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01/15/2004: "Post-renogram commentary."
Waiting for the hospital to confirm there's a bed for me. Should get a call between 1500-1600hrs. Didn't expect to be at home this morning.
Renogram happened yesterday afternoon. Most difficult part of procedure was getting to and back from the hospital. Rode as pillion on 1970s motorbike. To hospital: left hand cramped up from cold, lost feeling in it. Leaving hospital: started to rain, windy, face became numb.
Renogram works and happened as follows:
Drink at least a litre of water an hour before test. Immediately before test, empty bladder. Escorted to a off-cream room with neon strip lights (one flickering). The room had a brass plaque commemorating its opening. Asked to lie down on equipment similar to that in opening credits of 'Hulk' TV series. The plaque says this is the 'gamma' room.
Nurse comes into administer injection. Can't find vein in arm. Starts investigating my hand. Injections in hands hurt - it's more bone than flesh. Nurse calls consultant in. Consultant finds vein. Inserts a butterfly needle. Needle is hooked up to a syringe filled with saline.
(During this time a Indian man born in Karachi - before partition - is assisting. He sounds like Mr.Bean and looks a bit like Monty Python's Terry Jones.)
Another syringe is brought out. It's kept in something similar to a reinforced pencil case. With a radiation warning sticker on it. The syringe has led shielding. It is affixed to a junction between the butterfly needle and saline syringe. Isotope is injected into me, then flushed through with the saline. Blood begins to drip out of man arm at insertion point. Indian man starts to clean it up - I tell him not to worry, it's my blood.
Indian man tells me about test and starts Hulk machine. It scans route of isotope through me and kidney. This takes 20 minutes. Decide to have a kip. Before sleeping think about what I might write. Wonder if I should ask her out again. Dream of WWII computer games.
Kip over. Needle removed. One one minute scan taken. Out of Hulk machine. Given measuring jug. Urinate into jug and tell the Indian chap how much I passed. Do this. Go back. Lie down. Another scan for a minute. End of test. Wish the Indian chap a good afteroon and leave. Back on motorbike. Face numb from cold.
Waiting for the hospital to confirm there's a bed for me.
