I want to thank everyone for their kind comments and emails. It has been really something to get such wonderful messages of encouragement from people- friends I know and talk to in real life, and friends who I have gotten to know online. I truly appreciated it.
I had the MRI last Wednesday and I learned a couple of things.
The first: when your doctor asks you if you would like something to help you relax for the test the answer is YES. I was quite nervous about the test, the results, and the fact I would be injected with dye so I was pretty keyed up by the time I was in my hospital gown. However, when they brought me into the MRI room and I had a look at the machine I was about to inhabit for the next 60 minutes my knees were knocking.
The MRI looks like a giant dryer on steroids and it is long enough to hold a body. And the damned thing is loud. Put a few pairs of sneakers in the dryer and an alarm clock and there you have the sound it makes. Not on a consistent bases mind you, at intervals, odd ones too.
I lay back onto the bed and the technician put headphones on my head. He gave me a little ball to squeeze should I need to call for help, and then eased me into the machine. I had a moment of panic- one I did not expect.
I would never have described myself as claustrophobic, but I can tell you that the second thing that I learned last Wednesday is that I apparently have a touch of it- because from the moment he slid me in to the tube every molecule in my body was screaming to get out. The test did not hurt at all, the dye did make me a little sick, but it was a struggle for me to stay in the tube for 60 minutes, unable to really see anything but the tube, and flashing light, unable to move and unaware of how much longer I was going to be in there, and mentally trying to prepare for the next set of bangs and clicks. I had to talk myself down from full-on panic just before the end of the test. I was warm and stomach sick and scared.
When they finally slid me out of the MRI I was so relieved I was giddy. I almost hugged the technician. It took me about twenty minutes to get myself together and leave, my steps getting a little lighter the further away from the hospital I got.
Anyway it is done now. I will get the results from the Liver specialist tomorrow.
4 comments:
I had one done on my head last spring. It wasn't so bad, but then again, only my head was in the tube! I think I would have felt differently had my entire body been in there.
Thinking positive thoughts for your results tomorrow.
Being from that beautiful Rock myself, I am a faithful follower of your blog. Today will be the first day I've commented.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and may only good news come from this experience. Be strong.
Thank you April and Lisa.
I am glad to hear this test is behind you. I am sure the results can't come soon enough for you. I have my fingers crossed!
I too, have been inside that tube and it is nerve wracking. I was fortunate because with the start of each series they would tell me how long the racket would last which made it more bearable. I wonder if that was because I was at a Children's hospital?
Post a Comment