What Happens at MD Anderson

What happens when I go to MD Anderson?  

Over the past couple weeks I've had several people ask me what exactly I do when I go down to MD Anderson.  And to be honest I haven't really told many people what exactly it is that happens when we make the weekend trip.  

So, here's what goes on:

So far, Landon and I have always driven down to Houston.  With it just being the two of us we can usually make the drive in less than 10 hours.  Today we made the trip in almost exactly 11 hours and that was from the time we left our house this morning to checking into our hotel tonight.  And it also included a stop for Lunch, a 20 minute stop at my sisters house to say hello and use a clean restroom, and stopping for supper before checking into the hotel.  So, really that's pretty good time.

Tomorrow morning Landon and I will get up and head the two miles over to MD Anderson.  The first thing I do when I get there is get my port accessed and my blood drawn to check all my levels.  

Then I head over to the Nuclear Medicine department and they give me an injection of Bone Milk.  Bone milk is a form of radio active medicine that will make all my bones glow when they take the scan.  After I receive the injection I have to wait for two hours before receiving the scan to allow the medicine to filtrate throughout my body properly.  Then I head back for a scan that takes approximately 30 minutes.

As soon as I finish the bone scan I head over to the C/T imagining department and pickup a 32 oz raspberry tea infused with "contrast".  This contrast will allow the doctors to see if there is anything in any of my organs that could be cancer.  The tea takes an hour to diffuse throughout my body and then I head back for a scan that takes approximately 2 hours.  While receiving this scan I am injected with another form of contrast that will highlight all of my veins and blood system.  

After completing everything of the above I then head back to the hotel so that I can sleep off all the medicine.  It makes for a very long and stressful day but, usually after I take a good nap I'm ready for a good supper and then some browsing around some of the local stores. 

The next day Landon and I will then meet with the doctor to discuss the results of the test.  That is when we discuss any changes that will need to be made in my medicine if any.  If changes need to be made, that usually means that the cancer has either began to grow again or has spread.  Let's pray that tomorrow they find nothing! :)  I do not receive any treatments here at Houston.  My Houston doctors communicate with my Oklahoma doctors and I am able to receive treatment in Oklahoma City.

After that, Landon and I begin the long treck back home!

It's a hard quick trip but Landon and I always find a way to enjoy the time down here and the time with each other without interruptions from the boys.  Sweet time that is very precious.

Amy