Survived the MRI

Adjusting the pain medicines this morning was EXTREMELY difficult for me (see previous post) but I managed to hold out until around 9:30 for the full dosage to make sure I was comfortable during the whole MRI procedure...it would have been pure hell to run out of meds while I was in that noisy tube! OK...so, here's the MRI story....DO NOT exam my hair at closer view....I sweat the entire time I was at the hospital like a dang race horse after the Kentucky Derby! When I sweat like that I get Medusa hair (as Bo has decided to call it), it's not at its highest in this photo but you kind of get the idea. I wake up with it nearly every morning now after the night sweats. OK...back to the story...the first hour was spent in my own private "get the poop out" room. My wonderful, faithful-through-the-worse husband administered the dreadful laxative and then we waited for the results, which were as they should be. Enough said about that. Then the technician/nurse Rolf (who couldn't have been a nicer man) took us over to the MRI area where he outfitted me in this lovely two piece outfit. The cropped pants were comfortable and I would have liked to take them home! (should have asked) The back of the pants had a velcro snap so the Doctor would have access to my rump. The gown was comfortable and a perfect fit! (I should have one of these at home too!) If I had known the outfit was going to be blue, I would have choosen a different pair of socks...but really...who cares when you're at the hospital! ? Next, I met the Doctor who went over, again, the MRI procedure. Rolf had already explained it to me but what the heck, I listened again. This Doctor was ONLY there to insert contrast dye into my butt. (oh lucky him!) Rolf held my hand tightly and Bo was kissing my sweating head while the Doctor was torturing me. SCREAMS! Once the dye was inserted I was back on my back again and ready to be photographed inside, all around. Several people had given me suggestions and related their MRI stories to me but as always, each person's experience is unique! I brought along a couple of CDs to play on their sound system, as instructed by the brochure I got in the mail. To avoid the claustrophic feelings, (and to avoid thinking about being in coffin!) I had planned topics to think about in the machine while listening to one of my CDs. They put on the gospel choir CD I got from Åsa yesterday with really up lifting songs on it! (Tack Åsa! Jag tycker om det välligt mycket!)

So there I was cozy in my cocoon, Bo vigilantly watching the top of my sweaty head (they had to change the towel on my pillow before we started!), ready to "drive to Crescent Beach" in my head while grooving to the spiritual rhythms of the music. Then the machine started! (Amanda at Scrandasnewland told me she has doozed off during her MRIs! wow) Could that thing be any LOUDER! Where was my peaceful, relaxing cocooning? First, I thought I was in the engine room of a steam ship for "3 minutes" (not the Titanic, please!), then quiet--oh, THERE's my music for 10 seconds, next I was at a party with the Aborginals of Australia--stomp dancing around the desert to the beats of a diggeridoo for "2.5 minutes", quiet again while they adjusted the machine view "Ain't no mountian high enough" for 15 seconds, back to the steam ship for "3 minutes" (Rolf told me how long each photo session was lasting.).

I forced myself to think about driving to Crescent Beach (after all, I was looking forward to the ride and the destination!) ...drive out pass the Gainesville airport, make a left at the "dangerous intersection", pass Melrose (wave at Natalie's street, even if she doesn't live there anymore), Putnam Hall to the right (count the guys at the corner, supposed to determine how high the waves will be--folk legend), pass the Bible Camps, pass Flora Home (where once I ran out of gas on my way home while hauling my brother's surf board and his friend's on top of our VW, dog and cat in the car- no leash or box, wearing ONLY a bathing suit and flipflops...I opened the windows just enough to let in air but not to let out the cat, wrapped a towel around me and started to walk 1-2 miles back to Flora Home, didn't get but 20 yards from the car when I good Samaritan- an older gentleman- stopped his pickup truck and siphoned off enough gas for me to get to a working gas station in Putnam Hall- he said to me "This is not a good situation for a young lady like you to be in. Always keep your tank with at least a quarter of a tank", I've always tried after that!), then....let's where was I on the road...oh, next Palatka (where one of our funniest family moments occurred while we stopped for gas and our "Fluffy" kitty got out of the car--image all four of us running around the streets of Palatka yelling "Fluffy, FLUFFY...." it was like a Chevy Chase Vacation movie scene--really bad but we found the cat!) , cross over the St. John's river....turn left towards Hastings...stop at County Line for fresh veggies (delicious!) and Bull Chips (made right there in Hastings...darn good...say the name as fast as you can & you'll see why we kids thought it was so funny), once I had a spin out in a rental car at the Hastings intersection while on Spring Break in college driving with my roomate, Dianne (do you remember?) and my exchange sister from Peru, Lucy....it was scary! Anyway....this is where I couldn't concentrate anymore during the "drive"...maybe the sounds of the machine were to great for me to over come or maybe the anticipation of getting to the beach was too much for my Florida homesick head. Then the final round of photos were accompanied by a tremendous racket of concrete street drills....ba babababababababab...babababababab......babababab...at that point I was getting REALLY HOT, sweat pouring off my forehead, making my face itch, the light over my head like the sunshine....so naturally I skipped driving the rest of the way to Crescent Beach...I was THERE! I was basking in the Florida sun mid-day like a fool that I was in High School..craving the deep, bronzed look we all wanted back then! It was a windless day and the concrete drills drowned out the sound of any waves that were in my mind. "Carol, we're almost over, only 2.5 more minutes." BABBABABABABABABABB.....BABABABABABBA..finished! Out I came from the plastic cocoon, absolutely SOAKED in sweat head to feet! Thank goodness I was wearing that gorgeous blue outfit! The results will be ready for my team of Doctors next week after Easter weekend. Then Wednesday....LIVER BIOPSY! Need for a plan of survival for that one! You know what's truly amazing? Look at this wrap around skirt (sarong?) that Betsy mailed to me from Hawaii just 3 days ago....YES, it's the map of Florida, including GAINESVILLE, PALATKA and CRESCENT BEACH! (there's even Randy Austin driving his race car!) What a great gift, Bets! THANK YOU! And what incredible timing...I had just decided to mentally drive to Crescent Beach when I received this package! Can you believe that? You're in my soul, girl! And to finish up this post....Look at what my darling husband bought me...my own COMFORTABLE lounge chair for outdoors! (it was a suggestion from one of you, but I can't remember who, sorry! maybe Kate? ) Now I can enjoy the outdoors even if my body doesn't want to cooperate! It very easy to tilt back slowly just using my feet...and easy to get up too! So that's it for today! We're going to watch a good funny movie Love and Lyrics (from Kelly Sue's collection, thank you!). Looking forward to seeing the Amilon family tomorrow! :-)
I thank all the doctors and nurses who helped me today, especially Rolf!