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First PET and MRI…
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First PET and MRI…

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › First PET and MRI…

  • Post
    • June 18, 2018 at 6:58 pm
    Riven
    Participant

      This whole journey has been happeneing rather quickly. My first appointment with my dermotoligst was May 14th, the removal of the primary was June 1st, and still with stitches in my back, I will be going to my first MRI and PET scans on Wednesday June 20th.

      Im pretty nervous. I'm nervous that I might mess up the diet, and they wont beable to do the scan. I'm nervous that sitting in that room for 2+ hours will get to me. I don't know what to expect.

      So I guess I'm just asking for any advice from the community for this newbie.

      Thanks for any help in advance.

      -Riven

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        • June 18, 2018 at 9:25 pm
        MichelleRHG
        Participant
          You won’t mess up the diet. If they gave you instructions then you will be fine. They just don’t want you eating sugar, etc. or exercising which might cause extra “things” to light up on the PET and cause undue concern.I pray a lot for peace during the wait and the tests. While waiting for the PET you will likely be kept in a dark, quiet room. For the MRI you might be offered music of your choice. The tests are a blessing. Hopefully, nothing will be found, but if there is, it will be found early. Search here for the primer for newbies by Bubbles. Good luck! The testing is the easy part. ☺
            • June 18, 2018 at 9:49 pm
            Riven
            Participant

              Seeing as I am Stage III and there were two lymph nodes taken, both positive for cancer cells, I'm not holding my breath that I come out clean. I feel like it'd be easier to handle that way. I kind of went in to my first appointment with the expectation that I'd be fine, and that it would just be a simple removal, and now BAM Stage III.  

              I have high anxiety, and have been surprizingly calm about all of this, but when it come to the prep work I kinda freak out about making sure to do it right. My mom is on a keto diet, and gave me a few recomendations.

              I will definitly look for Bubbles' post. Just by reading other peoples posts and responces, I feel like I might have a lot to learn from all of you, and I am so grateful for the oportunity.

              • June 19, 2018 at 12:42 am
              MichelleRHG
              Participant
                I have a lot of anxiety, too. For me, knowledge is very helpful and calming. For the best, most up to date info and to be prepared for future doctor visits, go to Search and type in Bubbles Primer. Best wishes to you. The early days are definitely the hardest. Let us know how tomorrow goes.
                • June 19, 2018 at 4:58 am
                Riven
                Participant

                  Thanks! I have finally read Bubble's primer, and it has been extreamly helpful. The more I can plan around this the better, it's really the unknown that is the most frighteneing. 

                  And I must have misspoke. Tomorrow is my day of prep for the PET and MRI which are happeneing Wednesday. But I will definitly keep y'all posted. Would it be best to do a brand new post, or reply to this post?

                • June 18, 2018 at 9:30 pm
                gopher38
                Participant

                  Diet is pretty easy.  Not like a colonoscopy.  I think I ate primarily white cheeses and almonds, which isn't much of a sacrifice for me.  I thought I might be more claustrophobic, but it wasn't too bad. Just try to chill, and if they have to do it twice, they have to do it twice.

                  • June 18, 2018 at 9:31 pm
                  gopher38
                  Participant

                    For the music, I asked for Chill Out Radio.

                      • June 18, 2018 at 9:52 pm
                      Riven
                      Participant

                        Yeah, I basically eat fish, nuts and cheese, so I think i've figured out what I will be having. I'm a planner, so i think that why I'm so focused on getting tomorrow's diet right.

                        Thanks for the heads up on music. I'm pretty disapointed that I can't bring a book, it seems like prime reading time! But I've been explained that our bodies have to be as relaxed as possible to get the best results, so I am okay with that.

                        • June 19, 2018 at 1:35 am
                        2Kathy
                        Participant

                          The music is for when you’re inside the MRI, because there is a lot of noise that goes on, clanging and banging. I didn’t know to expect that so just giving you a head’s up on the noise.

                          You can’t do anything while waiting to start the PET, no music, no nothing. You have to just sit quietly. I had Valium which helped a lot. Just remember not to move a muscle or you’ll have to go back in like I did…that was unpleasant.

                          • June 19, 2018 at 5:01 am
                          Riven
                          Participant

                            Ugh that actually sounds awful. Well, we have to do what we have to do. Thanks for the heads up, I definitly wasn't expecting that at all.

                            • June 19, 2018 at 6:21 am
                            Susanlee528
                            Participant

                              It must be different at different places. I was able to bring a book, or play my iPad, or whatever during the PET scan wait/chill out time. 

                              • June 19, 2018 at 4:44 pm
                              bjeans
                              Participant

                                Like others, my husband wasn’t allowed to read or look at his phone when waiting – light were low and he was told to relax. This article is a bit old but aligns fairly well with info he was given: 

                                https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060309073343.htm

                              • June 21, 2018 at 3:52 pm
                              Riven
                              Participant

                                So "fun" thing… My MRI had to be rescheduled, twice. Now it is on Saturday, but I did have my PET yesterday. It was almost just as I expected. I had to sit in a waiting area (which was just where they gave me the radioactive injection) with an older gentleman. He was decent company until we started talking about our staging. It was like a switch was flipped and he started going on about how horrible things are, and what his treatment is like, and how by the end of it I will wish I had just killed myself instead of deciding to go through treatment… That was not conducive to relaxing…

                                Once he left I tried to push all of that out of my mind and began the meditation I have been practicing at home. That is how I made it through to PET as well. It was pretty terrifying. I knew I was slightly claustrophobic, but I honestly didn't think it would effect me the way that it did.  Again the meditation kept me at least calm enough to do the test in full. Also, both techs were super chill, so that was nice.

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