United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Just got my prescription faxed from Dr. Nath. Was just wondering, do the kids have to be put to sleep or sedated for this scan? Kyle has never had anything other than x-rays taken. I still have to call around and find someone in my area that does these scans.
Karrie

Karrie - can you give us the wording on the scrip so that if anyone is going to their primary doc for the scrip they have the wording correct....

Maia had a CT scan in April. She did not get sedated. It is a very short scan - took about 5 minutes. Maia is a fearful child so I told her a 'story' about that it's a cat that will take the pictures of her shoulder. She had to lay down on the table and close her eyes.... it was a table and a donut at the end of the table- not a tube like MRI...
I fed her lines about the cat coming in the room, and then they were feeding it a snack, and then he climbed into the machine and now he's running around the track..... they had a hamster in preschool and he ran that round track so that's what she thought the cat was doing! She still talks about it... the nurses thought I was a nut - too bad - she stayed still! Whatever works!! LOL LOL hahaha

I don't know if Kyle will buy it but I guess what I'm saying is that it's not a hard test....not like an MRI which is so long to keep still.

good luck with it - Maia's having hers the end of October.

-francine

Fran,
The script says exactly what you had written in your post.

Brachial Plexus Injury
CT Bilateral Shoulder
3D surface rendering w/bone algorithm
w/o contrast

signed: Dr. Nath

I'm glad they don't have to be sedated. Maybe I could try reading Kyle a Pokemon book. He has a hard time sitting still for even a short time...Ha..Ha..Ha Hopefully he will be able to get through this short test. If all else fails, try the old bribery....He has been wanting a new gamecube game lately. Thanks
Karrie

Francine, Joe Joe's RX says: "brachial plexus injury--CT bilateral shoulders 3D surface rendering w/bone algorithm--w/o contrast." We're in the process of getting our referral and then we'll have it done. I just found a place who does these in Fairfax, Karrie, but they only do adults. I'll let you know what I find out.

Are the children laying down for this procedure? The place where Kyle gets his x-rays done can do the scan. The radiologist said he was game for trying the 3D with Kyle, but said he must sit still for about 15 to 20 minutes. Almost certainly an impossible task for Kyle, but we are going to give it a shot on Monday afternoon. Kyle bought some new books at the book fair this week, so we will take those and hope he will sit still to hear me read to him.
Karrie

Karrie, they are insisting that Joe Joe be sedated. So we're having it done Oct. 28. I think they're in a sitting position, but I'm not 100% sure.

hmmm - they said it would take about 5 minutes...Maia's last scan took about 5 minutes...

they said that the CT scan is the same as a regular one- they just run it through the 3D software afterwards...

I will call and ask more questions....see if they gave me the right or wrong info....hmmmmmph..!

Francine, they did say that it will take about 5 mins. but he had to be sedated because he wouldn't be allowed to move at all. Was Maia sedated when she had hers? I really don't want him sedated. I think he can be still for 5 mins, if I'm there with him.

Maia was not sedated - she was intrigued and stayed very still because I gave her the story of the cat running the wheel inside round and round!! hahaha

Maybe you can ask your pediatrician to give you something that will just take him down a notch without sedating him completely ?

-francine

My son has NOT had the 3D but has had many other Xray sorts. Many of which took about 15-30 minutes. He too was sedated. However, when they "sedate" him it was only with a liquidy sticky syrup that made him sleep for only 20 minutes. When he woke up it was like a power nap! no staying after to make sure he could keep anything down or anyhting, and it took about only 2 minutes for it to kick in.
hope that helps a little.