CT scans are one of the best tools for your doctor to pinpoint what is wrong with your insides in a plethora of situations. CT scans, also known as computerized tomography or CAT scans, are quite routine today, but that doesn’t mean they are pleasant. The biggest drawback when undergoing a CT scan is that you have to drink an oral contrasting agent, which allows the resulting picture to be more detailed. I have recently undergone a pair of CT scans, and in this article I will explain what that entailed, with help from the Mayo Clinic website.
I had unknowingly developed a severe case of diverticulitis, which was diagnosed using the first CT scan. I had stomach cramps and pain, with the added symptom of alternating constipation and diarrhea. When I went to my doctor, she ordered a CT scan for later in the day to try to determine what was wrong. I arrived at the hospital X-ray department and was given two small plastic 12 ounce bottles of a drink called Readi-Cat, a diluted barium based mixture. I had to drink one 4 hours before my CT scan, and ingest the other 40 minutes prior to the test.
Although Readi-Cat comes in different flavors, I am here to tell you that every one of them is awful. There is no good way to drink this liquid, which can best be described as chalk-like in nature. Some people say to hold your nose and gulp it down, but that didn’t work for me. The instructions say to drink it all at once; that is what I did. I downed it as fast as I could, trying not to think about what I was doing. The worst part was after drinking the first one, I knew I had to drink another in about 3 and ½ hours! However, I managed to do it, despite the horrible taste. Also, I was told not to eat or drink anything else except the Readi-Cat for 4 hours before the CT scan.
When you go for a CT scan it is best to wear sweatpants and a sweat shirt or tee shirt. If you have on conventional jeans or slacks, there is bound to be some sort of metal in them that the X-rays will pick up, and you will have to change into a hospital Johnny or gown, so going to the CT scan in sweats allows you to avoid this. Once you are in the room for the CT scan, you will be instructed to lie down on a table that will move you into a donut-shaped machine known as a gantry. The machine is not big enough to contain your entire body, so the claustrophobic effects that an MRI machine can give you are not a factor. The machine is constructed in such a manner that the X-ray tube inside it rotates around your body, giving your doctor a cross-section image of the area in question, far superior to a conventional two-dimensional X-ray.
My particular CT scan required even more contrast, so I was given an IV in my arm and an iodine mixture was pumped into me. In a few seconds my face and arms felt warm and tingling, just as I was told they would. Although the technician giving me the CT scan warned me I would feel as if I was urinating, I did not have that side-effect. I was moved into the CT scan opening and eventually a voice came on telling me to hold my breath. It was for only a short time, and the same voice soon told me to breathe normally again. The entire CT scan lasted perhaps 10 minutes, with me having to hold my breath for a short while three times total. Then I was taken out of the machine, allowed to sit up, and sent to the waiting room while my CT scan was looked at.
I was told to drink plenty of liquids to help flush the Readi-Cat from my system. The results of my CT scan were quickly read by the technicians and sent to my doctor, who saw that I had diverticulitis with an abscess, which required immediate hospitalization. My stay lasted for 6 days, and I was scheduled for another CT scan a few days after I came home to determine my progress. The procedure was virtually the same, except this time the Readi-Cat gave me diarrhea, which is not an uncommon side-effect. As terrible as the Readi-Cat tastes, it’s a small price to pay to have my doctor given a clear view of what was wrong with me. I am now going to be scheduled to have a CT scan following a barium enema, so my physician can determine the extent of damage to my colon. Since this will be a different procedure, I can only hope that Readi-Cat is not involved, but I have a sneaking suspicion it will be in some way, shape, or form.
http://mayoclinic.com/health/ct-scan/FL00065
