Hi Michelle! First, congrats on just having one treatment left! Plan a BIG celebration!!!!
The mugga test is to study how well your heart is pumping, how much blood it pumps per beat, etc. The test can also show how the heart chambers and valves are working as well, and this deals with us, monitor the effect that chemo is having on the heart muscle.
You are first given an injection of a “tagging agent,” pyrophosphate, that highlights your red blood cells. The techs that administered this would not use my port. So, I have had it put in a vein in my hand and arm both. After 30 minutes, you’ll be injected with the radioactive tracer. (you don't feel a thing) It emits signals that can be detected by the camera (gamma camera). The camera will take several images, usually three. This takes about 45 minutes. You just lay on the table and relax! :)
There are usually no side effects . But you should always tell the people giving you the test how you feel, so they can take any action needed.
No special preparation is needed, but it’s always best to tell the doctor, technologist, or nurse doing the test, if you have a history of allergies, are taking any medications (including over-the-counter medications or “natural” supplements), are diabetic, are pregnant or suspect you are pregnant, are breast feeding your baby, or have any prosthetic implants in your body.
From what I have read and been told, the radiation levels administered in most nuclear medicine studies are usually considerably lower than in a conventional x-ray or CT scan. You may retain this low level radioactivity for a short period. It dissipates on its own, and some is eliminated through urine or bowel movement.
Again, congrats on the 9th!
Deb