The Liquid Cheeseburger

I had the HIDA scan done last Thursday. I hope to get the results Tuesday or Wednesday.

In this test, a radioactive material called hydroxy iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) is injected into the patient. The radioactive material is taken up by the gallbladder to measure gallbladder function. This test also is referred to as cholescintigraphy.

And it sucks. A bit of advice, if you ever have to get this done, stay up the night before so you can sleep through it!

Before the scan, they gave me an IV in my hand, injected saline, the HIDA stuff, and more saline. Other than the fact that I HATE needles and insisted on turning away as he poked and injected, it wasn't that bad. Although I avoided looking at my hand as the though of a needle just sitting in there bothered me.

Then I had to lie on this table, just as if you were going to get an MRI. The technician asked what kind of music I liked. Doubting he had anything that would be to my specific liking, I told him the elevator jazz music he had on was fine.

I laid there. For an hour. On my back. On a hard, plastic table. Meanwhile, the machine took continuous pictures of my abdomen.

Then, the technician explained he was going to inject a cheeseburger into my IV. He said he'd inject some type of stuff every few minutes that should make me react as if I were eating a cheeseburger. Ok, do you know the last time I had a cheeseburger? Yea, neither do I. The least he could have done was let me have a real cheeseburger if I was going to have to go through the pain.

The instant he injected the "liquid cheeseburger", I was nauseous and dizzy. Five minutes later, he injected some more. By then, I had massive heartburn. Who would have thought you could get heartburn from an injection. By the 3rd injection, I was aggressively fighting the need to throw up. It was in my throat, I was on my back, I'm not sure that would have been a good scene. Although it would have severed him right.

After another 30 minutes of pictures, they removed the IV and I was allowed to leave.

It wasn't one of my finest doctor’s visits. Yes, I'm a big baby. But it sucked!

Hopefully I'll hear something soon on the results.

Meanwhile, I wonder if that liquid cheeseburger had any calories in it?