Noisy
It's official. Morphine is a great pain reliever, but also a great blocker of bowels! Ow.
Whilst at work this morning I received a phone call from Dr P saying he'd arranged an urgent MRI scan for me as he's concerned about other parts of my back. Gulp!!
However I had to go to Kidderminster hospital as the Worcester machine was being serviced. I still hadn't received a call from Kidderminster about the appointment when I left work, but then my phone rang when I was in my Gord's taxi.
'Mrs Butler, there has been a bit of confusion about your appointment ', oh, 'someone should have called you to ask you to come in for 1pm'. Oh! At this point it was 1.15pm. 'Can you get here as soon as you can?'. 'No problem, I've just left work and heading home. I'll quickly have some lunch and pop over'. Why did I feel the need to mention lunch, I bet they thought I was a right cheeky cow just coming in when it was convenient for me!
Literally, I had ten minutes at home, changed into a non wired bra, as they asked me not to wear any metal, and Gord's came round again. We got to the hospital at 2pm.
Er, I will say this ...who needs senokot when you've been booked in for an urgent MRI??
Dad said they'd called me through as soon as I'd gone into the loo so they had a bit of a wait! The nurse took me to a changing cubicle and I had to answer a number of questions before she asked me to change into a gown but leave my shoes on. There was no point changing my bra at home as I'd completely forgotten there are metal studs on my jeans so had to wear a gown anyway! Doh!
Hairy
Most people who've read this blog from the beginning know about my struggle with armpit hair. Well what was the one thing I wish I'd done this morning whilst having a shower? Yep, shaved my legs! It's awkward to shave them at the moment because of my back so they are not in fine form most of the time.
I had to walk out of the cubicle with my disco boots on and hairy legs showing out the bottom of the gown and go right through the waiting room. It didn't help that I said to the nurse I was following 'I wish I'd shaved my legs today' just as I was approaching a corner of the waiting room where quite a few people heard me and looked up to see the Yeti before them!
 |
| Nice legs! |
I waved to dad as I passed him in the waiting room and he looked a bit sad.
I was taken into the waiting room just before the scanner room and had to put my clothes and jewellery in a locker and hold the key. I took off my boots and kept them under the chair where I was sat and there were some magazines to read so I started looking at them. All of a sudden I heard all sorts of weird noises and realised that the scanner must have been on.
A few minutes later the door opened and I could hear them saying to an elderly person (who couldn't hear them) 'It's all finished now, we're going to put you back on the bed' and then the person was wheeled out into my little room and the corridor. I was then called in.... the room was fairly empty apart from the MRI scanner and lots of needles and sharps boxes (my favourite!). I had to put my locker key on a hook on the wall.
The scanner had a longer, smaller tunnel than the CT scanner and it was all white inside, but it was open at both ends, which I wasn't expecting.
They told me that I was booked in for a spine MRI only, but I told the team that the pain was in my back but also really bad in my left lower ribs. He said the MRI doesn't really give a good result on the ribs and re-confirmed I was only booked in for a spine scan.
I also asked if my feet could be taped together. They said, they don't normally do it, but they could. I explained that I have that done when I have bone scans and it really helps. When you are lying still on your back, your feet want to automatically fall to the side and sometimes I twitch if I feel I've got to hold them still!
I had to lower myself onto the bed and put my head in a head-shaped-rest thing. That was easier said that done as I cried out with the pain in my chest. They taped my feet together and put a polystyrene block under my knees which helped. I was then asked to hold a button which I was to press if I felt uncomfortable or wanted to stop. A set of huge headphones were then about to be put over my ears to reduce the noise and I was asked if I wanted Radio 2 on....'oh, go on then'.
They left the room and Radio 2 didn't come on. All of a sudden I was moved back into the tube and the noise was incredible...god knows what it is like without the headphones on! First of all it clicks as if it's getting in position and then it lets off a constant sound, then an intermittent but regular sound and then it sounds like a pneumatic drill! This happens for quite a long time and on about four different occasions as I was moved through the scanner.
I'm sure when the intermittent sound came on that the bed seemed to get hotter, but that could have been my imagination, and yes, I did twitch in the legs so it was a good job I was taped up.
I kept my eyes closed through the whole thing except when they said in my headphones 'we're going to move you through the machine now' - I hadn't quite caught what they said at first as I was deafened by the noise of the scanner and opened my eyes as I thought they said I was finishing. Yes, the scanner was quite close to my face but not too bad so I just shut my eyes again.
I did start getting quite panicky on there though just thinking about everything and felt nauseous, but I tried to calm myself down. At least I hadn't had weeks to build up to it and worry about it, I literally got the call and was there within the hour.
After about 25 mins I was all done and he apologised as he realised that he'd not turned the radio on. He then helped me off the bed and I swore quite loudly as I got up because of the pain, and he said, 'don't worry I've heard a lot worse'. I felt a tiny bit woozy when I first stood up and very tired, but generally ok.
