Pooping Sidewalk Chalk?

I had my first CT scan yesterday at Cedars-Sinai and I felt like a baby. Yes, I knew I would be having an iodine IV but when I got there they told me I would also have to drink barium (flavored--but still yukky). I picked berry. I like bananas and apples and the thought of having the barium ruin those for me forever made my choice for me.

So, first I have to have the IV line put in and blood drawn and then wait for the blood results. They have to make sure your kidney function is good and will eliminate the iodine from your system. They never explained how I would eliminate the barium. Hmmmm.

Anyway, I got most of the barium down. I say most because I got down to the bottom inch or so and felt like one more sip and I was going to lose it so I tossed it in the restroom trash can. They must have had a camera in the bathroom because when they took me in for my scan, they asked me to drink another half cup of barium and I just couldn't. Or maybe they just know most people dump the last swallow. I hope it's the latter.

Then they had me lay down on the long table/bed with my arms above my head. The machine did all the talking. This masculine voice told me to take a breath, hold my breath and then breathe. This started out very slowly with plenty of time in between to breathe normally. That soon changed and pretty soon I was gulping for air and trying not to laugh or move.

Then the nurse or technician told me he was going to inject the iodine into my IV and I would have a warm feeling thoughout my body and a funny taste in my mouth. I swear as soon as he hit the plunger, I had the world's biggest hot flash. I felt it down to my toes and it was like somebody turned me into a toaster oven. I could have heated a small country! I was so consumed with the hot flash I barely noticed that it tasted like I had swallowed a metal roof.

When I was finished I went to see my surgical oncologist and she gave me the thumbs up on my surgery and wants to see me again in 6 months. "Come down, have lunch, go shopping, and stop by and see me for 10 minutes. We have a date in November." I adore Dr M! Not only does she make me laugh, she genuinely cares. She called me on my cell phone when I was on my way home to tell me that other than finding a picture of Jesus on my liver (well actually 2 small benign cysts), everything else was 'pristine'. I can't tell you how relieved I was.

It made it all worth being the sidewalk chalk machine for a few days.