If like me you’re a bit claustrophobic, panic not, because the CT scanner they use to check calcium build-up in the arteries isn’t like the gigantic tomb-like scanner we often imagine.
Cardiac computed tomography for Calcium Scoring uses special x-ray equipment to produce pictures of the coronary arteries to determine if they are blocked or narrowed by the build-up of plaque – an indicator for atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease.
The reason for the CT scan lies in familial issues. My dad, who never smoked, ate reasonably well and was fit, began having strokes at the age of 72 and has spent the last 16 years struggling with the after-effects.
Anyway, off I went to the Mater Hospital at the crack of dawn. No coffee; lose clothes and no jewellrey. Given that I’ve got a six-inch metal plate and half a dozen screws in my collarbone it was going to be interesting to see if they asked about metal inside my body given that they were so insistent that I wore no jewellery on the outside. They didn’t ask!
The procedure was painless, the hardest bit was not being able to have coffee before-hand and holding my breath. The results were ready in half an hour.
When the films were given to me the first thing I did was open up the envelope and take a look, not that I knew what I was looking for but interesting all the same, but the report that came with the scans had all the right numbers in there – ‘0’ which meant I could tick that test off the list!
Allan did point out to me that on the back of the envelope it says, “Strictly confidential for the referring doctor”” – oops!
Poop testing
Although I’m nearly 59 and I’ve been sent those bowel cancer testing kits, I’ve always thrown them in the bin. I know, dumb eh! But now I had to face the fact that my low ferritin scores may be due to internal bleed.
So, it was gloves on, big girl pants off, (not on in this case) poop containers at the ready and get on with it.
They’ve improved this test, it’s quite good fun. I felt a bit like a real scientist, mixing the unmentionable into a little container of liquid, shaking and labelling. I honestly thought you just had to shove the poop into a jam jar and label it with a Sharpie. Less than a week later, bingo, another big fat ‘0’ from the lab, nothing wrong with my poop!
Lesson to self on both tests – next time don’t muck around and waste time and energy worrying or sticking your head in the sand – just get on with it!