Scanning By The Bay

Thursday - July 25, 2013

Yesterday was my first set of scans at UCSF and an opportunity to drive across the city.  The UCSF imaging center is at China Basin next to AT&T Park.  I may be jinxing myself here but San Francisco traffic cannot hold a candle to northern Virginia's morass and the I-95 crawl up to NYC.  Even when reports announce slow rush hour traffic crossing the Golden Gate, we do move along.  Nothing like the American Legion Bridge and the Beltway :)   So with that perspective, I flew happily across town:  NO back-ups AT ALL at 8 am.  NoVA traffic has made the driving world a piece of cake ....

Worlds collide in San Francisco :)  Such a happy jolt to see the crest!

Anyway, the scans themselves were different in many fundamental ways.  For example, gowns were required; my metal-free proven-to-be-okay-for MRI street clothes were NOT allowed.  Also, the rest time after my PET nuclear injection was not prone in the dark for an hour but sitting in a chair in a waiting room - allowed to read!  allowed to move!  That being said, given my VCU experience of repeated cautions not to move and create false activity readings, I sat very still reading my "New Yorker" taking care not to clench my hands or tense any muscles.  Even the MRI symphony of sounds was altered.  "The news" consult is scheduled for next Thursday, August 1.  Megan has said that she will try to come with me ... just in case.  I am phobic about getting any bad news alone in a consult with the oncologist.

But in the meantime, I am NOT incredibly nervous this time.  Am I tempting fate?  Or is this calm just a reflection and tacit acknowledgment of my body's return to normal?  I CAN say that I am extremely busy and distracted with preparations for school and with continued settling-in-to-dos in the apartment.  Joe provided an immediate distraction for me after my scans, meeting me for a delicious lunch at the Ferry Building.  I enjoyed a warm and wonderful walk along the Embarcadero before coming home to crash with fatigue; it must be all the contrast dyes as well as that useful nuclear tracer that cause me to have such an energy dip after scans.  Today brings more distractions from worries about "the news" as Joe has the day off and we are having a big date ... at the DMV :)