As I type this I am sitting in the parking lot of one of my favorite fast food restaurants... alone. There are no car seats in my SUV because this is how we do PET scan day. It’s mom‘s day out. Daddy has the girls and they’re off having a blast (guaranteed, because daddy is the fun one). And Mommy is treating herself to food she only eats when she’s celebrating (hello French fries). Rule #1: Always treat yourself after a PET scan.

I’ve done more PET scans than I care to count, but it wasn’t until recently that it was laid on my heart to put a blog together with helpful nuggets that have improved my PET scan days immensely. I write this in hopes of offering comfort and “inside information” to you, fellow warrior. But first, I want to put out a disclaimer. I am NOT a medical professional. This blog serves to provide information that is more personal than you’ll find on a medical website and to share a few PET scan hacks I’ve discovered after doing it a time or two.

If you are PET scan newbie, please refer to this article from MD Anderson to learn more about what a PET scan is and how it works first (And of course follow the direction of your doctor). The quick and dirty explanation of a PET scan is this... radioactive material will be injected into your body. This material is also called a radiotracer. Based on how your body reacts to the radioactive material, medical professionals are then able to see potential cancerous activity in your body. Now let’s get to the good stuff...

1 Avoid water & supplements before your scan

Here’s why... I avoid drinking water before the scan to eliminate the urgent need to go in the middle of the scan. I also wait to take any pills/supplements until after my scan. Because you can’t eat six hours prior, I personally get sick from taking my pill regimen without food. However, if your pill regimen doesn’t make you sick without taking food, taking your pills is absolutely safe prior to your scan so go for it!

2 Put on that numbing cream

Slather on numbing cream over your preferred access area. If you have a port, slather the cream over your port area and cover it with a teagaderm or some good old fashion Press and Seal Wrap. If you’re going to be accessed through a vein, find a good vein, preferably in your arm and place your numbing cream there. If you don’t have numbing cream, ask your doctor to write you a prescription. It’s the best 20 bucks I’ve ever spent.

3 Wear comfy clothes

My PET scan toolkit: Comfy clothes, food for consumption immediately after, water bottle and Lysol wipes for wiping off ALL the hospital germs

For some scans I felt like wearing cute & comfy clothes and for others I couldn’t have cared less about what I had on, as long as it was comfy. Whatever your style is, just make sure that your clothes are comfy and don’t have any metal material on them.

I’ve also noticed that dressing warmer has been more calming for me on scan days when I’m feeling a bit more anxious. Hospitals tend to run colder, so wearing warmer clothes is not only practical, but will also help you regulate your body temperature, especially when you have nerves working against you.

4 Be sure to fast at least six hours before your scan

I like to fast 12 hours before, just to be safe, but six is usually sufficient. Equally as important however, I focus on avoiding sugary & carb-loaded food the day before. Per the Anderson article I recommended above, “Your last meal before the scan should include high protein foods and plenty of water. Avoid carbohydrates and foods with sugar. Because PET scans read your sugar metabolism, eating sugar could affect the results of your scan.” The scan is essentially looking for metabolic activity from sugar in your body. Avoid sugar and giving the radiologist anything to talk about.

It’s also important to avoid caffeine for 24 hours prior. Before I knew this tidbit, I made the mistake of drinking coffee the day before scan (and I still wonder how accurate those scan results truly were). Please don’t learn this the hard way. PET scans are a lot of work and are very time consuming, fight the urge to grab your favorite carby comfort foods and down your daily caffeine. Find something else to replace them with and keep in mind by sacrificing for just 24 hours, you could avoid months worth of unnecessary treatment.

While we’re on the topic of food, also be prepared to drink a gooey, yet calorie-free drink that basically helps your insides look smoother on the scan and helps your doctor receive more accurate results. It’s not that terrible, but it’s also not my preferred choice of beverage. I recommend mocha flavor.

5 Avoid exercise for 24 hours before your PET scan

Exercise affects the radiotracer’s reading and could result in inaccurate results. If you like to work out hard when you’re stressed like I do, I understand the urge to give your workout all you’ve got the day before your big scan, but keep in mind that rearranging your norm for just 24 hours will provide you the most accurate scan results. We want the best and most accurate results possible!

6 Be prepared to sit and wait... a lot

I had no idea how long the entire process would take when I arrived at my first PET appointment. But, I quickly learned PET scans are not like going in for routine labs. Carve out at least 2 1/2 hours.

Here’s what to expect: Once you arrive to your scan location you’ll be asked a series of intake questions & have your blood sugar checked. After that you’ll be prepped for the radioactive material injection. Once the radiotracer is in, it’s a waiting game. Be prepared to sit and wait for at least an hour while it spreads throughout your body.

The radiotracer is injected via a machine like this. It’s very slow and gentle with various speeds.

