Quote for October

A Prayer for the Ephesians Eph. 3:14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.


Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!


Tuesday, November 30, 2010

What Happens during an Octreoscan?

Hi,

New Information! 3/28/2014 Things have changed in the 3 years since I wrote this. I find my cancer center doesn't take as long to do the Octreoscan now. I had the 360 degree Spect done only at the end of the 24-hour scan. Also, the scanner goes faster, so the length of time is not as long. At Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles,they do Octreoscans at 4, 24 and 72 hours. But the real news is that this scan is obsolete, and will be replaced by the 68-Gallium Dotatate PET/CT in a year or two in the USA. It is already used in Europe and Asia. I would recommend the newest scan there is and at the largest medical center you can get to.
Today I finished a round of Octreoscans, the nuclear medicine test for carcinoid and other endocrine tumors. Thank you for praying for my composure while I had all my "pictures" taken. I thought I would explain what happens when I go in for a scan. I don't think I've ever seen it spelled out, and I noticed someone found my blog by asking what an Octreoscan was. So I'll explain it from my perspective.
But first, I found a new verse today. I am almost done reading through Romans. This is Romans 15:13. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is how I want to live: To go on with my life as if I expect to live a "normal lifespan". To hope that I can do most of the things I want to get done and that I will enjoy the time while I am here. Also, to find my greatest joy in knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
When I go in for an Octreoscan, I have to go off of the LAR (long-acting injection) of Octreotide for 8 weeks. I have to start giving myself the injections of Octreotide Acetate in my belly every 8 hours. Also, three days before the scans I have to stop all Octreotide treatments because it can cause a false positive on the scan. Octreotide automatically goes straight to carcinoid tumors. It attaches to the tumors, and if it is in your body during the scan, then the radioactive Octreotide mixes with it and makes it appear that you have tumors. So all Octreotide has to clear out of your system before your scan.

The Octreoscan is a nuclear medicine test. I usually arrive about 9:15 am and get injected by 10:00 am with the radioactively-labelled Octreotide. I don't have to fast, but I am supposed to drink plenty of water the day before and the day of the first scan. After having 5 Octreoscans I have learned that the "be well-hydrated" is code for "don't be constipated." The staff won't say that before you come in, but a couple of the technicians have told me that I should eat lightly (She suggested I just have soup and salad for supper) and drink lots of water, so that the bowel will be easier for the radiologist to see inside of. It's hard to see any tumors when the bowel is filled up.

Note: I have learned since writing this post that there is another reason for being well-hydrated. It helps to flush the radio-active material out of your body. So you need to be drinking water the day before and the day of the injection. This is the post that is read by someone every day, so I want to have correct information here. 1/11/11

The first set of scans is done 4 hours after the radioactive Octreotide is injected. So I sit and read, shop, have lunch, visit my daughter, etc. Back at the laboratory there are actually three sets of scans to go through. You can listen to a CD player or ipod as long as the headphones are made of plastic because you can attach them to your head, and leave the metal part out of the range of the scanner.

1. The first scan I have is always the Nuclear Gamma Camera. This takes about 1 hour for the full body scan. This does not emit any radiation; you emit the radiation! The camera detects the radiation and it shows up on the computer monitor the tech is looking at. It is normal for the liver, kidneys, bladder, spleen, etc. to light up from the radiation. It is the job of the radiologist to interpret what is abnormal absorption of of the radioactive Octreotide.

The first few times I had this scan I felt a little claustrophobic because the panel comes to an inch above my face. The good part is that you slowly scoot out from under the panel,and your face comes out first.

2. The second test I have is a 360 degree CT scan. This one is 30-40 minutes long. It's cool because the panels rotate around around your body. It is not claustrophobic because there's wide open spaces between the panels.

3. The last scan is a nuclear medicine scan. It's also 30-40 minutes and seems to go quickly after the other two,

The next day I come back again and go through the same scans. There's no more injecting the drug because the doctor is watching to see what happens 24 hours after the injection.

7 comments:

  1. are there any side effects to the nuclear medicine
    Octreoscan? Are you totally fine, or do you need a helper for the day (driving, etc.)

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  2. I'm sorry that I just found this question about 6 weeks later. I'm fine to drive home. I have to go about 33 miles back to my house, and I just make sure to eat something before I drive home so I am not light-headed. If someone had taken a tranquilizer to relax, they might need a driver. I remember the first time I had this scan, I felt a little dizzy 1 hr after the injection, so I stayed seated. After the scans were done, I felt fine.

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  3. Thank you for this information. Is the first scan, the one with the nuclear gamma camera, done in an MRI machine?

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    Replies
    1. NO, it is not in an MRI. It is a more open machine

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    2. In fact, you scoot out from even being in the machine as the scanning goes on. Your head is out after several minutes, then your chest is being scanned. Then your head and chest are out of the scanner, and so on , until you are all clear of the machine.

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  4. Thanks so much for this, my husband is getting this done today, and I can't be with him to see what's happening.

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  5. Hello,
    I need to go to your Radiology Octreoscan Center. OMgosh ! I just had my first one. I had a little anxiety before, but was fine as I got there. ( I was a RN in Surgery and had experience with Radiology in my early years). I had done all the hydration , ate lite, and received the trace Radiation with only mild symptoms. ie....mild nausea, dizzy and sweaty for a short time.
    I waited my four hours to come back , shopped with my mom, hydrated and had no issues. When I returned the Tech sort of explained the Octreoscan and we began. He turned down the lights, Slide me into the the Scan ! (I had no issues having a MRI or CT's) But this was unreal. Two large parts of the scan came over top of me, he slide me in, an I called for him. He didn't hear me at first. I went into full panic mode. I have never had a Panic attach. They did finally give my 5 mg po versed. It lasted for most of the test until the end where he said I had to lay still with my arms over my head (Velcro down) and I was all the way in the Scan. I was feeling like I was choking. I could not go through the second day !
    My MD is going to do something with a Hematologist. Then, another type of Scan. I never want to see another Octreoscan in my area. It must be from the dark ages. The Tech did put on music, Frank Sinatra. It did help while the versed worked. And I have never been afraid of any test or scan. Wow !!!!
    My question to you, I had the injector of radiation, And the issue's started mildly. But I wonder if it could have set off any of the hormone secretion tumors or whatever is going on. Because I went into Fight or Flight !! Have you ever heard of this happening? It is like it triggered feelings I have at times but worse.
    Thank You !
    Kelly Stone
    stonekelrn@gmail.com

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