MRI

I had an MRI scan this week. The dental problems which turned out to be sinus problems turned out to be neither. All those antibiotics I’ve swallowed over this past year have probably been in vain, not to mention all the saline nasal sprays, steam inhalants etc etc etc.

After having a camera poked up my nose in August, the ENT doctor said my sinuses looked very clean and healthy with no evidence of a recent infection and the CT scan I had confirmed that. So he booked me for an MRI.

Half an hour they said it would take to have the MRI. My appointment was at 11.30 so I thought I’d have plenty of time to get back for school pick up, but we’d agreed that if for any reason I wasn’t out by 2, my husband would come back to get the children and I’d walk to the railway station and catch a train.

The two guys doing the MRI took me into a room where they explained what would be happening. They couldn’t have been nicer or kinder. I felt a bit scared when they said there was a remote chance of an allergic reaction to the dye they were going to inject, but they reassured me that it was very rare and if it did happen, they knew what to do.

Did I have any questions? Yes, will I be out by 2? They both laughed. “You’ll be out in time for lunch,” one of them said. “They always tell you it’ll take longer than it does.”

That’s when I thought to mention that I have difficult veins. When I had the blood test to check my kidney function, the nurses had to get a doctor and he ended up managing to squeeze just enough blood out of a vein in my wrist for the test. “It might take a little longer then.” I don’t think any of us realised quite how long.

I can’t get over how nice they were. So courteous and kind. They offered to put the radio on but I opted to just wear the headphones. I’m glad I did as I’ve since been told that it’s nigh impossible to hear the music anyway and that would have just annoyed me.

I had been warned it was noisy (several of my friends have had MRIs) and at first I thought the tapping and thrumming wasn't too bad, but I was unprepared for the burst of pneumatic drill like noise and the vibration. Then out I came and had to stay perfectly still – not that difficult with the frame thing round my head – while they put the cannula in.

Suddenly it seemed I had no veins. They tried so hard to find one and had one attempt, but it failed and so they called a doctor. I couldn’t see him because of the frame, but he sounded like the one who had done my blood test. I had tourniquets round my arms and was doing the squeezing of my fists. I’d had plenty to drink beforehand too as I knew that would help.

I found it difficult to hear what he was saying with the headphones on and at one point he said “Little scratch” and I thought he said “Squeeze”. Oops. He said he didn’t want to use my hand as it can be more uncomfortable, but in the end he tried that to no avail. Then suddenly he found a vein in my arm – a good one!

And back into the machine I went for the scan to be repeated with the dye this time.

When I came out, one of the guys took me back to the waiting room and said I should stay for a while just in case I had any reaction. I was gobsmacked to find it was 1.40. I had had no idea how much time had passed. After drinking several cups of water to flush the dye out of my system, I was able to leave.

Great timing. We left the hospital by 2 which had been our deadline.

I felt rotten though – the extra time it took must have used up their lunch hour and by the time I left, their next patient had arrived.

I’ve always had awkward veins. Even when I was young and skinny they used to bury themselves deep and I’ve had to have blood taken from my hands in the past.

It is the longest Dusty has ever been left in the house on his own. Well he had Harley and Poppy here for company, but when I came in I expected to find chewed shoes at the very least, but... nothing! He had been very good.

Harley kept an eye on things!

Coming soon: I will be speaking to a mysterious writer here on my blog… Watch this space!

Happy Writing.

** The machine makes a pleasant sort of pulsing noise which is almost musical even when it isn't being used. You can hear some of the different sounds in this link. **