Ugh, I forgot

[Vinny]

...how bad CT contrast tastes. I didn't have mine refrigerated long enough before drinking and damn near puked after taking the first swig.

Other than that, Monday's visit was uneventful. Next blood draw in 4 months, next CT in 8. The next time I visit the cancer box, it will be more than 3 years since my initial dx. I'm starting to bring some of my old hats to leave there, in the hope that others can now get some joy out of them (I'm not getting rid of all of them, just some of the less fancy ones).

How did I celebrate? By flying to Seattle for a 4-day business trip without the family. While it does mean a reprieve from poopy diaper patrol, I still miss it.

[tom c]

Yea that stuff does taste pretty bad even if you drink it fast.
congrads on your 3 years free from your initial dx. It is 2:30 am and I am on this site because I woke up in pain from my heiatial hernia i get pain in my backit wakes me up. every time I try too go back to sleep as soon as I lie down the pain starts.
One day I am going too get a heart attack and think it is just pain from
my heiatial hernia. Oh well life goes on.

[Fish]

Glad to hear things went well. And congratualtions on your upcoming 3 year aniversary.

As for the contrast, I've found I do better if it's at room temp. It seems like I can drink it faster if its warm and I get it over with more quickly

[CharlieFL]

I thought next time, we'd bring a little cooler along and put the bottle in there between sips to keep it cold.... Too bad we can't sprinkle it with cinnamon or something. Like Mary Poppins said, "just spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down..."

[Already Bald]

I like to wash mine down with Dewars. Just kidding..

Gotta love the Barium.

Vinny, it is nice to hear from you. I'm still changing diapers too- my son will be 3 on 3/30/08- when does it end??

[fuse929]

Just hold you breath and chug.........haha, I can tell you old guys have been out of college for a while!

[Physast]

The CT contrast I had was mixed with crystal light. It wasn't good but I don't remember thinking it was terrible. The hardest part for me is you have to drink two cups and of course the IV for the shot of contrast.

Does everyone still get the IV along with the drink??

[tom c]

I get the iv everytime I go

[Fed]

Does everyone still get the IV along with the drink??

I get Gastrografin with Crystal Light (2 doses if the CT is after 8:30 a.m., 3 if it is at 7 a.m.) plus IV Ultravist. Pretty standard protocol.

[Matt_24]

Yeah, during my first post-radiation CT in late June I chugged that stuff non-refrigerated. Got through the first one ok. On the second I got down to where I had about 1/4 left and couldn't do it. I was about to puke, and thought to myself, this will have to do. Guess it was sufficient.

Last Thurs I got it ice cold and chugged them down much easier. The faster the better I'd say. Still felt horrible bloating and gas the rest of the day. That stuff does a number on me.

Guess these little annoyances are what being cancer warriors is all about.

[MRMRSU]

Hi Vinny: Sorry you didn't get to refrigerate it What flavor was the poison this time around? Not that it helps if it's Berry or Banana...still tastes terrible so Andy says (and I'll believe him, it LOOKS terrible). Glad to hear that your three-year mark is coming up. Good for you. Oh, and that photo of you and your son in the TC Photo Album...PRICELESS!

[CharlieFL]

WAIT A MINUTE! What's this I hear about a mixture with Crystal Light? No earthly Crystal Light on mine, I assure you! I can't recall the name of the solution, but it had a picture of a rat and a skull with a cross bone in front of it ...... just kidding! All I know is that it had percentages of the mixture on the label with Barium being one of the ingredients....... Actually the taste was not the issue with me, it was the AMOUNT of the liquid I had to drink!

[Fed]

WAIT A MINUTE! What's this I hear about a mixture with Crystal Light?

Dana-Farber uses Gastrografin, which is iodine-based and has no barium. I've heard that by itself, the taste of Gastrografin is horrendous, but when mixed in with raspberry Crystal Light, you can't taste it (but you do feel it in your stomach). The first time I had CTs at Brigham, I had the barium. It tasted like chalky orange-flavored Tang, but the fact that you had to drink 1 L of the span of 1 hour was what made the experience bad (especially after it had to come out).

[Scott]

I always get the barium shakes (usually citrus flavor) -- a bottle at bedtime the night before, and another bottle in the morning (1/2 at -2 hours, 1/2 at -1 hour) -- plus the Crystal Light mixed drink and IV contrast just before the scan.

[Sans rt1]

My radiology group uses the Gastrografin, and you get the IV as well. None of the barium stuff. When you mix it in a little crystal light it is not terribly awful.

In fact, I picked up the bottle today for my next CT. The tech joked that mixed with berry crystal light it tastes a little like a cosmo. When I asked if it would be OK if I mixed a little vodka in with it before drinking, she snapped back "No, that wouldn't be a good idea". I wonder how often she get that from folks?

Anyway, here's to everyone getting through the nasty contrast so they can hear another 'all clear'.