Pre-Scan
On day 2, the injection of radioactive gallium citrate, called the tracer, had

This pamphlet was so kitschy I could hardly stand it. Love it!
made its way through my body. I explained to the tech that I am a patient blogger and my fellow patients were also fascinated by the lead encased syringe. The department now wants to check out my blog.
I was dressed comfortably in preparation for the test but was not told I also needed to have no metal on my clothing, similar to MRI requirements. So for day 2, I wore a hospital gown but could keep my pants on. For Day 3, I wised up and wore a long sleeve shirt with no buttons and comfy pants. My shoes were not removed either day and it was okay to keep my hearing aids in place.
It is my understanding that the metal in the Gallium Scanning process is more of a problem for ensuring accurate images rather than anything to do with magnets as in MRIs.
The Scan
I lied down on a somewhat narrow board with a pillow under my head and under

The scanner that scanned me. The top came down very closely to my body.
my knees. The board moved me closer to the camera. It was a very gentle motion. The machine was so quiet that I could hear other people from other rooms screaming. They were all elderly. My guess is no other patient in Nuc Med was under the age of 60. Nuc med often includes heart, bone, and other scans. It’s my understanding that some nuclear medicine scans hurt. The Gallium Scan didn’t hurt at all.
The camera looks like what you rest up against when getting a chest x-ray. As you are lying on the board, the camera moves in different positions around you and all the way down your body for a full-body scan. You must lie completely still. Valium helped me with this aspect.
Day 2 lasted for about 60 minutes. For about 15 of those minutes, I had to hold my arms out to my sides. The nuclear medicine technician helped me move my arms to a platform to rest them during this portion.
Following Day 2’s scan, I was told by the Radiologist/Nuclear Medicine Technician that things looked good and the I received the worst, most unclear (look! an anagram of nuclear) medical instructions ever.
- Eat lightly for the rest of the day.
- Begin drinking 8 ounces of water every hour until bedtime.
- Drink 10 ounces of magnesium Citrate when you arrive home.
I asked questions but didn’t really get answers. Drink the magnesium citrate

I recommend sticking with the Lemon Flavor.
when I get home from work at 6pm? Start the water before then? Either way, it worked out. I drank all of the Magnesium Citrate by about 7pm and my colon was pretty empty by my 10:30am scan.
Day 3
The department was delayed about an hour. Day 3 scan was much longer. It is my understanding that it can take a few days for the tracer to build up in the body tissue so Day 3 is an ideal time to get lots of images. The hardest part of day 3 was keeping my arms raised above my head for what seemed to be an hour. With my lovely arm weakness and neck muscle spasms, my body was hating me more than usual. Luckily, when I had the opportunity I asked for lots of blankets. If there is one thing a reader can learn from this blog – always ask for blankets during any exam!
The technician told me the Radiologist/Nuclear Medicine Doctor wanted to do two series of 360 degree pictures of my chest and head. I asked if this had something to do with the findings with my salivary glands. The technician said, “With your thyroid?” and in typical Queen fashion I said, “I already know I have a tumor on my thyroid. It’s not cancerous. Is something else going on?”
I got no reply.
When all of the scanning was done, I met my husband in the waiting room and it had been nearly 3 hours! I was told it would be about 1 hour 45 minutes total. Wow! No wonder my arms got weaker and weaker. I still managed to make it to work.
I asked for results, pictures, etc. and was told there were none available. If it wasn’t so busy, I probably would have pushed the matter. I don’t like to leave appointments without some info in hand. This is my health, my life, and I’m the manager of it.
So there!
And there you have it. A Gallium Scan. I now have a pocket card stating I am radioactive for 30 days. This is for if I want to cross the border or take a flight. Sad thing is it says the reason I am radioactive is for tumor localization. Gallium scans are often used when lymphoma is suspected.
Really?
We’ll see what comes.
I always love hearing from you.
Best,
-Q