Battery of Tests

Now the wound is healing and the oncologist starts to work: reviews all the pathology reports and orders a battery of tests. They want to be sure that the cancer did not travel anywhere else.
First MRI of the remaining breast; because even if the mammogram did not show any lumps there - only MRI test can definitely pinpoint anything suspicious there. Thank God mine was clear.
Then bone scan is conducted to see if cancer has spread to the bones. You are put on the table, have to lye without moving and you are guided throughout a tunnel. but the tunnel is not close to your head, so it is not claustrophobic, it takes half an hour.Again lucky - no indication of cancer spread.
Then PET of the whole body. They inject a special radioactive dye into your vein, you wait for an hour and then they take x-rays while you are moving throughout a tunnel; it takes about 30 minutes. Before the test they take the sugar level in your blood since you are not supposed to take your pills in the morning before the test. My sugar level was acceptable and no spread was discovered.
I would like to share an important point. If you are embarked on this journey of hospitals and tests prepare the following:
1. A List of the medicines you are taking every day; names. dosage and at what time you take it.
2. A List of all the operations you ever had; where; what was the diagnosis.
3. A List of all medicines that you are allergic to; even if it only stomach ache or nausea.
4. Prepare a medical proxy, signed by two witnesses.
Make plenty of copies of each list and proxy so that when they ask you all these questions you can attach copies instead of remembering while you are under stress.
It is also a good idea to try and remember if anybody in your immediate family had cancer and make a note of it. It is very important for doctors to know it.