DMSA Renal Scan @ KKH

Due to flight cancellations across Europe, KKH may not have sufficient supplies of the isotopic radioactive medicine that is required to perform my DMSA scan in end April. As a result, my scan was brought forward to today.

This morning, Daddy, Mummy and Granny accompanied me to Nuclear Medicine, Radio-imaging Department at KKH. The nurses had a hard time (I had an even harder and painful time crying) inserting the plug. Finally after a few attempts, it was done and I am relieved!

The doctor then injected some saline into my blood stream.

Next in goes the radioactive isotope. This isotopic medicine will travel straight to my kidneys to illuminate them so that the detector can capture multiple images of my kidneys.

The medicine will take some time to travel so we had a walk around KKH while waiting. Here I am in a little open park area getting some sunshine.

Thank goodness it is near my nap time and all the crying and struggling earlier had also made me sleepy and tired. I fell asleep in Granny arms and shortly after, the nurses assisted her to place me onto the "machine". This machine is actually a gamma camera that will capture the radiation emitted from the isotopes as it travelled through my kidneys.

The whole scan took around 20 minutes and 3 different positions were attempted by the gamma camera (2 on the sides and 1 directly above me). I am glad I did not wake up halfway through the scan as the detector is only a few centimetres above my face!

Mummy held my hand throughout the scan and I felt safe and secured. With my favourite little bolster, blanket and pacifier, I managed to remain motionless during the scan. Hopefully the images captured are clear and good enough for Professor Jacobsen when I see her during my follow up visit next week!