CT SCANS, PETS scans and Radiotherapy

Dad is planning to start radiotherapy soon and the oncos have scheduled a series of scans.
It is amazing how little infomation the doctors are giving from the (i quote minister) '$8 package). They send you through the factory line. If you don't ask any questions, they send you through the factory line silently; you may well be contributing to the statistic of the 5-yr survival with 5 percent.

There r a number of tests you have to do before u start on radiotherapy.

1) CT Simulation

The simulation has a shelf -life of about 3 weeks, so do not embark on it unless u are 100% sure you have decided to start your radiotherapy within the 3-week time frame (we were not told on this).  A few dots may be marked as tattoo to help radiographer position the equipment during future treatment.You have to fast about 4 h before.  Procedure takes about 45 min.

2) PET scan

some 'spots turn up in the CT scan. Another way to better ascertain the nature of these 'spots' is to do a PET scan. Sometimes u can get better info. The idea behind it is to see if the pancreatic cancerous cells had/had not spread. This will affect the dose of radiation treatment that may be given. (S$1500 non-medisave deductible for a subsidized patient)

You have to fast 6 h before the scan.  Before scan, you have to be injected and 2 cups of drinks have to be downed. then you have to wait for an hour before they can scan you. Guess what, dad fasted, got injected, drank 2 cups of whatever, waited for 45 min just to be told that the machine generating the dye is not working for that day. Scan aborted. talking about much ado for nothing.

3) Renal scan (kidney)

This kinds of help to minimise the effect of radio on the kidneys, they know where the kidneys are and can target the treatment better. We were told it will take half a day. In actual fact, the actual procedure goes like this -

Arrive and inject. Once injection is done, you can go anywhere for the next 3 hours. The scan will only be carried out (30min procedure thereabouts) after 3 h has passed.

Maybe it is the post-election flu. I just wonder how far S$8 can go in reality.
As a subsidized patient, dad is really getting a lot of subsidy; the medical costs are VERY high so we still end up having to pay quite abit!
Thank God there is such a thing as MEDISAVE, so one had savings o use for medical purposes.
and yet there r many restrictions about using it. Max for scan is $600 per yr for Medisave claim. 1 PET scan alredy cost S$1500. Within a period of 3 months, from diagnosis till now, dad has gone through 2 CT scan, 1 CT simulation, 1 PET scan and 1 renal scan. You get the picture. Mr George Yeo is well-liked. WP wins the GRC. Part of it is related to my dad and his scans.

I wonder how all the uncles and aunties i met at the NCC (whenever i went with dad) afford all these.

Mum told me of a one of her friend who had cancer but cannot afford treatment. She is relying on donation of free paracetamol supply as pain control measure from her peers who visit polyclinics for follow ups and asked for subsidized paracetemol prescription.