Note from the doctor:
Dear Mr. Kesler,
I received the results of your 5/5/10 abdomen/pelvis CT scan from Dr. Davidson in Radiology. The purpose of this scan was for evaluation of hypoglycemia with a history of elevated liver enzymes and MGUS. Your scan was normal aside from a 3.5 cm x 2.1 cm lesion in your liver of unclear etiology. Dr. Davidson recommend an MRI scan of your liver for further evaluation.If you are interested in setting this up or if you have any questions, please feel free to reply to this message.
and my reply:
Thanks for the follow up Dr Chang. I would like to get the liver lesion checked out. Please proceed with arranging an MRI.
~dean kesler
The next step in my quest to figure out my hypoglycemia issue was to get an abdominal CT Scan focusing on my liver and pancreas. Here’s how it went down:
10:30 No more food or drink. Not even water.
12:45 Arrived at Imaging
1:00 Presented with 2, 12 oz barium cocktails. Instructed to consume slowly over the next 45 minutes. May make me cold and I’m free to go to the restroom as needed. Thankfully it didn’t taste too awfully bad. Kind of like an unsweetened orange kool aid smoothie. I’m thinking isn’t barium the stuff they use for enemas? This may not go well…
1:10 Although 90% of chairs in waiting room are available, heavily perfumed woman (HPW) chooses to sit right next to me in the corner. That, and I’m subjected to the TV showing Wife Swap. This is the kind of stupefying bullshit that makes me glad I don’t watch TV. Also, wife swap and they don’t show any sex?! Its like coffee with no caffeine. What’s the point?
1:25 Local employee, apparently a friend, comes out to chat with HPW and I hear far more about her medical condition than I care to know.
1:45 First round done. HPW still sitting here. Tough to tell if the low level nausea is from her perfume or the barium bombers. Second round up. Attendant warned me they’d probably come and get me within a half hour and I needed to have 1 and a half of round two done by then. So much for slow consumption. Ever the over-drinking-achiever, I down #’s 3 & 4 barium bong style before she returns
2:10 Attendant takes me back to change into scrubs, leave underwear and shirt on, and then explains the next steps.
2:20 Get prepped for an IV
2:25 Change rooms and get set up with the scanner. Big doughnut-set-on-edge looking rig with a flat table for me to lay on. Get set up with the IV (an Iodine compound to react with the barium to better display my innards for the scan) and they start with a few images sans IV. As the table glides in and out of the big doughnut rig I cannot get the image of intercourse out of my head…I am Jack’s raging erection…After a couple of the ol’ in-outs Things get reset and we’re ready for the IV round.Timing is apparently everything in terms of the iodine and the scan. She tells me this and also what to expect and then tells the dude behind the window to let ‘er rip. She asks how it feels and I say cold (its supposed to feel warm). Before you can say premature ejaculation, she yells “STOP” and starts scrambling with the IV. I am no longer Jack’s raging erection, I feel like I’m about to be a medical experiment gone horribly awry. After 30 or so panic-stricken moments. She says, somewhat out of breath, that everything’s fine and we can proceed. Says nothing about why we stopped in the first place. Not sure I still want to be there. Warm rush to the throat and loins (common effect, I’m told) and more in-out.
2:40 All done. She takes out the IV and cleans the sticky gunk off my arm (from the leaking IV). Apparently the little cap on the adapter wasn’t on tight enough and leaked. That’s what the cold sensation was. I changed, ate some leftovers in my car, and then head back to work.
Should get the results in a couple of days unless something is seriously wrong. If that’s the case, I’ll know sooner.
