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Shan

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MM Survivor ~ May 27,
2005

Posts: 849
Honolulu, USA, usa, 376, 346, HI, Hawaii
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CT-A/MRI & MRA Perfusion Study..SPECT..
Jan 19^th, 2006 at 6:19am

Hi All,

I had a CT & CT-Angiogram Profusion Study today. Although I had many CTs and CT-A's, this was the first CT-A Profusion Study I had. Have any of you had this? It's, for the most part, like having two CT-A's in a row.... So you know I nearly rolled off the gurney when the tech said "okay, let's just wait a few minutes to give it [first injection of dye] time to flow through your system so we can do it again...." Undecided

I dislike the feeling when the dye is injected in the IV.... Embarrassed

Anyway, it's the "sit and wait" for the results time....Please keep me in your prayers for some good news.

Take Care,
Shan

I went online to find more info on it...

"Perfusion CT is enabling clinicians to quickly access information critical to therapeutic decision-making for acute stroke patients."

http://www.imagingeconomics.com/library/200206-02.asp

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« Last Edit: Jan 24^th, 2006 at 9:22am by Shan »

"Love, Accept And Respect All Things And All Situations In Life … They Are Especially&&Designed For Your Personal Learning" ~Howard Willis

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riosdallas Junior Poster Offline Life is an Opportunity That we benefit from Posts: 63 Templeton, USA, usa, 510, 83, MA, Massachusetts Gender:	Re: CT & CT-A Profusion Study Reply #1 - Jan 19^th, 2006 at 10:59am Hi Shan, Definatley, best of wishes on your results. It's to bad we couldn't get results as soon as the test was done. The waiting ..............it gives to much time to think. But, as always try to think positive. Your in our prayers. Lena
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tomg

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West and wewaxsation at
wast. What I crave.

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HowellNJ, USA, usa, 499, 119, NJ, New_Jersey
Gender: male

Re: CT & CT-A Profusion Study
Reply #2 - Jan 19^th, 2006 at 11:31am

Hi Shan! all I can say is Piece of cake Wink

.
I've had both Perfusion CT and MRI. In fact I'm going for a perfusion MRI in a few weeks. It's a totally non invasive test. Wink

Of course if you have needle phobia, you'll just have to get through that part. Yes the Contrast solution will make you feel Hot in spots but its very short lived and lets face it Shan, how much hotter can you possibly get Smiley

When it's all over you can always go and have a couple of Pina Colodas at the beach Smiley

You'll be fine my friend don't worry!
This is a blood flow test to see how your surgery has improved your condition. I'll absolutely pray for you but this test really doesn't give any really bad news just info that it may take a little more time for your bloodflow to improve.
Always my friend

Tom Kiss

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« Last Edit: Jan 19^th, 2006 at 11:41am by tomg »

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Shan

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MM Survivor ~ May 27,
2005

Posts: 849
Honolulu, USA, usa, 376, 346, HI, Hawaii
Gender: female

Re: CT & CT-A Profusion Study
Reply #3 - Jan 19^th, 2006 at 3:30pm

Thanks Lena..& Tom for the well wishes. Waiting seems like years. I just want to call my doctor to get the "wet read" already. I've been recently having intermittent brief spurts of numb feelings in my left hand and left bottom lip which brings back bad memories of my TIA's pre-op... Embarrassed

Quick question...what has your doctor instructed you to do when you are having a TIA? Go to the emergency room?

When I was having my TIA's pre-op, I didn't even realize what they were, and everytime I went to the ER, they did a CT and then sent me home. Of course, they did not know what MM was.

Tom, you never cease to crack me up... Smiley

and brighten my day! Wink

(I think we have the same sense of humor...) Anyway, I hope all goes well with your MRI Perfusion test coming up. I must've just had the regular MRI/MRA because I didn't have to have any IV's when I did mine. And yes, I hate needles! Shocked

It usually takes them a few times to get the IV in! However, yesterday, she got it in the first time! Yeah!

Well...once again, I appreciate your well wishes.

