MRI »
Today was my make-up day for the MRI. After rescheduling from last week, we arrived with plenty of time beforehand to take my sedative and get ready. We even had time not only to get gas in the car, but to get a bagel first. I think I was secretly hoping that we would arrive and they would tell me that I wasn't supposed to eat anything after midnight, whereby I could go home again. No such luck.
So we arrived, I was given a Xanax, and I got to wait. And wait. And wait. About forty-five minutes later, I went into the back, where I was able to wait some more.
Finally I made it into The Chamber, and a very nice nurse helped me up onto the table, covered me with a blanket (it was chilly!), even gave me a rag for my eyes. I slid into the machine and was doing okay until one of the sounds made me think that the thing was broken. It was like a giant record player was getting ready to collapse on me. Something gave. I pressed the panic button and said I couldn't do it.
I was afraid that I was going to have to go into the hospital, where they can actually administer a serious sedative via IV, but we decided to give it one more try and my wife came in with me, to make sure that I was okay. I decided to skip the cloth over my eyes, and I guess they forgot the blanket. As it turned out, I think it was better. Both made it seem even smaller than it actually was inside that beast they call a machine.
On the prior go-round, I had actually made it through a couple of small tests, so I only had to do another half-dozen or so, and I made it through those (barely), with my wife faithfully helping me through.
I really hope that I don't have to do that again anytime soon, though I suspect I will, just as soon as the Dilantin is all out of my bloodstream and they want to see how I do on just the Zonegran.
