The famous PET scan, where the preparation is more intimidating than the actual scan. Stands for Positron Emission Tomography (sounds like a Transformer😄).

First of all, I had to go to the Hospital in Rotterdam, since our local hospital doesn’t have a PET machine (which is pretty normal-these things are a wee bit nuclear😏). So, arriving at the massive daunting Erasmus, I thought, I’m good, let’s follow the signs and get this over with.

Alas! Because of all the safety precautions, I had to go on a treasure hunt: in the hospital one way and then out another, through (one of the many) parking lots, climb some stairs, go through a special elevator, go down some stairs again, find a dodgy looking receptionist in an area that would have fitted a Men In Black scene and then fill out a form where I state that my tummy is empty since midnight, have no metal bits in me or take any specific medication, walk through another long corridor and then be seated in a special area where a kind nurse confirmed that they have been expecting me.

I got the pills I needed to swallow an hour before the radioactive infusion (these pills help the brown fat in our body to not light up with this scan – did you know our fat is colourful?😐) and now I HAD to drink a litre of water🚾

Then off to a special room, put your things in a locker, get the infusion from metal(!)syringes and seated in a room with cosy armchairs where you (attempt) to relax for an hour before the scan. No phones, no books, no talking, just… meditating, I guess. Well, this was a good time as any to catch up on my meditation🧘‍♀️

Once the time was up, I was taken to a massive room, where a machine, very similar to the CT scan stood and didn’t look as intimidating, got on the bed and zoomed in and out a few times while lying still and that was it. Bye!

No, I didn’t glow in the dark after, and that was a huge disappointment. Didn’t grow any superpowers either. In fact, the only special thing that happened was my sliiiightly glowing pee…

1 out of 5 stars because it took a lot of skill to be h-angry half the day in a heatwave and not turn radioactive in some way.

Pic from the nuclear toilets😉