Radioactive Isotopes
Radioactive isotopes are radioactive atoms of ordinary elements such as carbon, cobalt, sodium, or phosphorus. Some radioisotopes are found in the atomic ash that remains after uranium atoms are split in a nuclear pile. Others are created by exposing normal elements to intense radiation inside a nuclear reactor while fission is taking place.
Radioactive isotopes emit radiation in the form of beta and gamma rays. The intensity of the radiation is proportional to the rate at which the radioactive material decays. Thus the different radioisotopes can be used for special purposes and processes.
Tools of research and industry. Tracers, as radioactive isotopes are sometimes called, have been described as the most useful research tool since the invention of the microscope in the 17th century. Physiologists using tracers, for instance, are learning where and at what speed physical and chemical processes occur in the human body.
Yesterday was so very interesting.......... and there was not cocktail ladies! I had the most expensive breakfast that I will most likely every have.
Before me was place a small bowl of hospital scrambled eggs, one very very dry piece of toast and 1/2 glass of room temperature water............. YUM.......... did I mention that the toast was dry, really dry........ not sure how they got it that dry.. but it was dry........ let me continue.............. all this was placed on some sort of cotton pad that covered the table and a pair of hospital rubber gloves was given to me and I was told to eat..
My instructions were " Eat all of the eggs if you can, for that is where the little RAI's live and part of the toast is fine.. wash this all down with the water and be careful not to drop anything on your clothes, otherwise you will need to take your clothes off........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did not want THAT! so with my blue rubber gloves on and "being careful was the name of the game'' I ate.
Before me was place a small bowl of hospital scrambled eggs, one very very dry piece of toast and 1/2 glass of room temperature water............. YUM.......... did I mention that the toast was dry, really dry........ not sure how they got it that dry.. but it was dry........ let me continue.............. all this was placed on some sort of cotton pad that covered the table and a pair of hospital rubber gloves was given to me and I was told to eat..
My instructions were " Eat all of the eggs if you can, for that is where the little RAI's live and part of the toast is fine.. wash this all down with the water and be careful not to drop anything on your clothes, otherwise you will need to take your clothes off........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did not want THAT! so with my blue rubber gloves on and "being careful was the name of the game'' I ate.
"You really cannot taste any difference in the eggs" I was told........... Yeah Right! You cannot put those RAI bad boys into a pan with scrambles eggs and fool anyone............ You just cannot!
Now understand, it is 11:00 in the morning, I have had nothing to eat or drink and when that stuff hit my stomach it was "Katie bar the door" OMG!!!!!!!! Anyway, let me continue... I ate slowly savoring each bite and washing it down with that wonderful warm water as to a feeble attempt at clearing my palate of the eggs.......... no such luck, I think I can still taste it this morning!
It was then up and over to the bed, lying down at a 45 degree angle pillow under my knees two warm blankets over my isotope body and now we are ready............ Over my middle comes the scanner and to my right was a large monitor........ The monitor was turned just so that I could see part of the screen and because of my "got to know" personality I ask the sweet young man doing the test to turn it so I could see the full screen, he complied. All things now in place he switched on the machines and OMG!
There before me was a black screen with this wad of bright shinning substance about the size of your fist staring back at me...........The eggs that I has just swallowed was lying peacefully in the upper part of my stomach.......... What a deal! I found this to be very fascinating and I had two hours to lay there and watch.......... The clock on the wall was hanging right above the monitor so guess what, time went a little too slow for me so I turned my head for a while and went off into na na land and slept almost 45 minutes.
It was almost 12:00 noon when I woke up and I can tell you that the glowing wad of eggs on the screen at 11:00 had changed... I innards was lit up like the Aurora Borealis ............ the gastric juices in my stomach had mixed the RAI....... and that monitor was lit up! Part of the eggs were still high in my stomach but part of them had moved lower and the gastric juices had carried the RAI's into my upper intestines! It was twisting and turning and working and moving and I was plumb fascinated!
At 12:45 there were two very bright spots in the upper part of my stomach that really needed to move down in the next 15 minutes as to give me good results........ I watched every one of the last 15 minutes! They moved.
The results of my test is 90% emptied in 2 hours and that is in the perfect range for the gastric emptying study. Ladies, my digestion is normal not too slow not too fast just right.................
Ok, that is good news and bad news............ I do not have an issue with food in my stomach too long and that is good, but what in the world is causing my distress......... I had not swallowed that RAI egg combination 30 minutes as my stomach was puffed up and I was miserable..........
So, in conclusion.......... This morning starts a food diary. I have tried this before, but now it is a serious matter. I will log everything that goes in my mouth and then rate it as to how it effects my stomach........ I will pray more feverishly and ask the Father to help me figure this out.
I feel like the woman with the issue of blood that had spent all her money on Doctors and still not healed. It took just one touch of HIS robe............ I am seeking the bottom of HIS robe......
but!!!!!!!!! I am thankful this morning that all is well with my stomach, I am thankful for the day that we live in for such tests to be available to us......... and I am thankful that although the dear Dr's cannot figure it out that my Father knows exactly what is going on AND I am thankful for this wonderful cup of coffee sitting in front of me!
