This morning, it was PET-scanner time, which required an
almost superhuman effort. I was not allowed, in the previous 24 hours, to consume any dairy, sugar, fruits, starch or caffeine. No bread, no
cheese, no yogurt… no chocolate… as I told Irvin “the foundation of my pyramid
food is taken away from me!” I nostalgically munched on lettuce and roasted
chicken…
The exam requires also being injected with a radioactive substance. It
is not painful, but I got mildly concerned when I noticed the syringe had its
own lead armor. The scanner device looks
identical to the MRI one, but it is silent.
Making comparison was easy: I had a brain MRI in the
afternoon and even with ear plugs, yes it was strident. Since I had time on my
hands (the exam last 45 minutes, in 2 parts) I tried to categorize the diverse
noises. There was first some techno beats, then a symphony of alarms, then a
conversation between pneumatic drills that would even shake the whole engine
once in a while. There were also isolated weird noises in between, slamming of
doors and the occasional drunk frog croak…
I appreciated the presence of a small mirror which allowed
me to see outside while I was still in this big tube. Wherever we are, even for
less than an hour, it is good to always be able to see the light at the end of
the tunnel.
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