I hate how I look in pictures so I am never enthused when someone starts snapping away. I have been known to make my mean face on occasion when included in a picture. I like taking pictures of things - my cat, garden, things I find in nature, etc. But I really do not like it when doctors want pictures of my insides!
In late 2008, I started having back pains. They took x-rays, tried PT and then an MRI and found all sorts of fun things going on with my spine. Five years later I asked my pain management doctor if there was any reason to do any more imaging and he said no because there was no reason to believe anything had changed. I can live with that.
But to my other doctors, do we have enough pictures yet? I would be happy if my visits to the Radiology Department could be limited. And there is proof that some hospitals take too many pictures.
Back in 1981 with my first cancer go-round, they took x-rays and thought there was a thingy (that's the technical term) in my lungs. So for the next 30 or so years, I had an annual chest x-ray to see if the thingy had changed. Then all of a sudden my doctors told me that it was no longer protocol to do annual chest x-rays in cases like me. (Thank you!)
The real concerns are in cases of breast and prostate cancer - how many images are needed? Do we really need that many? And the answer is no we don't. A study looked at how many X-ray, MR, PET, CT and bone scans for breast and prostate cancer. While it seems that use has gone down in recent years, there is some evidence they are still overused. Its a case of 'just because we can, doesn't mean we should'.
If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, should they do more scans to see if there is cancer anywhere else if you have no symptoms? Or how many should they do? How often should they follow up with more pictures?
Its not just time, expense, stress on the patients, but also does it really matter? If there is no reason, don't bother. Thanks. I'm good without more pictures.
Showing posts with label x-ray. Show all posts
Showing posts with label x-ray. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Contortionist in training
Just call me a contortionist in training. I went to the doctor yesterday about my back and she asked me to bend this way and that way, put my foot up, bend my knee, turn, etc. When does it hurt? Well all the time, that's why I am here. So she said go off to x-ray and we'll take a picture and see what's going on.
Well, it wasn't one picture it was seven - three of the lower back and four of the upper (or maybe it was three of the upper and four of the lower - I'm confused but that could be chemo brain). Anyway, first it was easy, lie on your back and don't move. But watch the breathing. Sometimes they said 'hold your breath', sometimes they said 'breathe in, exhale, hold it', and sometimes they said 'stop breathing'. Then, they made it more complicated, bend your legs up, or lie on your side with your hands in front of you.
But my favorite was lie on your side with the arm on top straight down at your side and the arm on the bottom straight up over your head. I asked why and was told this is done to make your collarbone move out of the way of the picture of the upper vertebrae. Now all this was done while they would push and prod me to the right position. It was more fun than I needed to have. I felt all contorted by the end of that visit. I get to call today to find out the results but maybe a back doctor will be my next visit. To further enjoy myself, I went to the mall and finished my holiday shopping. That was fun (except the crowds, my back hurting, and needing lunch).
Today, I am going to the gym before the big snow storm arrives and then I am going to get my nails done and drive home in a snow storm. What fun, can't wait. But I will have nice shiny nails. Maybe bright pink?
However today I am also confused. They are messing with time and this whole leap second vs. the atomic clock business is way too complicated. Either we have leap seconds periodically, randomly. Or we switch to this atomic time which will make noon occur at night in future generations. Is GMT obsolete? Do we really care? The clock tells us important things like when its lunch time, if its too early for the cat to have dinner still, and if we are late for work. Do we really care about leap seconds? Anyway, just remember at the countdown for 2009, to add an extra second in there - I guess that means 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, pause, Happy New Year! See how confusing this is? Every one stop for one second.
Anyway, Happy New Year! See you next year!
Well, it wasn't one picture it was seven - three of the lower back and four of the upper (or maybe it was three of the upper and four of the lower - I'm confused but that could be chemo brain). Anyway, first it was easy, lie on your back and don't move. But watch the breathing. Sometimes they said 'hold your breath', sometimes they said 'breathe in, exhale, hold it', and sometimes they said 'stop breathing'. Then, they made it more complicated, bend your legs up, or lie on your side with your hands in front of you.
But my favorite was lie on your side with the arm on top straight down at your side and the arm on the bottom straight up over your head. I asked why and was told this is done to make your collarbone move out of the way of the picture of the upper vertebrae. Now all this was done while they would push and prod me to the right position. It was more fun than I needed to have. I felt all contorted by the end of that visit. I get to call today to find out the results but maybe a back doctor will be my next visit. To further enjoy myself, I went to the mall and finished my holiday shopping. That was fun (except the crowds, my back hurting, and needing lunch).
Today, I am going to the gym before the big snow storm arrives and then I am going to get my nails done and drive home in a snow storm. What fun, can't wait. But I will have nice shiny nails. Maybe bright pink?
However today I am also confused. They are messing with time and this whole leap second vs. the atomic clock business is way too complicated. Either we have leap seconds periodically, randomly. Or we switch to this atomic time which will make noon occur at night in future generations. Is GMT obsolete? Do we really care? The clock tells us important things like when its lunch time, if its too early for the cat to have dinner still, and if we are late for work. Do we really care about leap seconds? Anyway, just remember at the countdown for 2009, to add an extra second in there - I guess that means 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, pause, Happy New Year! See how confusing this is? Every one stop for one second.
Anyway, Happy New Year! See you next year!
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