what to expect? :( You're going to learn what a scaredy-cat I am very quickly lol

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited January 2014

    The injections before CAT an bone scans are basically just accessing a vein like for a blood draw.  Have no clue about dye in nodes - never had that.

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  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 3,985
    edited January 2014

    Hi belleb - None of those test were very bad for me. I don't even remember them doing the dye part. I just look away when anyone wants to stick me.  I figured that since the tech wasn't looking closely at anything, that the scans were probably clear. After years of mammos and ultrasounds I thought I could tell when there was something suspicious and they want to get a better look. My amateur assumption may or may not hold true for those scans, but I convinced myself it was indeed the case, so I wasn't too concerned. I thought the bone scan took a lot longer than I was prepared for, and I had to drink two bottles of gross stuff for the CT scan. I had my SNB separate from my mx, and it was not bad either.

    You might have some issues putting your arms above your head on Tuesday. I had three week old tissue expanders in and I had no range of motion, so they let me keep my arms to my side. I did have to caution the tech to put the lead apron (?) gently on my mx area.

    Sorry you have to face this, but you can do it! 

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  • LW0919
    LW0919 Member Posts: 196
    edited January 2014

    The injections before the PET/CAT scan don't hurt but do feel weird.  You kind go feel like your peeing but you aren't.  Weird I know but you'll see what I mean.  The worst part of those scans is the thick chalky "milkshakes" you have to drink.  I took a Xanax before going just to take the edge off.   The process isn't painful, just kind of daunting when you are lying there thinking of all the possibilities.  

    Now, on the other hand, the SNB is a different story.  I have heard since having the procedure and was told by nurses that some people can take the dye injection well and it doesn't bother them at all and then there are those that don't take it well.  I was the latter.  I was injected before anesthesia.  I would HIGHLY recommend asking for the anesthesia before they inject the die in the breast for the SNB.  If I would have known how bad it would be I would've demanded it.  The dye is injected in the aeroela and for me, left me in tears.  It was the first time I cried during it all, it was the last straw.  If you have low pain tolerance, you definately want to be prepared for that procedure.  

    Best of luck to you on all your tests.  I hope all goes well.

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  • curveball
    curveball Member Posts: 3,040
    edited January 2014

    As kicks and farmerlucydaisy have said, the dye injection for CT scans are just like having blood drawn. One thing they didn't mention is that after the dye is injected you will feel warmth as if you have wet your pants. It's an illusion! The techs always remind me about it beforehand but I don't know if they do that everywhere. I agree with farmerlucydaisy, the barium drink is really icky. They only make me drink one bottle, and that's enough. I find it not quite so bad-tasting if it's cold.

    I had my sentinel node biopsy the day before my surgery. For that, I had a local anesthetic before the radioactive dye injection, so on most of the shots I felt nothing at all. On one of them, the dye must have gone beyond the numbed area. That one really stung like crazy, but only for a very short time. The blue dye, which the doctor uses to find the nodes during surgery, wasn't injected until after I was under, so I don't know if that one stings or not. Like LW0919, I cried all the way through the sentinel node mapping, but in my case it was because I was scared and upset about the mastectomy and having cancer, not because of any pain I had from the procedure itelf.

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  • belleb
    belleb Member Posts: 170
    edited January 2014

    Ugh they've already told me I have to have the dye injected two hours before the surgery - don't think I can convince them to just leave me sedated in an empty room for two hours after it until they're ready for surgery lol The doctor said they do numb with cream, but that does not comfort me!!

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  • belleb
    belleb Member Posts: 170
    edited January 2014

    I wanted to report back about the sentinel node dye injections. They put EMLA cream on my areola and surrounding tissue about an hour before, then 3 lidocaine injections followed by the three dye shots. It was a lot less traumatic than I thought it would be! Just wanted to put that out there in case anyone else is worried about it. Totally tolerable :)

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