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Surgurversary?
Aug. 3rd, 2009 10:52 pmIt's been just over a year since my heart surgery and today I had a CT scan done. I go to see my vascular doctor on Wednesday to go over the results and determine what to do from here. If everything looks like it's flowing the way it's supposed to, I will be taken off my medication and I will be a free man.
This was like my fourth of fifth CT in my life and I'm starting to wonder if I'm developing an allergy to the contrast dye (which some google-fu tells me is usually iodine-based) because this time, I got really sick afterward. I've never had an adverse reaction before outside of the usual weird flush of warmth.
This time, I was dizzy and nauseated and was having geometric visual distortions. It was probably compunded by the fact my appointment wasn't until almost 3:30pm and I hadn't eaten anything since 6am or had anything to drink since 10:30am. I mmediately afterward I ate a little and drank as much water as I could but I developed a terrible mind-crushing headache. Only after I rallied myself and made a green curry (with chicken, orange peppers, onions, and potatoes) and drank a lot more water have I begun to feel any semblance of normality.
I researched contrast agents when I got home and found out that my symptoms are not uncommon and that a lot of people can get CTs several times and then suddenly develop an allergy, or at least have allergenic symptoms. Actually the visual distortions were not listed, so I think I will definitely be talking to my doctor about that one. The distortions were the first symptom to go away after I ate. Huh.
While I was in the waiting room, there was an older woman sitting across from me who was getting not just the intravenous CT like me, but she was also getting the abdominal barrium CT as well. Apparently she recently had a kidney transplant from her husband and then three months later found out her husband has cancer, so now they have to test her because she might have gotten cancer from his donated kidney. She was pretty upset about that and had brought this possibility up to the doctor before the transplant because her husband had already had and beaten cancer five years prior. The doctors assured her that he was cancer-free and went ahead with the transplant. Now she's a bit salty toward the doctors. Justifiably so, I'd say.
Alright people, I have to work in the morning, early, so I am going to bed. Sweet dreams.
This was like my fourth of fifth CT in my life and I'm starting to wonder if I'm developing an allergy to the contrast dye (which some google-fu tells me is usually iodine-based) because this time, I got really sick afterward. I've never had an adverse reaction before outside of the usual weird flush of warmth.
This time, I was dizzy and nauseated and was having geometric visual distortions. It was probably compunded by the fact my appointment wasn't until almost 3:30pm and I hadn't eaten anything since 6am or had anything to drink since 10:30am. I mmediately afterward I ate a little and drank as much water as I could but I developed a terrible mind-crushing headache. Only after I rallied myself and made a green curry (with chicken, orange peppers, onions, and potatoes) and drank a lot more water have I begun to feel any semblance of normality.
I researched contrast agents when I got home and found out that my symptoms are not uncommon and that a lot of people can get CTs several times and then suddenly develop an allergy, or at least have allergenic symptoms. Actually the visual distortions were not listed, so I think I will definitely be talking to my doctor about that one. The distortions were the first symptom to go away after I ate. Huh.
While I was in the waiting room, there was an older woman sitting across from me who was getting not just the intravenous CT like me, but she was also getting the abdominal barrium CT as well. Apparently she recently had a kidney transplant from her husband and then three months later found out her husband has cancer, so now they have to test her because she might have gotten cancer from his donated kidney. She was pretty upset about that and had brought this possibility up to the doctor before the transplant because her husband had already had and beaten cancer five years prior. The doctors assured her that he was cancer-free and went ahead with the transplant. Now she's a bit salty toward the doctors. Justifiably so, I'd say.
Alright people, I have to work in the morning, early, so I am going to bed. Sweet dreams.
