By tanya on Wednesday, June 27, 2001 - 06:16 pm:

Has anyone ever had a bone scan?
I went to the rheumatologist yesterday and
she just confirmed what my neurologist found-
that i have carple tunnel in both hands and
spondylolysis. from what i've read
spondylolysis is a fracture in the lower part of
the back, could be congenital or caused by
sports. I'm to have a whole body bone scan
on monday and wanted to hear from a patient
what to expect. (after the MRI, i've learned that
the person doing the procedure has no clue
as to what the patient goes through)

By Sharon on Thursday, June 28, 2001 - 12:20 am:

Tanya,
I have had bone scans before, they usually consist of an injection of radioactive isotope and then a scan. I also think that spondylolysis is a form of athritis what you are thinking of I think is Ankolysing Spondolosis. I have have seronegative splondoloarthritus since i was 12

By tanya on Thursday, June 28, 2001 - 02:55 am:

sharon,

I thought the same think but my rheumy says
that there are a whole bunch of different
spondy conditions. i looked up
spondylolysis,spondylitis (which i also have
due to my ulcerative colitits) and spondylosis.
she was right they're all different.

Thanks for the info on the bone scan. i don't
think i'll freak out from that.

By MichelleT on Thursday, June 28, 2001 - 03:38 pm:

I had a bone scan, and it was cool. I was able to see the monitor as the "camera" moved down my body. I got to see my whole skeleton.

The whole process was easy--nothing to worry about except to make sure you empty your bladder well. Halfway through mine, they made me go to the bathroom since my bladder was covering the view of my back.

By Kathie Gadd on Sunday, July 01, 2001 - 03:35 pm:

I've had a bone scan as a patient (and performed hundreds of others! - when I worked in the Nuclear Medicine Department. My hubby is also head of the Nuclear Medicine Department at our hospital..).

The test is really straight forward. You will have an injection into a vein - like a blood test. Then you have to wait 2-3 hours (tho sometimes they do some pictures straight after the injection if they want to see the blood supply - called 'vascular phase') The pictures take 20-30 mins to do in total and each view takes a couple of minutes or so - so you have to lie/sit still for each view but you can move in between. It doesn't hurt and the injection doesn't make you feel any different.
It's advisable to drink fluids (not alcoholic ones!) and move around between having the injection and the pictures being taken as this gives for better pictures. You'll be asked to go to the loo just before the pictures are taken because the injection is excreted via the bladder and kidneys so if there is urine in your bladder you can't see the pelvic bones properly. And that's all there is to it...

Hope you go on okay!