Take care,
Shan Smiley

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« Last Edit: Jan 19^th, 2006 at 3:37pm by Shan »

"Love, Accept And Respect All Things And All Situations In Life … They Are Especially&&Designed For Your Personal Learning" ~Howard Willis

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Greg-NJ1

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Mis-diagnosed with MM
in 2005, arterial restricion

Posts: 248
Teaneck, NJ
Gender: male

Re: CT & CT-A Profusion Study
Reply #4 - Jan 21^st, 2006 at 1:18pm

Shan,

I just had a perfusion MRI/MRA on Thursday. Like you, I hate needles, almost as much as I have MRI's....as I am clostrophobic as hell...Al that I can say is bring on the Valum.

As for my earlier post of the CT-Angio feeling like the gates of hell....that was like standing in front of an open oven. I just had my first Angio yesterday....now that was standing at the gates of hell, man did that burn, especially when they did the temporial arteries.

I'll be meeting with my neuro this week to discuss what I should be doing with my TIA symptoms. I'll keep you posted on what he says.

Greg

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I was misdiagnosed with MM in March of 2005. In January 2006, I was told it is not MM, but rather a massive restriction in the MC1 segment of my left carotid artery.

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Shan

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MM Survivor ~ May 27,
2005

Posts: 849
Honolulu, USA, usa, 376, 346, HI, Hawaii
Gender: female

Re: CT & CT-A Profusion Study
Reply #5 - Jan 22^nd, 2006 at 1:52pm

Ha ha...Greg! Yes, the angio is much worse than any other tests I've had. If given a choice between the CTAs and an angiogram, I'd stop complaining about the CTA's in a Smiley

beat!

I had the wonderful opportunity of seeing my neurosurgeon, Dr. Fukushima, yesterday who is in town to lecture at a conference here in Hawaii, and he ordered me to do an MRI/MRA Perfusion Study too. I'm guessing this will require an IV as well? As previously discussed, I will also have to have an angiogram at my 1 year mark in May. I don't mind being at the front gates of hell...I just don't want to go in!!! Smiley

Good news is that I don't have to fly back to North Carolina to do my angiogram (although I'd rather be close to Dr. Fukushima just in case...) I was told that the odds are 1 in 1,000 that patients can have a stroke during an angiogram. Did you or anybody hear that before? A local neuroradiologist told me that, which is why I didn't have my first one done here, and I waited until I got to North Carolina to do it! Lips Sealed

Yes, please keep me informed. I'm scared and don't know what to do when I get these brief instances of numbess. I forgot to ask him yesterday what I should do! uurgh Undecided

If anybody else knows, can you please let me know?? Smiley

Please keep us posted on how your angio went...We praying for great news. Smiley

Take care,
Shan

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« Last Edit: Jan 22^nd, 2006 at 1:53pm by Shan »

"Love, Accept And Respect All Things And All Situations In Life … They Are Especially&&Designed For Your Personal Learning" ~Howard Willis

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Greg-NJ1

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Mis-diagnosed with MM
in 2005, arterial restricion

Posts: 248
Teaneck, NJ
Gender: male

Re: CT & CT-A Profusion Study
Reply #6 - Jan 22^nd, 2006 at 6:05pm

Shan,

The Perfusion MRI/MRA is not a big deal, unless you hate needless (as we all know you do) and/or you are claustrophobic. Unlike a routine MRI/MRA, the Perfusion study does have a tracer die add during the MRA portion of the test. Yes, unfortunately they do need to use an IV line. But the good news is that the tracer die only warmed my arm near the IV insertion point. I'm not sure if everyone exeriences this, but I did NOT have any of the "FLUSHING" as I did with the CT-A or the angio.

In reality, the angio was not that bad. They did a great job of dopeing me up with Valum. Took the edge off big time. But, yes, it was just like walking through the gates of hell for all of the injections. Shan, seeing that you are in Hawai I guess I should be using "like walking through fresh lava fields" rather than the gate of hell description.

