Vital Organ Test Day 1

Today I spent a good chunk of my time at the hospital getting some tests done in preparation for my stem cell transplant. Since the transplant is an extremely intensive process, the doctors need to make sure that my body will be able to handle it, which I'm sure isn't going to be a problem given my age and overall health.

The first test I had was an RVG Scan of my heart. Click that link to learn more - it's super interesting stuff! Basically the technician took a sample of my blood, mixed it with a radioactive tracer, and then injected it back into my vein. I lay in a machine that looked a bit like a CT scanner, and a special gamma camera took pictures of my heart by detecting the radiation given off by the tracer. I was also hooked up to an electrocardiogram, which monitored my heart rhythm and synced it with the images. I wasn't able to view it because of dumb hospital protocols, but the technician said the pictures they get at the end are essentially like short time lapse videos that show how my heart pumps my blood. See, I told you it was cool!

The next test I had was a CT scan of my neck and chest. I've had lots of these before, but I am eager to get the results because it will show if the chemo has actually been shrinking my tumour this whole time. Please keep your fingers crossed, because my tumour's response to chemotherapy is a big determining factor in whether or not my transplant is going to be successful.

The final test I had today was a Pulmonary Function Test. I sat in a glass box for about 45 minutes and did a bunch of breathing exercises into a hose hooked up to a computer. It was pretty neat because the computer was actually right in front of me so I was able to see a realtime graph of my breath! The good thing about that was I could mostly understand what I was seeing and my lung function is great. Being a trumpet player has paid off I guess!

These were just the first of several more preparation tests I will need to do in the next two weeks. I still have to go for a chest x-ray, a dental consultation, another heart test, a 24 hour urine test, more blood work, and a lumbar puncture.

I had my "Cycle 2 Day 8" chemo infusion yesterday, but I've been feeling alright for the last couple days. Don't forget to go take a look at my video check-ins on YouTube to see how I'm doing on a daily basis.

Thanks for reading,
Christopher