MRI Anecdotes

I didn’t get any pictures from the techs, sad, sad, which is unfortunate, but I had my MRI on last Monday!

I was rescheduled, and it turns out that’s because they wanted to use this piece that wraps around my head, and that won’t fit in the normal MRI.

Fair enough.

I was scheduled for 7pm though, which was rough. The MRIs there run 24/7, so it could have been worse for an emergency scheduling.

So I showed up, and they had the IV team from the ER because UW Hospitals are amazing and LISTENED when I told them I was a hard draw. The lady used an ultrasound to check everything out, and she discovered that there WAS a reason I’m hard to draw from.

Most people, as veins go back from your wrist to your elbow, they get bigger, right?

Mine are tiny, go to a wonderful size halfway up my arm, and then shrink again to almost nothing at my elbow.

*facepalm*

So at least I know where to have them draw now!

Anyway, I’m not claustrophobic, so opted to go in to the MRI with just an anxiety pill that I normally take. They strapped my head and shoulders into the device, flattened and pushed out of the way the *ahem* ladies to hold as tight as possible. Earplugs and ear protection covers went on too, because they’re LOUD.

At the end I couldn’t move my jaw at all, and I was keeping my eyes shut because I knew from prior experience that the MRI COULD make me panic if I opened them, but there was a distinct breeze and sense of space I didn’t have on the other one.

So I peeked.

And the thing they wrapped around my head had a little open viewport section. The MRI itself was much bigger and a good six or eight inches away from my face. Not scary at all, so I just chilled and tried to figure out if during a zombie outbreak zombies would crawl into the device or if they would just bite you and let you zombify inside it.

My arms went to sleep, but meh. Minor issue that I corrected during one of the breaks. It was too chilly to fall asleep during this one. There were a LOT of distinct smears and scratches on the inside, which was mildly concerning.

When I got out I asked the tech if they were from people panicking and clawing their way out.

She said they were from people failing to remember things like steel toes in their sneakers which then have to be scraped off the inside of the machine.

Fair enough.

Then I asked my pressing zombie question, and she laughed and said you wouldn’t have to worry – most people wear metal which means the zombies would just stick to the outside with their arms and legs waving helplessly.

10/10 excellent tech.

It was really late by the time we got home, but at least it was DONE.

Thank you to my in-laws for watching Tundra!!!