Good luck on the upcoming tests.....I know that you will get through the needles part....

Greg

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I was misdiagnosed with MM in March of 2005. In January 2006, I was told it is not MM, but rather a massive restriction in the MC1 segment of my left carotid artery.

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patch

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NEWCASTLE, Australia, australia, 325, 238, NSW, New_South_Wales
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Re: CT & CT-A Profusion Study
Reply #7 - Jan 23^rd, 2006 at 11:34pm

Shan

I had my double bypasses in October/November 2005.

I continue to have many of my pre-op symptons - such as "crawling" on the surface of my arms/legs, tingling in fingers, occasional minor slurring of speech. When I questioned my surgeon and neurologist, they both advised that I may always have these - that the aim of the surgery was to prevent strokes. Basically - I had to learn to live with it !

I also am having dizzy spells and occasional disphasia (loss of speech) - while still having tests to check, the neurologist feels they are attributable to the mild "focal fits" (epilepsy), I have had since the ops. This is being treated with tegrotol.

Don't know if this helps ??

Helene

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Shan

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MM Survivor ~ May 27,
2005

Posts: 849
Honolulu, USA, usa, 376, 346, HI, Hawaii
Gender: female

Re: CT & CT-A Profusion Study
Reply #8 - Jan 24^th, 2006 at 9:17am

Hi Helene,

Yes! Thank you for your input. I may need to stop worrying everytime I get a feeling of numbness in my fingers or lip area. I just didn't know what I was suppose to do. I called my neuro today, but the nurse called me back and said that "the dr. said your recent CTA was normal. Continue to take what he prescribed you." I wanted to ask what I should do when I get these feelings of numbness. I'm trying not to get anxiety over it...but from your post, looks like I may just need to get used to it. Undecided

Thanks again, Helene. Glad to see you're back! ; Grin

Take care,
Shan

p.s. I have an MRI/MRA Perfusion Study coming up...

Anybody know which is more accurate?

The CTA Perfusion or the MRI/MRA Perfusion Study?

p.s.s.

When do MM pts usually get the SPECT?

At the 1-year mark? I ran into another MM patient at my neuro's office, and she just had one. (She is a prior patient of Dr. Steinberg and has had 3 surgeries with him at Stanford.) She said it made her feel tired afterwards.... I'm just wondering if/when I'll be having one.

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« Last Edit: Jan 24^th, 2006 at 9:20am by Shan »

"Love, Accept And Respect All Things And All Situations In Life … They Are Especially&&Designed For Your Personal Learning" ~Howard Willis

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Greg-NJ1

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Mis-diagnosed with MM
in 2005, arterial restricion

Posts: 248
Teaneck, NJ
Gender: male

Re: CT-A/MRI & MRA Perfusion Study..SPECT..
Reply #9 - Jan 24^th, 2006 at 8:01pm

Shan,

I had my SPECT as art of the diagnostic procedure...they told me that I would probably not need another. I did not feel tired after the SPECT scan. Depending on the number of "heads" the scan has at your hospital, the test could be as short as 15 minutes to as long as 1 hour. The more heads, the faster the study, as they need to revolve completely around your head (Think of it this way, 1 head = long time as it must go completely around your head..... 2 heads = 1/2 time because each only goes 1/2 way around your head....3 heads (maximum) = 1/3 time because each head onlg goes 1/3 way around your head). Just be for warned that you will need to relatively still in a darkened room for upto an hour after the injection (YEs, more needles) before they run the test (at least that is what they did with me). Other than that the test is no big deal.

In terms of the CT-A or Perfusion MRA, I was told to go with the P-MRA as it is more detailed. I did a quick search on WebMD but couldn't find anything to confirm.

Hope this helps....remember I am not a doctor so this is just my Smiley

Greg

PS...I was just thinking we need to find a

BIG NEEDLE SMILIE

for you

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I was misdiagnosed with MM in March of 2005. In January 2006, I was told it is not MM, but rather a massive restriction in the MC1 segment of my left carotid artery.

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