Take Control & Be Involved

The Medical Oncologist (whom I've only met once prior to surgery) has scheduled me for a MUGA Scan prior to our next meeting. The MUGA scan (Multiple Gated Acquisition scan) is an extremely useful noninvasive tool for assessing the function of the heart. The MUGA scan produces a moving image of the beating heart, and from this image several important features can be determined about the health of the cardiac ventricles (the heart’s major pumping chambers). A MUGA scan is performed by attaching a radioactive substance, Technetium 99, to red blood cells, then injecting the red blood cells into the patient’s bloodstream. The patient is then placed under a special camera (a gamma camera), which is able to detect the low-level radiation being given off by the Technetium-labeled red cells. Since the red blood cells (including those that are radio-labeled) fill the cardiac chambers, the image produced by the gamma camera is essentially an outline of those chambers.

HOWEVER, I am questioning whether or not the radioactive substance that will be injected into my bloodstream is safe. My opinion is - no, it's not safe. Furthermore, my research says pregnant women should not undergo this procedure.

I made multiple phone calls to my doctors this afternoon telling them my concern of the radioactive injection. I called (1) my Ob/Gyn; (2) the perinatalologist; and (3) the medical oncologist.

The first return call was from my ob/gyn, Dr. Smith. She told me that the best person to answer that question was the perinatalogist. I told her that I put a call into Dr. Hamner (Perinatalologist) and was awaiting his phone call.

The second return call was from a nurse at my ob/gyn's office. She told me that they were in contact with Dr. Hamners office and that Dr. Hamner recommended that I not undergo the MUGA Scan but that I have a echo cardiogram instead.

The thirst phone call was from a nurse at the medical oncologists office. She told me that Dr. Goldberg will approve the echo cardiogram and that is the better route to take because of my pregnancy.

Whoosh! I was so close to risking the health of my baby and my pregnancy because of a mistake or an oversight. My question is - Did the medical oncologist forget that I'm pregnant? If I hadn't researched the MUGA Scan procedure I would have probably gone forward with it. That scares me.

My point in documenting this is to take charge of your life and your treatment. It's your life.