If you’ve never had a CT scan before, then you’re probably wondering what’s a CT scan like? And how is a CT scan (or CAT scan) different from an MRI?
I recently had my first CT scan (Computed Tomography scan) after my primary physician believed he felt something unusual near my thyroid during a checkup.
I was asymptomatic and hadn’t noticed any lump on my throat, but we don’t always see things about ourselves that others may notice. My doctor said he didn’t think I had a nodule, but he felt some “thickening” near the right side of my thyroid that needed to be checked out.
Doc ordered a CT scan to get a better picture of this thickening that he didn’t think a basic ultrasound would pick up on.
I agreed. But I had never had a CAT scan before. I wondered:
- What’s a CT scan like?
- Is the radiation from a CAT scan safe?
- What does the CT scan prep consist of?
- Does it hurt getting a CT scan?
- What’s it like getting a CAT scan with contrast?
Here’s what I’ve learned after having my first CT scan…