While it may sound crazy to hear you should avoid using your cell phone while waiting (I know it’s 2020, what else is there to do while waiting?), keto in mind that the radiotracer is very sensitive. Therefore, plan on not texting, playing games (or doing anything else active on your phone) while you wait for the radiotracer to spread. Listening to a podcast or calming music is totally fine however, so make a bomb playlist ahead of time and prepare for the ultimate relaxation (being a mom of two under five, I am only half kidding. No one is allowed to be in the room when the radiotracer is put in, so having an hour to relax and listen to my favorite podcast/playlist isn’t the worst thing ever).

P.S. There should be some waiting after your scan as well (but not at the scan site)... Its safest to wait a few hours before returning to your family- especially any pregnant women or children as the radioactive material is still present in you, your urine, etc. and can harm others. Plan accordingly, but enjoy this time away. (Maybe have some French fries for me).

7 Make sure to let your people know

Make sure you have a group of people who are supporting you and aware of what’s going on. Whether it’s a large or small group, ask your people for prayer, share how you’re feeling, tell them what you need (Don’t be afraid to ask for childcare, a prepared meal, etc.). I’ve experienced supernatural peace the morning of (and during) my scan that could only have come from God, as he heard my friends storming Heaven for me.

Side note: My first few scans weren’t super scary for me because I didn’t have high expectations. But the more scans and treatment I do, the higher my hopes are of finally having a clean scan and therefore the more anxiety I fight the day off the scan. This is totally normal.

But, no matter what your expectations are for your scan, we’re not made to do life alone- ask your people to rally around you in prayer and support. Whatever your needs are, I guarantee your people want to help, so work in harmony together!

8 detox after the scan

Water is truly a miracle liquid. You’ll want to be sure to drink lots of water in order to flush out the radiotracer and avoid as many side effects from it as possible. I’ve noticed a big difference between the scans in which I didn’t drink enough water after and the scans I did. On scans in which I didn’t drink a lot of water afterwards, I woke up the next day with flu like symptoms including a scratchy throat, headache, and severe fatigue. It went away after I began downing lots and lots of water. I recommend drinking half your weights in ounces. For example if you weigh 150 pounds, aim to drink 75 ounces of water.

You also may consider taking a detox bath with Epsom salts after your scan. Epsom salts are known for their detoxifying properties & detoxing will help curb strong side effects and/or any further damage from the radiation you were exposed to.

9 Decide how you want to hear your results

As I mentioned before, my first few scans weren’t super meaningful to me. They mainly served to tell my doctor and I where my cancer was and how much of it was there. But, as I am hopefully wrapping up this stint as a cancer patient, I get increasing anxiety with each scan as I yearn so badly for a clean bill of health. After my first few scans, I would have my doctor email me the results or leave a voicemail on my phone. However, with the higher stakes scans I’ve been doing recently, it’s much more comforting to me for my husband to intercept the results and pass on the information to me.

Decide how you want to hear your results and let everyone involved know the plan ahead of time. Doctors are human too and understand the sensitivity of your results. They can easily accommodate your request for them to deliver your news to a specific person, via email, voicemail, etc.

10 Set boundaries for yourself

More than likely you’re not the only one who knows about your upcoming scan. Therefore, other (well-meaning) people are anxious to hear scan results too. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to deliver your news as soon as you hear it. Make a plan ahead of time about how you’ll process your results and when you will tell others who are curious about the results. You owe it to yourself to take all the time you need to break hard news to loved ones or to celebrate a victory (big or small) with those closest to you. Don’t miss the heartache or joy that may come with your results, there is meaning in both. Allow yourself time to process in a healthy way before sharing your news with the world (I love to pray and journal before sharing with anyone). Everyone will understand, I’ll bet on that.

Regardless of your scan results, remember you are capable of doing so much more than you think. If you’re tired of fighting, I get it. I’ve been at this for a year. But, I’m finally at a place where I can say, I truly wouldn’t change this for the world. God has used my cancer diagnosis for my good and His glory and there’s no greater place to be. Don’t get too attached to the results of your scan; it’s important to be aware of your expectations prior to receiving results.

Warrior friend, God is faithful and he will provide all of your needs, even if you don’t get the results you wanted. If he brings you to your knees when you hear the results of your scan, don’t miss what he has for you in this season. Whether it seems good or bad right now, I promise you, he’s where the joy is.

One of the most meaningful songs to me through this journey says this:

“I’m wishing I could see the finish line

Where this ends, where it lands

Guess I lost my vision when the pain set in

Can I believe

When I don’t see

Can I really let it be

Out of my hands

When it’s out of my hands

This isn’t what I’d choose

But it’s where I’m finding you

When I’m broken and undone

Your mercy’s just begun

You overcome my doubt

Your hands are reaching out

You hold me through the storm

And I will fear no more”

This song pushes me to cry out to God with this prayer... “God, let me be able to tell stories of pain that pushed me to true Peace and fear that pointed me to you, our good Father.”

Planning a peaceful PET scan day