Bone Scan & CT Scan

Monday morning was busy and we headed out for the first appointment of the day for the bone scan. Eli had to get another IV, this time with radioactive isotope with a phosphate marker. I could tell he was starting to panic a bit toward the end of the injection and although he said he was fine to leave the chair, we had to hold him up as he slumped against the hospital hallway wall. We had to get some assistance (Thanks to Kyle!) with getting him back to the room and elevating his feet above his head. It definitely wasn't a good look to have a patient sliding down the wall out in plain sight. He started feeling better after water and a wet cloth and was ready again to get the heck out of there.

We then had to wait a couple of hours while the phosphate absorbed into his bones. Any areas with issues would light up as hot spots. We spent this time by getting some food and a LEGO set that he wanted to build while we were waiting. 

We returned at 11am for the bone scan, a huge expensive spaceship of a machine. The scan took about 30-40 min with a panel moving both below and above Eli's body taking images of his bones. I could see them all fuzzy-like on the monitor. It took images of his full skeleton and some close ups of his knee. 

Fortunately, I got to be in the room with him for this scan and he didn't have to keep his head still once the machine moved away from the upper part of his skull.

We then came home and he finished his LEGO car and took a nap. We then headed to a different part of the Treasure Valley for the CT scan of his chest, pelvis and abdominal cavity at 4:30pm. This scan is to check to see if the bone cancer had metastasized to any other area of his body, and also required an IV of iodine and an oral solution. I went back with him to do the IV and warned the imaging tech that he likes to faint, so they laid him down and used an itty bitty butterfly needle. This one was easy peasy and I retreated to the waiting room to wait only for the tech come back about 20 min later and let me know that I needed to come back. I panicked and asked if he was ok and she assured me that everything was fine, BUT that she forgot to scan his chest and she had already taken out the IV. I went back while they restarted one in the other arm this time, which hurt a bit more. Eli may or may not have looked at me and said some choice words. 

We finished up and returned home to a gift of meals by one of our baseball families. We are surrounded by so much love and support. It's been a huge help to not feel alone. We moved here just over 5 years ago only knowing one other family that we moved here with and the outpouring of love and offers of help have made us feel less alone even though this is all so new and scary.