CAT scans and other fun tests
I was going to write about the many fun years of softball watching, and then playing with my Dad as the umpire and me as the catcher. However, after a fun doctor visit today, I thought I would share the impact of technology in the medical field with whoever is reading.
As you may remember, Mom had 2 strokes about 6 weeks ago. We are now in the world of vascular medicine as the doctors look for where these strokes came from. There was no Vulcan mind-meld, or sudden zap to the back of the head for Mom. In Florida, apparently, ultrasound is not considered a good diagnostic tool for blockages of blood flow to places like the brain. It is, however, used in the rest of the United States. The first place the vascular doc figured to look was in her neck - the carotids. So funny that she spent a week in a hospital and no one there chose to actually look where a blockage may have been...
Today was the ultrasound. I made Dad sit in the waiting room. If you want to know why, go back to the trip to the doctor. We had the last appointment of the day, and I wanted to be sure everyone got to leave on time.
I went in with Mom - she climbed up on the almost bed, and laid down. The sonographer was very good, and spoke to her like she didn't have a memory eating disease. That means he treated her like a real adult! As Mom is still very socially aware, she appreciated this. He scanned the right, then the left carotid. By the time he finished up with the left, Mom was sound asleep. Another reason not to have Dad in there...she was so relaxed, the sonographer got good stuff very easily.
No blockage in the carotids (Dad - "The what? There's nothing there??"). Doc Vascular recommends a CAT scan with dye to look at the left subclavian artery. He thinks there's a lesion there and crud in there that could break off and block the back part of the brain. He thinks that's what happened at Disney - the clots blocked off the nerves to Mom's eyes.
Dad - "CAT scan? What's that? How long does that take?" Dad is retired, has no job, no daily booked activities. Does it matter how long it takes? Who cares? Is that important? Me - "An hour". Now, with dye, you have to drink the gunk, then wait 45 minutes, then go into the cool room with the big machine and get the IV. When the scan hits your private parts (hooha, or whatever you call it!) something really interesting happens to women. I'm not telling Dad that though, or Mom, but I do want to be in the room!!! Just to see if she falls asleep for that one, too!
I'm pushing them out the door after it is agreed that a CAT scan is the next step...Dad keeps asking, "What is she getting???" I'm now yelling, "CAT scan, CAT scan, CAT scan!!!!" I explain the process to him, leaving out the fun part, again and again and again. I am certain I will be explaining this regularly. I would write it down, but then the paper would get lost.
As you may remember, Mom had 2 strokes about 6 weeks ago. We are now in the world of vascular medicine as the doctors look for where these strokes came from. There was no Vulcan mind-meld, or sudden zap to the back of the head for Mom. In Florida, apparently, ultrasound is not considered a good diagnostic tool for blockages of blood flow to places like the brain. It is, however, used in the rest of the United States. The first place the vascular doc figured to look was in her neck - the carotids. So funny that she spent a week in a hospital and no one there chose to actually look where a blockage may have been...
Today was the ultrasound. I made Dad sit in the waiting room. If you want to know why, go back to the trip to the doctor. We had the last appointment of the day, and I wanted to be sure everyone got to leave on time.
I went in with Mom - she climbed up on the almost bed, and laid down. The sonographer was very good, and spoke to her like she didn't have a memory eating disease. That means he treated her like a real adult! As Mom is still very socially aware, she appreciated this. He scanned the right, then the left carotid. By the time he finished up with the left, Mom was sound asleep. Another reason not to have Dad in there...she was so relaxed, the sonographer got good stuff very easily.
No blockage in the carotids (Dad - "The what? There's nothing there??"). Doc Vascular recommends a CAT scan with dye to look at the left subclavian artery. He thinks there's a lesion there and crud in there that could break off and block the back part of the brain. He thinks that's what happened at Disney - the clots blocked off the nerves to Mom's eyes.
Dad - "CAT scan? What's that? How long does that take?" Dad is retired, has no job, no daily booked activities. Does it matter how long it takes? Who cares? Is that important? Me - "An hour". Now, with dye, you have to drink the gunk, then wait 45 minutes, then go into the cool room with the big machine and get the IV. When the scan hits your private parts (hooha, or whatever you call it!) something really interesting happens to women. I'm not telling Dad that though, or Mom, but I do want to be in the room!!! Just to see if she falls asleep for that one, too!
I'm pushing them out the door after it is agreed that a CAT scan is the next step...Dad keeps asking, "What is she getting???" I'm now yelling, "CAT scan, CAT scan, CAT scan!!!!" I explain the process to him, leaving out the fun part, again and again and again. I am certain I will be explaining this regularly. I would write it down, but then the paper would get lost.
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