Dexascan

Instructions received via e-mail. Don't be pregnant, don't wear any plastic or metal, don't take a calcium supplement with in 24 hours, and don't have any other exposure to any type of x-rays with in 48 hours of getting dexascan. A pregnancy test will be performed before your scan.
No metal or plastic. So no jewelry that is easy. But then I start thinking about any other metal or plastic I might wear. T-shirt, easy. Stretch pants with our any metal or plastic tie ends, got that. But what about a bra...Obviously hooks and under wire are out. How about one of those tank bras? No, adjustable straps have little plastic circle things. I tell my husband about my dilemma. I refuse to go with out a bra but don't know what to wear. Husband says, "What about a sports bra?" Wow, can't believe I didn't think about that. Thank you my darling for solving that one for me.
I go to my appointment assuming the pregnancy test is going to be a urine one so I make sure I drink lots of water that way I can pee. If you didn't read my earlier post about having a problem with this earlier I suggest you read my earlier post titled "I have to go to the bathroom".
The dexascan is in that same creepy basement mentioned before but I'm feeling brave tonight and head down stairs while following the signs that are pointing me to the right lab. Take a deep breath. No bad guys in hall ways, check. I walk into the lab office and am kindly informed to please wait while a SS (study staff) comes to take me for my pregnancy test. I am assuming we are going over to the student health clinic for the pregnancy test so I put my coat and mittens on for the cold walk out side. SS and I walk down the hall way and instead of heading up stairs as I expect we head for the women's locker room. Are you kidding me? My heart quickens in beat just thinking about it. Take a deep breath. On a bench next to the peeling white paint is a medium sized card board box with little, and I mean little, plastic cups and thin white test strips. "Ok" SS says, "go a head and fill this cup about half way, bring it out here, and then we will test it." So, I need to go into a stall, pee in a little tiny cup, smaller then I ever have before, all the while she stands in the bathroom with me. I have been here before and it didn't work out but I drank lots and lots of water, I can do this. I can hear her sigh and put on a rubber clove. I think about asking her to turn on the water but again don't want to sound like a weirdo. I sigh and then I pee! I did it and I got into the cup! Victory! I awkwardly carry my little cup of pee out to her while she dips the test strip in and asks me to continue holding my little cup of pee while she makes sure the test works. It does and I am asked to dump the pee in the toilet and I found out that it is indeed negative. Now on to the dexascan.
SS and I walk back down to the lab and am shown into a basic office looking room with some cubicle dividers, a small desk, and a x-ray bed/table with a large white arm type thing curving up and over part of the bed. I am instructed to remove my shoes and have a seat then lay down on my back on the bed. SS places a strap around my feet so they can be relaxed but hold still. SS runs his hands under my shoulders to flatten them our and he places my arms and hands with my thumbs tucked under my palms down along my sides. I sneeze and SS asks me to hold still. I am told the entire test will take 3 minutes. I am asked not to sneeze or move but I can breath regularly and blink. When somebody asks me not to move I smile. I just can't help it. I can't keep the smile to myself and I hope that this doesn't count as moving. The machine begins to move the table goes up and the arm starts moving up along the right side of my body. The arm makes two more passes once down my front and once down along my left side. I feel a sneeze coming on, hold it, hold it, OK, it goes away. I feel a smile coming on each time the arm comes over my face and I bit the inside of my cheek to avoid it, ouch but smile moving avoided. The machine comes to a stop and I am done! SS tells me I can get down and put my shoes back on. SS wishes me a good night and reminds me to bring my grocery sac to bring home all that protein powder home from my next appointment. I think, "Oh, I can't believe I'm going to have to drink that crap" but I say, "thank you for the reminder, good night".