Today I was scheduled for a liver ultrasound, to rule out metastasis. It took about 20-30 minutes and I felt strangely relaxed. It turns out the technician used to work at my OB/GYN office and she was pretty nice and laid back. She didn't say much during the test, but at the end she took a quick peek at the baby and I'll never say no to that opportunity :) Then, she walked me out, and as I was leaving, she leaned in and said, "Between you and me, the liver looked fine." I know they're really not supposed to do that, but I'm so glad she did. It brought a sense of cautiously optimistic relief.
Jeremy and I headed out of the building and my phone rang. It was Dr. M's office, and the receptionist said that he also wanted me to have a chest x-ray, and if I was still at the imaging center, I could go ahead and get it right then. So, we turned around and headed back inside.
The x-ray was quick and easy, though the tech was a little confused as to why a chest x-ray would be ordered for a pregnant lady. I told him my diagnosis, and he got quiet, and then reassured me that I'd wear a protective vest and he was only taking two pictures. Of course, I had to sign a consent acknowledging the risks to the fetus, but from everything I'd read and been told by my doctors, the risks are minimal.
In the afternoon, Dr. A's office called to schedule me for an MRI tomorrow morning. Again, this was being debated among my doctors, because MRI's are typically not recommended during pregnancy, especially if contrast dye is used (which is what the doctor wanted). I went ahead with scheduling it, and figured my doctors would come to an agreement and I'd just have to trust them. This is where the issue of my safety vs. safety of the baby started to become apparent.
Later afternoon, another phone call from Dr. A's office. The radiologist would not agree to do an MRI, so it was cancelled. Instead, they decided to just order a breast ultrasound.
Sidenote: Here's a little something I learned pretty quickly about insurance. Did you know that if you have an imaging test done at a place that's located in (or adjacent to) a hospital, it'll cost much more? For me, it was a $225 difference in co-pay. And I have supposedly "good" insurance! I could've had imaging done much closer to my house, for cheaper. But at the time, I just went wherever I was told to go. Live and learn I guess.
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