Have I mentioned how much I love Doctors? 
Today I had an MRI.
I had never had one before, and I was very nervous. I’m sure you are familiar with the procedure, even if you have never had an MRI. Very simply, you get shoved onto a tiny tube and huge magnets whirl around your head, resonate, and it makes purdy pictures of your head, or spine, or little toes. Or whatever.
I was taken back extremely quickly, nay, hustled back, even, told to take off my glasses and shoes and hop into a sheet covered horse trough while a blurry nurse shoved earplugs into my ears and a helmet over my grey matter. I was told about 542 times to not move my head, and then I was left alone. I shut my eyes as the trough slowly slid backwards into the tube, and concentrated on being still.
It was not as bad as I was afraid it was going to be, but in some ways it was worse. Firstly, I think it was the oldest unit in operation, secondly, I think it was the dirtiest. I am certain that the portion just above my face was covered in dried vomit. (Granted, it was not in the easiest area to clean, but then, neither is a toilet, but most of us manage to get to those at some point, now, don’t we?) Thirdly, it was loud. The nurse said I would hear “some banging” noises, but “not to worry”. Well, I heard banging all right. And whoops, whistles, whirrs, clicks, voices, screams, and whooshes. All at top volume. Whew. But it was ok. There were only two times that I was uncomfortable, and that was during the second scan, which made me feel like I had a tic in every muscle in my face, and then when they hauled me out to inject me with dye.
I think the best analogy I can think of is that it was rather like being swallowed by an electronic whale.
Only less wet. And less smelly. But not by much.
It went well, they didn’t have to take any extra scans, (I am a master at not moving!) and in a few days they should know if I have a brain or not.
I’ll keep you posted on that one.
February 23rd, 2006 at 3:25 am
I hope the MRI comes out well.
And MRI is awful to do if you are claustrophobic :p I did a full body MRI (among a million other things) many years ago when they diagnosed my cancer, and that was the only problem. I can handle needles and everything else, but not tight spaces. What saved me were the meditation I did at the time. Without that, it would’ve freaked me out.
February 23rd, 2006 at 10:20 am
I hope your MRI results are ok. I shall be looking out for your result.
February 23rd, 2006 at 10:34 am
I join with everyone else in hoping the results are okay. And if they end up not being okay, I hope you are strong enough to get through it.
February 23rd, 2006 at 6:15 pm
Same as above…I hope everything is ok…and if not, you know we’re here.
I too had a very bad MRI experience once…..at least it was clean though!