MRI 2011

After my brain injury, I’ve had to have an MRI every six months to check that the stupid brain tumour taking up precious brain space hasn’t suddenly been retarded and hit a growth spurt or something else equally unhelpful.
However, last September, when my MRI thankfully turned up clear, the hospital said, “okay, we’ll graduate you. You don’t need an MRI every six months anymore; once a year’s fine.”
And, two days ago (Friday), I had my MRI done.
At the reception area, first I had to fill out this form, detailing I didn’t have this, or that, etc.
After mother handed that form back to the receptionist for me, someone from the x-ray department came and said they’d need to x-ray my head to locate exactly where the shunt was. See, I’ve got this programmable electronic chip inside my head that controls and sends all the excess brain fluid my brain secretes down to my abdomen. It’s at a certain setting, and every time I go into an MRI machine, the magnetics of the machine throw the chip settings completely outta whack, so I’m not allowed to sit upright again until a doctor comes and resets the pressure settings for my shunt with his little gadgety thing.
The x-ray preceded another wait, until ‘twas finally my turn to go into the MRI tube.
Actually, before that, a nurse attempts to insert a cannula into my arm. Last year, I was mightily stressed, coz it took NINE ouchy needle attempts before the doctor succeeded! >< the problem’s mine, I suppose, coz I’ve got mightily fine veins that are very hard to catch. Last year, two blood ladies both tried two needles and failed. That’s already four needles. Some bloody useless doctor comes and tries THREE times without success! >< finally, he injected my arm with local (which stings like HELL, BTW, before FINALLY getting the damned cannula in! >< this year was slightly less painful: the blood lady tried and failed twice, and then the doctor came and also took two needles before succeeding. Hey, four needles are heaps better than nine; I’m not complaining!
Mother hands me a Westlife CD that I asked her to please bring along for me, then the MRI technician and I head into the room. I hand him my Westlife album then he helps me get into the tube. He takes my AFO off (it contains a lil metal, where the straps are held by) and kindly straps my arms in (coz I explained that stupid ela had a tendency for involuntary movement). Then it’s in I go.
Once the MRI starts, I close both eyes and have a silent chat to god. I told him how very much I hated him for totally destroying my life, but how much I hoped that he would hurry up and turn his wrath onto one of the squillions of people in the world and leave me alone to recover the shattered shards of my life that he’s left me in.
MRI over, the lab technician told me to sit up! O_o luckily, I remembered that I couldn’t, and reminded him. So instead, he and some other guy transferred me to some bed and wheel me back to mother. The smart technician dude even remembered to gimme back my Westlife disc. 
Once back with mother, the x-ray department quickly came and whisked me off for another x-ray, to see if the shunt had moved anywhere. The x-ray technician explained to me that the x-ray department is actually opened 24/7, just in case someone comes in and needs an emergency scan.
Then the long wait for the neurosurgeon began. Huge thanks to mother who’d remembered to bring ipoddy for me to listen to, then when I said that I was hungry, she even opened a packet of hello panda biscuits!  We shared: six for her, seven for me.
Finally, the neurosurgeon turned up with his briefcase and gadgety thing and reset the shunt’s pressure. I was finally free to leave!
The nurse takes out the cannula, mother takes me once more to the bathroom, then, finally, we’re ready to leave.
Dearest dad meets us just as we’re exiting the main building. He kindly fetches mother’s car for her from whichever side-street she parked in this arvo, then mother tootles us home.
We arrive home close to 6pm, actually.
The night before, I’d already written on facebook, asking ppl to please pray for me, and also asking everyone please to just ring our mobiles and not the home phone should they wish to contact us. Coz sorry, but I’m a lil skittish after an MRI, and every time the phone rings, I like jump a foot in the air, terrified that it’s the hospital ringing saying that sth’s gone awfully wrong with my brain.
Actually, Uncle Colbert very kindly informed me today that he decided against ringing us yesterday for whatever reason in light of reading my Facebook request. XD
Anyways, the follow-up date’s sometime in September; fingers crossed I’ll get the all clear!
Next post here … actually, I’ve got two waiting to be typed out! See, yesterday, SHINE fellowship all came for a BBQ at our place, and today, I had lunch with CC at fasta pasta! Well, cya then!
Cheers,
Em. ^^