MRI de gusto

This time the MRI went well. In addition to claustrophobia, I have positional vertigo. Mostly when I am flat on my back, in the position required by the MRI.

However, I prepped myself by lying underneath the magazine table in the waiting room. I had vertigo, but managed to adjust to the position by the time my turn came.

I told the nice young man with red hair and an Australian accent that I had anxiety, claustrophobia and positional vertigo. I lay down on the positioning table and explained to him that it works best for me if I tell them when to put me in. He agreed. There was some discussion of me taking a valium but they require you to have someone to drive you home after that.

I put in the earplugs. He put the plastic positioning visor on. This is an open lattice of plastic that encircles your head. There is a little mirror inside so that you can see out along your legs, through the MRI tube aperture, and talk to people in the room. Using this mirror, you can also see through the big wide window and observe the people in the other room who operate the computers.

I had some anxiety. I was a hair away from telling them to call it off and rescheduling for a time when I could bring a driver and have the valium. But then I thought, I could always ask them to bring me out, if I started to panic in the tube. So I told them to send me in, and kept my eyes closed 98 percent of the time in there.

Once inside, it was easy. I imagined that I was napping in bed at home, and listening to road work being done outside the house. The machine is quite loud and rhythmic, as I imagine a German disco might sound when playing industrial or techno music.

It seemed funny, but I managed not to laugh.

It was over sooner than I thought it would be, and they gave me my films and I came home. I'll show the films to the local neurologist when he checks me out on Thursday the 16th. He'll send his report on my symptoms to the radiologist who asked for this MRI for her research paper.

And I will have them for the ALS clinic when I go in February. Which reminds me, I need to go pick up that paperwork from the GP's office, authorizing the blood work. I have to fast 10 hours before having my blood drawn, so I plan to have the blood drawn first thing in the morning, before breakfast. Maybe tomorrow.