My MRI...

So I told you that I was going to have an MRI and last Saturday morning I did just that. I'd never had one of those before so it was something of an adventure.

I never knew I was claustrophobic before! In fact, that is something they ask you before they even schedule an MRI. "Are you claustrophobic?" No, I am not. Or so I thought. I mean, I've travelled on crowded small planes and trains and never felt anything like what I started to feel during the MRI.

When I first got to Kenosha Radiology, the technician told me that they thought, at first, they were going to use the normal MRI machine which is a tube that you get slid into and you're completely enclosed while they do what it is they do. Apparently, the normal MRI machine was already set up for someone else so I was told I would be having an "open" MRI. I realized later, as I was lying there, how lucky that really was for me.

So, I take off my shoes and lay down on this narrow table type thing. The tech puts a pillow beneath my feet and straps my legs down so they don't accidentally slide off the table during the procedure. I was told it would be loud and was given the choice of listening to music or just using ear plugs. I chose ear plugs because the thought of piped in music competing with the banging of the MRI didn't sound too pleasing. In fact, it sounded head ache inducing! The tech took my sore arm and wrenched it up and out to the side. A hot shot of pain stabbed me in my arm and I wanted to hit her but I was strapped down! She placed a plastic cuff of something that looked like toy armor over my arm, up into my armpit and across my shoulder. Then she wrenched my sore arm into a rubber sleeve and twisted my arm so my palm was facing upwards, forced my hand into another padded sleeve so it would stay that way and wedged the whole thing onto a table. She gave me a nice soft pillow for my good arm. By this time, I was in a lot of pain from all the manipulating of my sore arm but I was strapped in and couldn't go anywhere! She gave me a "call button" in case I needed it while the test was being done. Then she said, "Here we go!" and I felt the table slowly enter the machine.

Now, when you stand next to an open MRI machine you can see it is not enclosed at all. It's a large circular ring that you can see right through. When you're strapped in and slid into this thing, however, you can't really move your head so when I opened my eyes and saw the machine a mere inch from my face and I couldn't see beyond it, I got the strange feeling I was buried alive! I panicked a little and almost pushed the call button but then I simply closed my eyes and practiced my Heart Math. (A way to breathe and visualize to bring your heart and adrenaline back to base line - look it up! It really works!) When I did feel the need to open my eyes again I realized that if I looked slightly to the right I could see a sliver of daylight and that did a lot to calm me down. Now, add on the noise. Even with the ear plugs this thing was loud! It started out with a series of slow bangs which then escalated to a repeatedly rapid banging that lasted a long time. Once it stopped the tech would reposition the table slightly and do another series and so on and so forth. So it was banging bang bang and I was breathing in and out and counting and seeing myself in my happy place and bang bang bang and breathe and so on and on for FORTY FIVE MINUTES!! Yes, 45 minutes this took! I could not believe how long I was in that thing!!

I was never so grateful as when I finally heard her say, "That's it! We're done here!" Once she unstrapped me I almost sprang up from the table. At last!

Now there are some good things about an MRI that stand out from other medical tests I've had over the years. One - no robes. Other than removing my bra because of the wire hook and eyes in the back and removing my shoes and earrings, I was able to wear my own t-shirt. So the clothes I came in with were fine. Two - an MRI is really not an intrusive test at all. Sure, it's cramped and feels weird but compared to a mammogram or PAP smear, it's a piece of cake. Three - once you get over the tiny space you're in, if you can control the urge to run and breathe deeply, it can be quite relaxing lying there on that table. It's not uncomfortable, except for the loud noise, so if you can block that out, you might enjoy this!

The results? I have some fluid in my right shoulder joint and a couple of bone spurs in my shoulder. I might have some nerve issues in my neck but before they test for that I am getting a shot of cortisone in my shoulder, possibly having the spurs ground down, and we'll see if that takes care of the pain. If I still get the stabbing arm pain, then they'll move onto the neck and see if it's something in there. Yikes, I hope that doesn't mean I'll need another MRI. As "relaxing" as it could be, I just don't want to do it again!

My Laundry List...

So, summer is pretty well over and I'm faced with having an MRI done on my right shoulder which has been a sonofabitch all summer long. Bone spurs, they say. I was sent to physical therapy for it but that damn near killed me because the pain just kept getting worse. So, hi ho hi ho it's off to the MRI I go!

This summer has been a strange series of what I will refer as My Laundry List of Health Related Crap That I Had to Deal With.

It all started with my right knee. Now, for the past I don't know how many years, I have had pain in my left knee. It stems from a car accident when I was a kid and now I have arthritis in that knee. Plus, the knee cap isn't exactly all there so it aches most of the time and especially if it's going to rain. A couple of Alleve and I'm good. But earlier this summer, my right knee...the good one...started aching and throbbing and swelling up to the point where walking was a bitch! I went to an orthopedic doc and after some x-rays he tells me that I have some arthritis in that knee too but the pain is actually at the opposite side of the knee and is from over compensating for the afflicted side. So, I was sent to water therapy. It worked great! I learned exercises I could do at home and spent a lot of time in a super heated pool strengthening the muscles around my knee and it's perfect now! No pain!

Shortly after that happened, my arm began hurting. At first it was a dull ache which seemed to be mostly in my wrist. I had been treated for carpal tunnel a long time ago and I really thought it had just come back. Gradually the pain increased and was now a stabbing pain in my upper arm. Reaching for anything was painful! And it really did feel like someone was stabbing me! I iced it and took more Alleve and used my wrist brace. Then I went to Sweden for two weeks.

While I was there the pain kept on and it was getting worse. Additionally, while I was there I got an infected toe. A really ugly seriously infected toe. I had a small blister on my toe and made the stupid mistake of walking around my father-in-laws bathroom as I helped clean up some water that was flooding it. Turned out the water was coming from the sewage pipe and my toe was hot, red, swollen and oozing. I was scared I might get blood poisoning. Luckily, we had some disinfectant, antibiotic ointment and alcohol wipes so I just kept cleaning it well, and kept it bandaged. By the time we flew home it was healing nicely but my arm was acting up badly.

Once home, I knew, I had to see the doc. I was sent for x-rays. Bone spurs, they said. I was sent to therapy again. Every time I did my therapy I would not be able to do another single thing all night. I would be in so much pain that I could just sit and ice it and whimper. That night I would be not be able to sleep because any movement would cause the stabbing pain again. At work, I was unable to do much of anything and I work at a desk, for crying out loud! After two weeks, I called the doc again. I begged him to do something else and so...this Saturday...I will have the MRI.

Whatever this is, I will do whatever it takes to not be in this pain. I don't like taking medications so I'm not going to even try pain killers. I want this ordeal to be over with and I want my damn arm back again! All summer long I had health issues to deal with and I'm sick and tired of it. I don't want to head into Autumn with this hanging on! Enough already!