What is a PET/CT scan?

Let me walk you through my experience.  Now my experience may differ from others but at least you'll know what one person experienced. 
These were my fears going in:
1.  I would be claustrophobic and have a panic attack.
2.  I would have a reaction to the radiation or the iodine.
3.  I would throw up or have diarrhea afterwards.

The first thing I had to do was drink about a pint of barium.  It was flavored.  Mine was banana smoothie.  Don't fool yourself it is not a smoothie.  It doesn't taste bad but it is not something you will be craving the next day.

The next thing for me was starting an IV line.  I've had so many of those that this is no big deal for me.  I had an infusion of radiation.  That went really fast.  It was done before I knew it. 

After that, I had to sit still for 45 minutes.  Really still--no music, no TV, no book, no texting, no moving.  I don't sleep on command so this was a loooong 45 minutes for me.

Next. I faced the machine.  First, I had the PET scan.  It involved laying on a conveyor belt that moves you through the machine.  You lay still with your hands over your head.  Your legs rest on an elevated pillow.  The belt is comfortable.  I was afraid my arms would go to sleep but they didn't.  The machine is like a huge donut.  The belt pulls you in and out of the machine.  My body was never completely inside the donut and my head was out most of the time so I never felt claustrophobic.  It lasted about 20 minutes.

Finally, it was time for the CT scan.  Same machine--only 5 minutes.  They wanted me to drink some more barium since most of it had moved to my lower intestinal track.  They wanted me to drink it laying down but I was not sure I could do that.  They didn't want me to sit up and have a different position for the PET scan.  I just skipped that second barium drink.  The CT scan is only 5 minutes but they flush a dose of iodine into you during the procedure.  It feels like a rush of warmth from your head down to your pelvic area.  In fact, you have the sense that you just urinated.  Don't worry, you didn't.

Then you are done.  I was there a total of an hour and half.  I had planned to go back to work but as I ate lunch I had a few bathroom issues (not bad just a nuisance).  So I went home and slept all afternoon.  Not sure why I slept all afternoon but that's what I did.