Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Recently I had a MUGA scan done. This was because my most recent echo,a month ago, showed my EF as having fallen back down into the 15-20% range. Doc says that at low numbers like that, the echo isn't very accurate or precise; the MUGA is. I haven't heard the results yet - he's on vacation; I meet with him the day he gets back, Jan 9. Anyway, some of you have heard about MUGAs, and if you haven't, you can read more about them here:
http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/cardiactests/a/muga.htm
http://www.chfpatients.com/tests/muga.htm
Although those sites describe the test, they don't really. What they don't tell you is the "sit and wait" aspects. So here's what it's really like:
Arrive at lab in basement of building at 9 a.m., still 90% asleep. Sign in, sit and wait. After about 10 minutes, a tech gets around to you, and draws some blood, making jokes that you don't get since you're not really awake yet. Then you go back and sit in the waiting room for another 20 minutes, while they add the radioactive stuff to your blood. The stuff's called technetium, which they pronounce tek-NEE-shem. The waiting room has small chairs, cheap, with not much padding, and fewer and older magazines than a doctor's waiting room. So if you didn't bring your own reading material or knitting, you are in for more boredom than usual. They do, however, offer juice or coffee - in most cases, there is no reason why you cannot eat or drink before a MUGA, unlike many other lab tests and scans. So, if you don't have to fast, then one way to pass the waiting time is to bring your own coffee and donuts, or tea and toast, or whatever, for breakfast.
Then you go back in the blood-drawing room to have your blood re-injected into you. Then you go back out to the waiting room, and wait for another 20-25 minutes, for the radioactive blood to circulate enough. Pull out the knitting again, or the crossword puzzle, or your PDA. During this wait, the staff will probably also use the time to give you your "radioactive letter" - a note that says you've had this test done, so that if you have to go into a high-security area, you can explain why you happen to be radioactive. They recommend keeping it with you for 30 days.
Finally you get to go back to the machine. If you are wearing thin clothing, you probably get to keep it on; if you are wearing heavy clothing or clothing with metal on it - women's bras, shirts with snaps or metal buttons - you will probably be asked to undress to the waist. Then you lie down. The description at the web sites above says "you will be asked to hold very still." Actually, they don't count on you for that - what they do is stretch a thin rubber sheet over your thorax (chest) and right arm (your left arm rests above your head) and fasten it down, so that you are held firmly in place. It would take quite an effort to twitch, let alone move much, under there. Then the machine hums and the technician mutters at her computer and the background music plays, for about 15-20 minutes. (I dozed off, so I don't know the exact amount of time; it was at least 4 Christmas carols, though.) And that's it - when they let you up, you get to just leave, and wait to talk to your doctor about the results.
I was pushy enough to ask to see the technician's computer screen, and she ran a bit of the view for me. One can see one's heart clearly; what's surprising is how large and bright one's spleen is!!
Well, results when I get them will be posted here. Till then, Happy New Year!
keywords: MUGA, scan, EF
http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/cardiactests/a/muga.htm
http://www.chfpatients.com/tests/muga.htm
Although those sites describe the test, they don't really. What they don't tell you is the "sit and wait" aspects. So here's what it's really like:
Arrive at lab in basement of building at 9 a.m., still 90% asleep. Sign in, sit and wait. After about 10 minutes, a tech gets around to you, and draws some blood, making jokes that you don't get since you're not really awake yet. Then you go back and sit in the waiting room for another 20 minutes, while they add the radioactive stuff to your blood. The stuff's called technetium, which they pronounce tek-NEE-shem. The waiting room has small chairs, cheap, with not much padding, and fewer and older magazines than a doctor's waiting room. So if you didn't bring your own reading material or knitting, you are in for more boredom than usual. They do, however, offer juice or coffee - in most cases, there is no reason why you cannot eat or drink before a MUGA, unlike many other lab tests and scans. So, if you don't have to fast, then one way to pass the waiting time is to bring your own coffee and donuts, or tea and toast, or whatever, for breakfast.
Then you go back in the blood-drawing room to have your blood re-injected into you. Then you go back out to the waiting room, and wait for another 20-25 minutes, for the radioactive blood to circulate enough. Pull out the knitting again, or the crossword puzzle, or your PDA. During this wait, the staff will probably also use the time to give you your "radioactive letter" - a note that says you've had this test done, so that if you have to go into a high-security area, you can explain why you happen to be radioactive. They recommend keeping it with you for 30 days.
Finally you get to go back to the machine. If you are wearing thin clothing, you probably get to keep it on; if you are wearing heavy clothing or clothing with metal on it - women's bras, shirts with snaps or metal buttons - you will probably be asked to undress to the waist. Then you lie down. The description at the web sites above says "you will be asked to hold very still." Actually, they don't count on you for that - what they do is stretch a thin rubber sheet over your thorax (chest) and right arm (your left arm rests above your head) and fasten it down, so that you are held firmly in place. It would take quite an effort to twitch, let alone move much, under there. Then the machine hums and the technician mutters at her computer and the background music plays, for about 15-20 minutes. (I dozed off, so I don't know the exact amount of time; it was at least 4 Christmas carols, though.) And that's it - when they let you up, you get to just leave, and wait to talk to your doctor about the results.
I was pushy enough to ask to see the technician's computer screen, and she ran a bit of the view for me. One can see one's heart clearly; what's surprising is how large and bright one's spleen is!!
Well, results when I get them will be posted here. Till then, Happy New Year!
keywords: MUGA, scan, EF
