CT Scan.

My beautiful daughter Jodie drove me to the hospital. My extremely handsome son George came with us. I was early for the appointment but was seen straightaway.

I had been told exactly what was going to be happening by several different people, and despite telling myself not to be such a nervous wreck, I still felt worried as I lay on the table in my hospital gown waiting to be CT scanned.

A cannula was inserted into the back of my hand ready to put an iodine-based solution into my veins. This is to enhance the images they take. They put some saline in first to make sure it is going to work. To be honest it was the thought of having this iodine solution flushed through my veins that was causing me the most concern.

I needed my heart rate to go below 55 beats per minute before they could start the scan, but it wasn’t happening. A doctor suddenly appeared at my head. “Hi John,” she said smiling, “my name is Nadine. I need to give you a small injection. Your heart is going a bit too fast.”
I could see the numbers on the screen. 60, 66, 59, 62. My heart was having a hard time making up its mind. “Two milligrams should do it,” I heard Nadine say, presumably to the radiographer Gina.

A minute later Nadine’s face was at my head again. “Just going to give you another injection John we need to get that heart rate down a little more.” Then to Gina again, “Five milligrams.”

I watched the numbers going down. Finally, they reached the required figure and the scan could begin. Gina instructed me to put my arms behind me and not to move.

The scanner took over. A computerised voice told me to take a breath and hold it. This happened several times. I was ready for it having been told at my pre-assessment to practice holding my breath for fifteen seconds. I managed this easily enough.

Out of the scanner I came. A man’s face appeared at my head. He said his name, but I didn’t catch it. “I am going to give you an injection,” he said.
“What’s this one for?” I asked.
He didn’t answer but said, “Open your mouth, I am going to squirt this under your tongue.” Then he was gone. It tasted horrible.

Back into the scanner. I felt the solution going in through the cannula. It seemed to take an age. I had been warned what to expect. The hot flush, the bitter taste in my mouth, the sensation that you have wet yourself and they duly occurred.

It was all over. I slowly got to my feet and wobbled back to the waiting area where EHS George was waiting for me. After an hour I could leave. Tricia, EHS George’s mum arrived to take us home.

My results should take about four to six weeks to come through.