The CT Scan

So Princess Fiona had her regularly scheduled, year off treatment, CT scan yesterday. I elected to take Buttercup. It had been a while since she had gone with us and I wanted to make sure she remembered that our visits are not Fiona getting out school and having lunch with Mom fun times. This one worked out quite well to disabuse her of that notion.
We were up at 6:30am, Fiona's appointment wasn't until 8:30am, but sometimes traffic snarls so badly that you just need to go early enough to avoid it or give yourself extra time to get through it. We managed to avoid it, but we were a good 40 minutes early. I went upstairs to get Fiona's lab slips so that she could have her labs drawn in the CT area, versus getting poked twice. I don't think that turned out to be the best idea because the techs and nurses down there thought she had to pass her labs in order to get the contrast, which delayed us a bit. She got into the back area on time, but they took forever in placing the IV. Last time we had a CT, we numbed up both of her elbow insides, but they ended up poking her in the non numb hand area and told us that is what we should numb because the veins were bigger down there. Taking their advice, I numbed the back of both of her hands. They looked over her right hand for a bit and ended up putting the IV into the left hand. While we were waiting for her to drink the contrast and get the labs (that we didn't need beforehand) back, a different nurse came over and said the radiologist said that the left hand couldn't be used because her PICC line from 3 years ago had left a clot (that was no big deal) and he was worried that the contrast couldn't get past it and if they injected her and it didn't go past, she couldn't have her CT scan today because they can only give contrast once in a 24 hour period. Ugh, but it did make sense and they started looking at her right hand again. Thank heavens it was still numb.
But, they poked it twice, digging around both times (you should see the bruise on her hand) and they were right the first time, it wasn't good for the placement of the IV. Seriously? So then they started looking at her elbow, remember the elbow that wasn't good last time? Turns out to be good this time. Now Fiona realizes that they want to poke her in a place that isn't numb, this would be her fourth poke of the morning. And she starts crying. This poor baby, she is so polite and still when they access her, but sometimes it still gets to be too much. The nurses are horrified that they have to do this and her crying is just so sad. I asked Fiona if she wanted me to tell the nurses to get the radiologist down here so that I could kick him in the shins. I mean, come on, this is at least her 4th scan, in the past year, at this hospital, and not once has anyone ever mentioned that the left side wasn't good for contrast IVs.
All during this time Buttercup is wandering around because she doesn't want to watch and then coming over and asking if we're done yet. Part of me wanted to kick her in the shins too.
After 3 hours with the radiology department we were finally on our way. Did I mention that Fiona doesn't get to eat until she finishes the scans? She kept coughing on our way downstairs and scaring herself a bit that she was going to throw up. Luckily, before she had a total meltdown, I remembered that we bought her some apple juice earlier and that helped calm her down.
The end to this long day and story, is that Fiona is once again all clear. I say all clear because the doctor thoughtfully printed off a copy of the radiologist's report that carefully covered every area, so I could read for myself. AND! AND! We only have to go to the hospital every three months. It's been three years since we haven't been at a hospital at least once a month. The doctor called last night and the first words out of her mouth were, " It's nothing to worry about." Thank heavens she started with that. She was just looking at Fiona's protocol and said she needed an EKG and an ultrasound of her heart, but we wouldn't have to bother until her next appointment in November. She had one during the worst part of her treatment and everything was fine.
I just have to say, for her next CT scan? We are going to cover her entire right arm and hand with numbing cream....