Or, I could say it started and ended with imaging, so to speak.
I keep hearing The Muppet Show announcer “The continuing saga” of a nauseous girl. I saw the GI yesterday who I continue to perplex, go me! She still has no idea what’s causing the nausea, so next step…gall bladder. Huh? Ok
Today, I went in for a gall bladder emptying study. I know, you’re excited and on the edge of your seat! This was similar to the gastric emptying, as in no eating four hours prior to the test and time in an open MRI machine.
What there was not…food! At least with the gastric emptying, they feed me. This one, nor so lucky. So, four plus hours after breakfast, start test, food came three hours later, what? Ok
They start with an IV, saline and then the dye, which, let me tell you, that saline is cold and felt weird going through my shoulder. A new experience. Then they lie me down and put me into the imaging machine and monitor my gall bladder as I go night night, and a hour later, what a nap! Did they see my gall bladder and intestine? Yup, no blockage.
I had to sit cross legged in the chair while I waited to go to imaging, my feet didn’t quite touch the floor. No jokes from the peanut gallery, thank you!
Next, wake up and the nurse comes in to give you the medication in your IV. Wait, wait, wait. Then she attaches, but we wait for the technician to start whatever else needs to be started. Wait, wait, wait.
Lay back down, start the machine and…no nap for this hour, unfortunately, sleep did not come, oh well, at least Netflix did!
When it was over, buh bye, that’s it. Away I went, in search of…yes, you guessed it! Food! I found a Starbucks in the lobby of the hospital, go figure, and got a cup of fruit. Go figure, the only thing I could have from there, remember, it’s Passover, was the one thing that made me more nauseous! I can have certain fruits in moderation, good apparently was too much! Oh well, tasted good!
Now that that’s over, on to the fun…spending time with my sister, just us, well us and over 100 of her closest friends. No, I’m kidding. The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, which I’ll have you know is the place that saved my sister’s life, was hosting an event for people who have done fundraising for the organization.
http://www.dana-farber.org/mobile/default.aspx
It was hosted at Fenway Park, I know, two Yankee fans in Red Sox territory, amazingly enough, we survived!
It started with a tour of the stadium, the Green Monster seating and my favorite part, the rooftop garden. It’s approximately 1800 square feet and brings in about 5000 pounds of fresh produce each year! The vegetables are used in the EMC restaurant. Now that’s green!
After the tour, there were drinks and appetizers at the club level. You could tell there were quite a few people celebrating passover because there were slider buns still in the trays and the meat was gone. They did have some black bean/quinoa burgers, little kick, but good, I was just happy to have a little something.
After the cocktail hour, we went upstairs to the EMC Restaurant for dessert and talks. There were five main speakers, the opening speaker was a three time survivor and the four who followed were doctors and researchers all giving a “Ted Talk” of sorts about exciting things happening in research and the fight or race to find a cure for cancer.
It was fascinating to hear what they had to say, how they each had a story to tell, some how they were touched by their patients and the strides and contributions not just by them but by the entire medical and research communities and Dana Farber, not just what it represents, but what it means to so many people.
After they all spoke there was a question and answer period, then discussions at our own tables.
It really was interesting and eye opening and anything that supports my sister works for me!
After the event we walked to the train station, said goodbye and went our separate ways, literally.
Here I am to tell you all about it and my day, share pictures and then get some sleep, the alarm is coming very early and I have a new project starting tomorrow, I’ll tell you all about it…tomorrow!
Goodnight!
Peaches Prattlings 