Re: Full Body Bone Scan

I don't know about bone scans, but a good remedy to have on hand for any scary situation, especially medical procedures, is Rescue Remedy...if you haven't heard of it, it is a combination of 5 flower essences that is used for emotional trauma, shock & panic...it's really helpful for children, since it is completely safe & has no side effects or interactions with any medications. You can look up flower essences at www.fes.org (the website for the flower essence society--Rescue Remedy is a brand name, & the "fes" product is called "five flower formula") and look up Rescue Remedy (just google it) to get more info. It would probably be helpful for you & your daughter to take it, before the procedure. On the fes site you can even call someone to ask them personally about how it works, safety, etc. Your doctor will likely not know anything about it, but it is a homeopathic remedy.

It does not seem normal that she would be in so much pain about her foot that she would wake up crying, so it's good that you found a dr. that seems to care. Another thing you could try is to buy some St. John's Wort oil (usually vegetable oil, steeped with St. John's Wort flowers) & rub it into her feet daily. This is a traditional herbal remedy for peripheral nerve pain (hand & foot nerve pain) & often gives relief to all kinds of foot pain. It is a beautiful reddish color, & good to buy it fresh from someone local who makes it. I have a friend who makes all sorts of these items, her website is www.holisticbodytherapy.com & her name is Andrea...

hope this helps, in a roundabout way...

I had a bone scan done just before my son turned 1. It wasn't that big of a deal to me, but then again, I was 28! I think that I too would be concerned if they wanted to put my son through one. I’m CERTAIN that the doctors know whether or not it is SAFE for her, but I wouldn’t like them putting that stuff in my kid. I had to pump and dump for 2 ½ days before my milk looked normal again! That was the part that raised the red flag to me. I would also be concerned about him freaking out, because he flips out even when they do a chest x-ray, I can’t picture him laying perfectly still for an hour. On the other hand, there are far more dangers in anesthetizing a small child than I’d want to accept either. They have to keep an entire extra Dr. and nurse, just to regulate how much anesthetic she’s getting, and an overdose or allergic reaction could have MUCH more severe consequences than it taking 2 hours instead of one to get image done.

If I were in your shoes, I would likely ask if their’s anything else that can be done short of the scan. (Don’t do an MRI because they’re very loud and you can’t hold her to comfort her during it.) If not, ask if they can give her a mild tranquilizer or if it’s safe for you to give her a little Benadryl. (The active ingredient in Benadryl is the same as in Unisom.) These may help to MILDLY sedate her, making the procedure a little less frightening.

Sorry if I scared you with the start of this message, and I hope all turns out okay with your daughter. Take care~ J.

As a parent, it's so hard to see our little ones suffer and have to go though the therapies that might be necessary, isn't it?

I think the above recommendation is wonderful. Make it exciting and fun for her, if possible. Your daughter will be looking to you for clues on how to react to the entire experinece. Be calm, know that it's non-invasive and somewhat quick and most definately promise her a special treat such as a stuffed animal afterwards.

Also, if she does have a special stuffed animal or blanket, by all means allow her to take it there and to hang on to it the entire time.

Let us know what happens, ok?

~J.

I've had a ton of bone scans, and it really is no big deal - I had my first at 10 years old! They give you a little shot (its actually mildly radioactive, but dies very quickly), you wait awhile for your body to circulate the material, and then they take a special type of live, moving x-ray. Its really quite cool, and if you make it seem like its SO interesting, your daughter will be fine. There is no pain involved except the shot - for the scan itself, she'll just lie on a x-ray table, but since they are not actually performing an x-ray, you are allowed to be with her every second. The radioactive material they inject her with reacts with the type of scan they do, and you can actually see little specs of silver glow on the scan monitor as her body circulates it (its super cool) - it will also tell them alot about her bones. I am 25 and have had 6 knee surgeries, and every time I have a new surgery, they conduct a number of bone scans just to get a better look at what happens deep within the structure of the bone.
Your daughter will not need to be put to sleep - the procedure is basically just like having x-rays done, but with a shot before hand (and the shot hurts no more than any other regular shot). As long as you explain to her exactly what will happen, and that the shot might hurt a little, but nothing else she will have done that day will hurt at all. Make her excited about getting to see her own bones while they are alive and working in her body (not many people get to see that!) - there is nothing to be concerned or scared about. As long as children are explained EXACTLY how and why everything is going on, they are usually very calm about the whole deal. Have her bring her blankie, paci, favorite stuffed animal for extra comfort.

Its not a big deal, so dont worry about it. Even if she does put up a fuss, sedating her will only make it so that you are in the hospital for hours longer than necessary. Its okay for her to cry , she is a child afterall. It will not scar her or traumatize her in any way, even if she puts up a big fuss. As long as you are calm, she will be too.

Dear L.,

I know, it is hard to see your child upset with medical equipment but it will be easier on her in the long run, because - as you said - the doctor cares. That is a great! and he and the nurses will be patient with her. It is important for you to be calm too, she is very close to you and knows your moods - no kidding - kids are experts on their parents just as we are about them.. Get her a new sweet comforting small stuffed toy, and a new soft 'jogging suit' . Comfortable clothes are soothing and quieting also. Talk to her about the big machine that will not hurt her. If I remember correctly, when I had a bone scan, it was a very quiet machine that just moved very slowly and took its pictures without sound.

Good Luck, C. N.

hi there,

this was a few years back in 2005. i went to pick up my then 1 year old from daycare and they said he hadn't been moving his arm all day and when they picked him up he screamed. i immediately took him to the er and the tests began.... they had no idea what was wrong, as they ruled out a broken shoulder, dislocated shoulder, so they decided to do a bone scan. for me, as a parent seeing my child go through that was soooo traumatic. they lye them on the bed and they strap them down like a mental patient and then the top of the machine comes down over you like it is going to squish you like a pancake. the dr. had given my son some type of drug to give him temporary amnesia so that he would never remember this event. it was still pretty traumatic even with the meds as i remember when the machine was lowering, my poor son freaked out like you've never seen, probably fearing he would be smooshed like a pancake. it was a traumatic experience, but if the dr.'s need to do it, let them. just ask them to sedate your child with the temporary amnesia drug. they ended up ruling it as septic arthritis in the shoulder right before they were going to do exploratory surgery. this all took place at Valley Medical on Bascom. I can give you Dr's. names if you'd like, let me know.