Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Maintenance Continues - All Is Well!

I can't even remember what month of maintenance Rev I just finished.  Bottom line, all is still good.  I was a month late but went in for my Zometa today.  I'm not sure if it was the Zometa (doubt it) or the 11 hour days at the office and 3 hours more at home that knocked me out for the rest of the day today.  I came home and passed out.  Now I'm hoping that doesn't keep me up all night tonite!

So the good news is everything is looking peachy and I've got nothing bad to report.  The bad news is between work and kids I have no time to update so apologies to those that have been wondering if anything is going on.  Trust that if something WERE to occur, I would be updating immediately (if for nothing more than to get my mother off my back!)  And speaking of motherly segue's - here's a question that "a friend of hers" asked (those quotes are the ones you make over your head w/ your fingers to imply sarcasm!): what's the difference between a PetCT, CAT scan and an MRI.  Well Google has done it again.  I will completely plagiarize the source but I will also give a link and full credit in advance.  But I think this is a fairly good lay-person's description of the tools.

(thank you to springboard4health.com and their article linked here.)
January 19, 2000

CT Scan, MRI and PET Scans…What are the differences?
CT, MRI and PET scans are all diagnostic tools to non-invasively (non-surgically) look inside the body. They are all based on the fact that certain things happen to atoms in our bodies when they absorb energy. Resonance refers to the level of absorption achieved by adjusting the frequency of the radiation and the strength of the magnetic field – like tuning a radio to a particular station. 

CT (computerized tomography) uses a sophisticated X ray machine combined with a computer to create a detailed picture of the body’s tissues and structure. Usually a special dye called a contrast material will be injected prior to the scan. This makes it easier to see abnormal tissue due to specific absorption rates. 

Nuclear magnetic resonance is produced by measuring the magnetism of spinning electrons and protons and their interactions with nearby atoms (usually protons) when they absorb energy. This provides information about the chemical structure of organic molecules. The use of the word “nuclear” has recently been avoided and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is now preferred. MRI uses a magnetic field from super-cooled magnets and can often distinguish more accurately between healthy and diseased tissue. A contrast agent is usually used. MRI can provide pictures from various angles and construct a three dimensional image. Some patients who have received certain types of surgical clips, metallic fragments, cardiac monitors or pacemakers cannot receive this type of scan. 

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans measure emissions from positron-emitting molecules. Because many useful, common elements have positron emitting forms (carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen), valuable functional information can be obtained. This is the main difference between the CT and MRI scans. The PET shows molecular function and activity not structure, and therefore can often differentiate between normal and abnormal (cancerous / tumor) or live versus dead tissue. Like SPECT (single photon emission tomography), PET also can product three dimensional images, and is usually used to compliment rather than replace the information obtained from CT or MRI scans.