The nurse unlocked the locker and we took out my bag of stuff. I put my disco boots back on and she walked me back to the changing rooms right through everyone again. As I was going back she said, 'I told your husband when you were being scanned' and I said, 'er, the man in the waiting room is my dad', 'oh, no wonder he looked oddly at me when I told him that'. Jeez....how embarrassing! Poor Gords.
I got changed and went back to meet dad. We were back in the car by 3.05pm so it wasn't too bad at all, then had a nice cuppa when I got home.
I don't know when the results will be back in, and I don't know what they will show, and I don't know what's causing this pain in my side, but I'm bricking it about all of those things, which only means one thing tonight.... WINE!
Cheers....
I was taken into the waiting room just before the scanner room and had to put my clothes and jewellery in a locker and hold the key. I took off my boots and kept them under the chair where I was sat and there were some magazines to read so I started looking at them. All of a sudden I heard all sorts of weird noises and realised that the scanner must have been on.
A few minutes later the door opened and I could hear them saying to an elderly person (who couldn't hear them) 'It's all finished now, we're going to put you back on the bed' and then the person was wheeled out into my little room and the corridor. I was then called in.... the room was fairly empty apart from the MRI scanner and lots of needles and sharps boxes (my favourite!). I had to put my locker key on a hook on the wall.
The scanner had a longer, smaller tunnel than the CT scanner and it was all white inside, but it was open at both ends, which I wasn't expecting.
They told me that I was booked in for a spine MRI only, but I told the team that the pain was in my back but also really bad in my left lower ribs. He said the MRI doesn't really give a good result on the ribs and re-confirmed I was only booked in for a spine scan.
I also asked if my feet could be taped together. They said, they don't normally do it, but they could. I explained that I have that done when I have bone scans and it really helps. When you are lying still on your back, your feet want to automatically fall to the side and sometimes I twitch if I feel I've got to hold them still!
I had to lower myself onto the bed and put my head in a head-shaped-rest thing. That was easier said that done as I cried out with the pain in my chest. They taped my feet together and put a polystyrene block under my knees which helped. I was then asked to hold a button which I was to press if I felt uncomfortable or wanted to stop. A set of huge headphones were then about to be put over my ears to reduce the noise and I was asked if I wanted Radio 2 on....'oh, go on then'.
They left the room and Radio 2 didn't come on. All of a sudden I was moved back into the tube and the noise was incredible...god knows what it is like without the headphones on! First of all it clicks as if it's getting in position and then it lets off a constant sound, then an intermittent but regular sound and then it sounds like a pneumatic drill! This happens for quite a long time and on about four different occasions as I was moved through the scanner.
I'm sure when the intermittent sound came on that the bed seemed to get hotter, but that could have been my imagination, and yes, I did twitch in the legs so it was a good job I was taped up.
I kept my eyes closed through the whole thing except when they said in my headphones 'we're going to move you through the machine now' - I hadn't quite caught what they said at first as I was deafened by the noise of the scanner and opened my eyes as I thought they said I was finishing. Yes, the scanner was quite close to my face but not too bad so I just shut my eyes again.
I did start getting quite panicky on there though just thinking about everything and felt nauseous, but I tried to calm myself down. At least I hadn't had weeks to build up to it and worry about it, I literally got the call and was there within the hour.
After about 25 mins I was all done and he apologised as he realised that he'd not turned the radio on. He then helped me off the bed and I swore quite loudly as I got up because of the pain, and he said, 'don't worry I've heard a lot worse'. I felt a tiny bit woozy when I first stood up and very tired, but generally ok.
The nurse unlocked the locker and we took out my bag of stuff. I put my disco boots back on and she walked me back to the changing rooms right through everyone again. As I was going back she said, 'I told your husband when you were being scanned' and I said, 'er, the man in the waiting room is my dad', 'oh, no wonder he looked oddly at me when I told him that'. Jeez....how embarrassing! Poor Gords.
I got changed and went back to meet dad. We were back in the car by 3.05pm so it wasn't too bad at all, then had a nice cuppa when I got home.
I don't know when the results will be back in, and I don't know what they will show, and I don't know what's causing this pain in my side, but I'm bricking it about all of those things, which only means one thing tonight.... WINE!
Cheers....
Kate there's not much I can say but you are my hero!! Yeti I know that feeling but its nice and warm for winter !! Zara
ReplyDeleteExactly - it's the perfect excuse for leg fuzz in the cold! xxx
DeleteYou were definitely a trooper throughout the procedure, and I am sorry you have been going through back pain. You probably could have hit the button and asked him to turn on the radio, but I can understand if you did not want to call unless it was an emergency. I hope the results of the MRI scan were in your favor.
ReplyDelete